Mood:
on fireTopic: "Supportin' da Troops"(3)
Frodo sat in stunned silence as he watched the on-the-spot reports follow the first-person stories as they assembled the insignificant life intermingled with the wasted lives, and introduced the general incompetence of the judicial, military, and civilian leaders. The daily detritus was taking liquid form on Frodo's forehead. Finally, when all the words that could be spoken had been, Frodo rose from his chair, turned slowly, and proceeded, step-by-step, toward the humming light fixture on his desk. He called up the box marked "Favorites," and he pushed the key that brought "Google" to the surface. He typed in the words "Walter Reed Base Closing Report," and pushed the key that demanded a response.
"Sam," said Frodo, "Let's suppose that your were the Commandant of the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital when it was recommended, just a few short months ago, that the facility be closed, in order to save money. Would you be hesitant to spend money to repair the plumbing, paint the walls, or even mow the lawn very often?"
"Hmm, I see where you're going with this. You're making the point that the same geniuses who got us into the Pre-emptive War were the same ones responsible for the ramshackle facilities made available for out-patient care. I guess my question is why it hadn't already been closed, along with most of the other bases recommended for closure in the same report?"
"Sam, I have no doubt that these 'geniuses', as you call them, were just as overwhelmed with the number of amputations, the neurological problems, the debilitating injuries, as they were by the insurgency itself in Iraq, and by the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now, in their defense, I truly believe that they did their best to get the best medical care and treatment possible for the influx of patients. What galls me, however, is that Rupert Murdoch's minions from Faux News were also called in to show the Incomparable Moron pinning purple hearts onto the pillows of the wounded. Time-and-again we would be reminded that the President was there 'all the time' to visit the troops and to thank them for their service."
"If he was there so much, I suppose you're asking, was that one room the only place he went?"
"Sam, I've been thinking about our last trip to Germany."
"Mr. Frodo, I've been thinking the same thing. All the Germans we met assured us that they had no idea what was going on in those camps during World War II."
"Sam, do you know how far it is from Dachau to Munich?"
"How far?"
"About the same distance as it is from the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital to the White House."
