Glenn Beck is talking about his nephew in Iraq

[uberllama42]

This young man called him the other day and asked him to send him a helmet. Apparently the soldier lost his in recent combat and the Army could not provide a suitable replacement. But the most disturbing part of the story is that the Army is now rationing food.

Beck is rightfully outraged that the people supposedly defened the richest nation on Earth don't have enough to eat. He blames Congress for trying to cut off funding. What the hell is he talking about? The Army has all the money they need. The supply shortages are the result of mismanagement by the Pentagon. The Democrats have folded and given the White House everything they ask for. This is the same trick right-wing pundits were trying to pull all through the years they controlled Congress- they pretend that the Democrats are the ones running the show. The Democrats have shown their total willingness to comply with the wishes of the Bush Administration, which is why there are still boots on the ground fighting an unwinnable war.

[babylonsister]

1. Is this a thread about Beck, lack of rations, or Dem-bashing?

:shrug:

[uberllama42]

15. Um... it's about all three, I guess

I don't see that those things are mutually exclusive. I'm sorry if it comes across as an incohesive rant.

[uppityperson]

52. i'm taking it another way. Dems folded, gave money, why are troops still shorted?

Why do they have to buy helmets or food? Dems folded and voted "yes" for more money to "support the troops", so why are they short of support? Where the hell is the money going? All rhetorical questions since the answer is "not to the troops", but rhetorical questions need to be asked still.

I think where Beck fails is blaming congress for not having enough money to provide for the military, and he needs the answers as to where the money is going, making the "rhetorical question" argument moot since it appears he still needs answers. (poorly constructed sentence, sorry)

[woodsprite]

2. I was just thinking today that our guys over there are not getting

the money - We just keep writing blank checks to Bushco's private bank accounts.

[gatorboy]

3. Glenn Beck has army helmets lying around?

Thanks for the brain fart!

[uberllama42]

18. Beck said he would hook the nephew up with a charity

Yeah, this was a brain fart; sorry for cluttering up the board. My father started talking to me as I was typing it, and I kind of lost interest in it.

[gatorboy]

19. Even worse! Considering the scratch Beck makes in radio and television.

He can't afford to by his nephew one lousy helmet?

[uberllama42]

20. He literally doesn't have access to that kind of military equipment

The big issue here, IMHO, is that he actually insists that the Democrats have refused to fund the war. He misattributes blame for political reasons, which is a disservice to his nephew and everyone else in combat.

[Hobarticus]

23. You can buy a helmet online, right now.

Here's the first link, of many. $400 for new, $185 for reissue. Beck can certainly swing that.

http://www.securityprousa.com/barihe.html?gclid=CPmMqdX9tYwCFQM-Igod5UgjKw

[uberllama42]

33. He made some kind of excuse

about not trusting Internet sites.

[gatorboy]

38. That seems like alot of excuses!

From a charity to "you can't get that on the internet" to "he doesn't trust the internet"....

Which is it? I can't keep up! :rofl:

C'mon, face it. He's a cheap bastard if he's considering sending his nephew to a charity. It's absolutely repulsive how cheap and greedy these people can be, dont'cha think?

[uberllama42]

41. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to defend him

Those radio types are always greedy sensationalists. That's why I don't want a left-wing radio station.

[gatorboy]

25. That's not true at all.

Soldiers even have personal sites up where they beg for equipment and show individuals where to get it for them (Adopt A Sniper comes to mind.). Glenn Back is just a cheap bastard.

[Hobarticus]

27. ...and a sensationalist cheap bastard, at that.

When we start listening to Glenn Beck and taking him seriously, we're toast.

[blondeatlast]

35. I suggest that DU take up a collection to buy Glenn's "nephew" a helmet.

I'd love to see him wrangle his way out of that one without KKKarl's help.

I'm perfectly willing to confess to it being a political stunt designed expressly to embarrass Beck--but I think his "nephew" needs a helmet anyway.

[Hobarticus]

36. Now that would be goddamned funny...

If I gave a shred of credence to his story, it's be good for his nephew, and make Beck out to be an ass.

Ask him to send us a photo with his new helmet and send it to Olbermann.

It's a shameless stunt, but brilliant.

[gatorboy]

37. I would be willing to donate some scratch if we could get this going.

Now all we need is someone who can stomach Beck's show long enough to get some information on whether this is legit or not.

[blondeatlast]

40. Ah, I haven't got the stomach for that, I'm just the idea... person!

Any takers?

[uberllama42]

42. I have a pretty high tolerance for his bullshit

I live in the most Republican area in the country (Harrisburg, PA- over 50% of voters are registered GOP) so I hear this crap all day long.

[Hobarticus]

49. I'm on it...I'll keep you posted.

Brilliant idea, that's half the battle!

:evilgrin:

[Hobarticus]

48. Dropped him a line, let's see what happens...

I'm serious as a heart attack, I think it'd be a hoot.

[blondeatlast]

51. Do keep me posted--this could get good.

If you hear anything, I think a separate thread is in order. :rofl:

[Hobarticus]

53. It'll go up so fast my server will smoke...

OMG, can you imagine?!?

[Ganja Ninja]

4. It sounds like Beck expected the funding to be cut off and has

a pile of talking points left over so he's trying to find some context to use them.

[Virginia Dare]

12. Yup, that's exactly it...

Rove had the smear machine all in gear, and Beck isn't smart enough to realize it's a moot point.

[uberllama42]

17. He started talking some nonsense

about "your weakness is your strength," which I think has something to do with the decency of Americans. It didn't seem to bear any relation to reality or anything he had been talking about.

[azurnoir]

5. The whole food and equipment rationing

was in preparation for the Democratic congress not signing the bill, what no one seems to get is that there would have been a food shortage or total run out, the WH would have created the shortage, and apparently was in the process of doing so, blamed the Dems for not signing the bill with the lap dog media behind them reporting "oh lookie what our troops are being put through because-"all the way.
The silver lining to the signing of this bill is the SOB's in "charge" got caught in the fraud they were about to perpetrate

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/05/28/blog_geniuses/index.html

edited to add link

[Virginia Dare]

13. Rove had a PR campaign all ready to roll out over..

the Memorial Day weekend designed to humiliate the Dems.

[Fleshdancer]

6. I thought the govt privatized food distribution to troops

I'm trying to look this up on Google. Am I crazy or does anyone else recall reading something like this?

[gatorboy]

7. Halliburton served spoiled food and tainted water to the troops.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/12/leahy-halliburton/

[babylonsister]

9. From iraqslogger:

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2909/US_Mission_Has_Food_Shortage_Convoys_Delayed

ll those working with "US Mission Iraq" -- embassy, consulate, and provincial reconstruction team employees and military personnel and contractors at State Dept.-funded facilities in Iraq -- are being warned of food supply disruptions, with some food types soon to be "severely limited or unavailable."

The memo gave no explanation as to why the food convoys have been delayed, but warned that their dining facilities (DFACS) would not be stocked as usual and that MREs might have to serve as a replacement for their regular food if the disruption was not soon corrected.

Though this memo only seems to apply those eating at cafeterias at US State Department facilities across Iraq, including US military personnel who eat at those cafeterias, news that food deliveries in Iraq are experiencing supply-side disruption theater-wide raises questions about whether US troops may be dealing with the similar supply challenges.

IraqSlogger has as yet been unable to determine how widespread the anticipated food shortage may be, but will update this story as more information comes available.

Food Delivery Delays

[Richard Steele]

10. Perhaps the convoys are delayed because....

....they're taking personnel out of the trucks and
reassigning them to "patrol" duty.

Haven't we seen articles about this recently- that
the "surge" will actually be double the numbers we've
been given? And that the "doubling" won't come from
sending even more troops, but from placing support troops
into combat missions?

[Hobarticus]

26. That's very likely, as well.

Most convoys anymore are driven by private contractors (I know personally one who's been there) just so that they can get more boots on the ground. You were a truck driver in the Guard? Not any longer. Radio repairman? Nope, you're infantry. But that's pretty much been the way it's been for a long time.

[txindy]

8. He probably wasn't at all outraged @ Halliburton's feeding expired food to the troops.

That would've required thought on his part and that's not about to happen.

[Virginia Dare]

11. Beck had to reword his talking points..

Rove had everybody fired up to go on attack mode against the Democrats for defunding, but it didn't go that way. I guess Beck didn't have a "Plan B".

[gratuitous]

14. Beck's talking points hitting stark reality

It's gotta be confusing when you're all set to rant one way, and then reality cuts the legs out from under your argument. Now, a rational, thinking human being would change; we see what Beck did, and that's blindly rush forward with an incoherent and factually untrue attack. His viewers will lap it up, like they do all the offal from the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer. What's most puzzling is why CNN provides this man a sinecure and a platform to produce that offal.

[AspenRose]

16. We here at the DU all know that reality has a well-known liberal bias.

Hope he (Beck) thinks long and hard about what is going on.....

[NNN0LHI]

21. Why isn't Beck in Iraq fighting himself?

I have my suspicions why.

Don

[Hobarticus]

22. I call bullshit.

His nephew lost his helmet, and they can't find him a replacement? Whatever. I can't even think of a likely scenario that this would occur in. Even as punishment, the risk far outweighs the gains.

The Army doesn't want people injured. Injured people take resources to get out of danger, to get immediate care for, to evacuate, and to fly to a hospital bed in Germany. Can't imagine anyone on the ground right now would risk that for the sake of a helmet. So to deny him a helmet as punishment for losing his original issue is hardly plausible.

Even if it were true, Glenn Beck can buy a surplus helmet online, right now, for under 200 bucks. If he's so concerned for his nephew, he can buy one and ship it to him. He certainly can afford it.

http://www.securityprousa.com/barihe.html?gclid=CPmMqdX9tYwCFQM-Igod5UgjKw

What he calls "rationing" is more likely resource management, which an Army in the field lives or dies on. Keeping control of your food stocks means you don't have to overtax your supply lines, and in case supply lines are compromised, they can hold out longer. We don't own Iraq. We have never secured the airport road, and flying cargo in isn't safe. Convoys are under fire all the time. Our supply line isn't secure and it never was. I don't know what his nephew expected, but I'm not surprised or shocked or angered by this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of the occupation and I know our troops are in a bad place and times are tough, but anything Beck says is suspect. The man's job is sensationalism. Frankly, if Beck told me the sun was going down today, I'd wait and see for myself.

[uberllama42]

31. I believe Beck said something to the effect that

they had issued him a World-War-II-era helmet as a replacement, one which didn't fit. I might have heard wrong, but if that is in fact what he said, then you are completely right. I second your calling of "bullshit".

[stanwyck]

43. I agree. This story smells

my son is a Marine on his third tour to Iraq. It's possible the Marines' situation is different than the Army, but my son says that food has always been plentiful and decent. He loses weight because his appetite is off because of the heat and he's active at least 12 hrs. a day. I'm doubtful of the Army not having sufficient helmets. Actually, I've been impressed with the equipment we taxpayers supply my son.
What worries me is what I feel is insufficient concern for troops who are experiencing mental problems associated with extended deployments. With the all volunteer forces, we're asking the same soldiers and Marines to repeatedly work in combat operations. Our limited pool is putting an unprecedented strain on the same troops, with no end in sight.
You're right about Beck. He's a total huckster. Facts play no part in his diatribes. If he really wants to be outraged on behalf of the troops, he should talk about how they're treated when they're wounded and sent back home. Now there's a story ripe for rage.
Not this helmet bullshit.

[Hobarticus]

47. I want your son home safe and sound...

I'm rooting for him, and you.

O8)

And you're right, as soon as these young men and women get home, they're forgotten. They're suppoosed to "buck up" and take it like a trooper, which is fine to a point, but there reaches a point where no one can cope on their own.

My friend's brother-in-law was probably the most strack soldier I had ever seen, even though he was full-time Guard. Recruiting poster looks, smart, the whole nine yards. He came back from his second tour, which was particularly hard on his unit, moved into the basement, let his wife and daughter drift away, and functions only at a basic self-sufficiency level. No help for him that he can afford himself. It's bullshit, and a goddamned shame. We put these kids through hell and leave them high and dry. I hope they can forgive us.

[Toots]

24. Why would anyone watch Beck?

Does it matter one whit what he says. When has he ever been right about anything? Get a life and watch a cartoon show like the rest of America. Aren't Simpsons or South Park or Family Guy on somewhere?

[uberllama42]

32. I was listening to him on the radio

I don't watch television. Occasionally I watch a clip on comedycentral.com.

The radio stations around here are crap; there's usually nothing else on. I listen to him to pass the time while I'm doing dishes or some other kitchen work.

[The Stranger]

28. Glenn Beck is a bigoted, racist, xenophobic imbecile.

Pay not attention to him or what he says.

[lonestarnot]

29. Got to wonder about anyone who turns the channel to listen to Beck and then

leave the program on long enough to hear the context of his bullshit. The fear pusher keeps 'em guessing at the next period of decomp.

[blondeatlast]

30. Are you really that naive? As many have mentioned, he's gotta use up all those talking points and

geez, you can buy a helmet online. I'd link to a source but you need the Google practice, IMHO.

Geez. Geezgeezgeez. :eyes:

[uberllama42]

34. Thanks for insulting my intelligence

Several previous posts have corrected me. If you don't have anything helpful to add, I would just as soon not have you post anything at all.

[KG]

39. this sound like a bullshit story to me.

just another lie from one of the better paid liars.

[live love laugh]

44. My bullshit detector went off the charts too. n/t

[raccoon]

45. Did you really think the Democrats would have pulled troops out of Vietnam, I mean Iraq, right after

the 2006 election?

"The Democrats have shown their total willingness to comply with the wishes of the Bush Administration, which is why there are still boots on the ground fighting an unwinnable war."

Don't forget for one moment who were the warmongering werewolves who invaded Iraq in the first place. The Bush admin and the neocons. Or do I repeat myself?

[uberllama42]

50. Actually, I expected them to fold

Pretty much exactly as they did. I was happy briefly after the 2006 election, and then reality set in. Despite one of the clearest mandates in the history of American politics, they folded.

It doesn't matter that Bush was the criminal who started this war; it is up to the Democrats to end it, and they are failing us.

[KharmaTrain]

46. Haven't The Commisaries Been Outsourced??

IRC, I saw a report saying that many of the larger Commisaries and PX's on bases are now run by contractors. Another example of how the "military-industrial complex" puts the bottom line ahead of all else.

Yep, the Army's had a blank check to do this "war right"...and now it's somehow everyone elses fault but those who planned this war for profit. Unfortunately, we won't learn the extent of how corrupt and inept this regime and the limitless greed, it will take years and many more deaths until we get a proper handle on this thing.

Beck should be shamed for using his relative as a prop. Typical. It's not a son or brother...far enough removed but close enough to be used for emotional and partisan attacks...which was at the top of his biased agenda to start with.