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 by Stephen Lendman

What began in January escalated to an uprising in March. Ever since, it’s been violent, disruptive and widespread, killing hundreds, and injuring many more.

The stakes are high. The entire region is affected. It’s very similar to what began in Libya, pitting imperial powers against ruling governments for destabilization and control.

In Libya, it’s by war for regime change, colonization and plunder. In Syria, it’s to establish another client state, no matter who heads it. More on that below.

On August 3, Joshua Landis’ Syria Comment site (joshualandis.com) headlined, “The Armed Gangs Controversy,” saying:

Some analysts say “Syrian soldiers are killing fellow soldiers (for disobeying orders), not opposition elements.” In fact, nothing proves it. “Most evidence supports government statements that armed opposition elements (are) shooting security personnel.”

In April in Banyas, the controversy first surfaced when nine soldiers were killed outside the city. Western media reports about fellow soldiers shooting them were false. Col. Uday Ahmad, brother-in-law of one of the dead, there at the time, said:

“(T)wo military trucks were ambushed as they crossed a highway bridge by well armed men,” hiding on the ground and on rooftops. “They raked the two trucks with automatic fire, killing nine. The incident had nothing to do with soldiers refusing orders.”

Other shooting reports were similar, involving armed militants, non-Syrian insurgents, responsible for much killing, Western media falsely blaming Syria’s military and police. At the same time, most opposition forces are nonviolent, caught between hostile sides.

In Hama, for example, independent video footage contradicts major media reports. It shows opposition elements throwing bodies of soldiers into the Asi River, north of the city.

In fact, a CNN Arwa Damon/Nada Husseini August 2 report (a notable major media exception, perhaps airing only on CNN International) said:

“One prominent anti-government activist (unnamed for reasons of safety) told CNN the state TV account was correct. The bodies are those of Syrian secret police killed by Syrian fighters from Iraq who have joined the anti-government fight,” based on information gotten “from an extensive network of informants.”

Violent insurgents aren’t part of the protest movement. They’re destabilizing interventionist forces from outside, responsible for lots of killing.

Of course, violence begets more of it. Opposition elements incite it. Government forces respond, and nonviolent civilians are caught in the crossfire.

Landis believes the regime is resilient and will keep fighting, its military having “many advantage(s) over the fragmented opposition.” It’s “unlikely” to collapse or “fade away.” Fighting will continue until one side or the other prevails. Had the Assad government “been willing to hand over power peacefully or establish some sort of constitutional convention, it would have done so already.”

The longer fighting continues, the worse off Syrians will be. Many already face economic hardships, exacerbated by months of conflict, disrupting their lives, besides the human toll.

Landis thinks “(t)he potential for (continued) violence and lawlessness is large. Most worrying is the lack of leadership among opposition forces.” More on that below.

Syrian authorities believe they’re in control as long as Damascus and Aleppo, its two main cities, are mostly quiet.

Business elites in both cities are pro-regime, fearing much to lose if it’s ousted. Sami Moubayed, Damascus-based Forward Magazine editor-in-chief in an August 2 Gulf News article, said:

“(B)oth cities can make or break any political movement – but rarely have they been part of anything that threatens stability and their commercial interests.”

At the same time, the “silence of both cities….won’t last for too long” for three reasons:

(1) “Unemployment:” If it rises too high, expect trouble. Many young people already are jobless. If many others join them for a protracted period, they’ll be impoverished and angry.

(2) “Lack of community leaders:” Previous ones “pacif(ied)” angry Damascus residents. No one with similar influence is present in either city because “Baathists (haven’t let) independent leaders….emerge.”

(3) “Demographics:” Both cities are “melting pots,” containing elements likely to demonstrate if things break down, because they don’t take orders from business leaders.

On August 5, Landis headlined, “Should the US Hasten Assad’s Downfall Despite Syria’s Absence of Opposition Leaders?” saying:

Opposition forces are leaderless. As a result, “many US policy makers (are) scared. They don’t want” the regime ousted until “some structure or leadership (can) take its place.”

A power vacuum could produce chaos, an “Iraq (or Afghanistan) redux.” Syrian businessmen won’t support political change without a safe alternative. They’re “not suicidal. They fear having their property expropriated twice in 50 years.” Moreover, they’ve been “inextricably linked” to the regime for decades.

By “fast forward(ing)” change, Washington might “creat(e) a Frankenstein….caus(ing) more destruction and death, not less.”

According to Syrian human rights activist/former judge/outspoken Assad regime critic, Haytham al-Maleh:

“If we want to own Syria after the revolution, we must win this struggle on our own,” not by foreign intervention, especially imperial powers with their own agenda.

Destabilization and Possible Military Intervention

On the Progressive Radio News Hour, Mahdi Nazemroaya said outside elements are destabilizing Syria, much like how the Libyan uprising began. Where it leads bears close watching.

On Russia Today (RT.com), Michel Chossudovsky covered similar ground and more.

“This is not a peaceful protest movement,” he said. “The model of insurrection (in Hama) is very similar to what happened in Daraa at the outset of these so-called protest movements.”

Hama is a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold. “This essentially is a confrontation between the government and Muslim Brotherhood.” It doesn’t reflect Syrian public opinion, “committed to a secular Muslim society.”

In fact, “Assad has very strong popular support,” as demonstrated by large pro-government rallies. Against them are Islamists “supported by outside forces. We know that’s the case,” including insurgents from Iraq, Turkey and Jordan.

Major media reports falsify what’s happening, presenting one-sided biased accounts. AFP fabricated news about Hama, claiming 500,000 anti-government protesters turned out. “In fact, it wasn’t 500,000. It was 10,000.”

Moreover, when mass pro-Assad (or pro-Gaddafi) rallies occur, they’re either downplayed or ignored.

In addition, major media reports suppress information about “armed gunmen shooting at police.” Even the Israeli press confirmed it, while US and other Western accounts conceal what’s going on – “a NATO/US military alliance committing crimes (against) humanity,” targeting Syrian civilians as in Libya.

If Western forces intervene militarily, “then we are in for an extended war that goes from the Mediterranean to the Chinese border.” As a result, a general war may result with potentially “devastating consequences.”

On August 5, RIA Novosti headlined, “NATO plans campaign in Syria, tightens noose around Iran – Rogozin,” saying:

“NATO is planning a military campaign against Syria to help overthrow the (Assad regime) with a long-reaching goal of preparing a beachhead for an attack on Iran, Russia’s envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said.”

By condemning ongoing violence in Syria, the Security Council suggested military intervention may follow. “It could be a logical conclusion of (Western) military and propaganda operations….against North Africa,” Rogozin told Izvestia Friday, saying targeted regimes have opposing views to Western ones.

He also said imperial intervention in Syria and Yemen may precede attacking Iran.

“The noose around Iran is tightening,” he believes. “Military planning against Iran is underway. And we are certainly concerned about an escalation of a large-scale war in this huge region.”

In fact, military plans for wars take months to prepare. America has longstanding ones, updated as needed, against a number of targeted nations, including Iran. It also has extensive naval and other forces in the region.

Plans are one thing, however, waging wars another. Many sit on shelves unimplemented, gathering dust. For years, reports circulated about potential imminent attacks on Iran, some accompanied by powerful US naval forces deployed to the region. Nonetheless, nothing happened.

Iran is militarily strong, able to retaliate forcefully against Israel and American forces in Iraq. As a result, attacking it could prove catastrophic, not least because how disruptive it would be to regional oil supplies and prices.

Blocking the Hormuz Straits alone would prevent around 15 – 17 millions of barrels from passing through daily on average. Attacking Western Gulf oil production, processing and transportation facilities would make things much worse, besides risking the possibility of general war.

Some analysts, in fact, believe doing so could become WW III if Russia and China intervene to protect their own interests.

For over three decades, US/Iranian relations have been strained, but no wars resulted. Perhaps it’s because once something major begins, the potential consequences may be too great to risk.

In other words, the risk/reward ratio may show odds too precarious even for go-for-broke imperial powers to chance. What’s ahead this time? In the fullness of time, we’ll know, with an important wild card to keep in mind.

With America’s economy cratering ahead of its 2012 presidential and congressional elections, a major false flag attack, like 9/11, may be used to incite fear, divert attention from economic woes, and enlist public support for more war besides others now ongoing.

It’s the oldest trick in the book, successful virtually every time tried, the Obama administration’s ace in the hole perhaps to be played strategically for assured reelection, it hopes.

As a result, anything ahead is possible to solidify power, even risked global war with potentially catastrophic consequences. Trends analyst Gerald Celente calls Washington politicians “inepts and incompetents.”

With these types in charge, future possibilities are frightening, especially since the business of America is war and grand theft.

As a result, be wary, worried, and ready to react decisively – to the streets, if necessary, to fight the beast or be devoured by it. No other choice is possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. He is also the author of “How Wall Street Fleeces America“

The Progressive News Hour

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Guest: David Protess

Protess founded and directed the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University until he was wrongfully suspended. He now heads the Chicago Innocence Project (ChIP), continuing his work to expose miscarriages of justice that earned him numerous distinguished awards. His suspension, subsequent resignation, and continued work for justice will be discussed.

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• Imperial Plans for Libya Post-Gaddafi
• Growing Israeli Tyranny

Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=129200

Posted by Lorimer Wilson

When people talk about getting their personal finances in order, they usually try to find relatively pain-free and low-cost ways to reduce debt and increase savings but this is a long-term approach which some people just cannot “afford”. For them it may be worthwhile to consider taking the hard way out of debt. Let me explain.

Instead of making small changes, make big changes which can have a large impact. The advantage is that you can put a huge dent into any debt you might have or supercharge your saving rate, with large increases over a short period of time. Here are 10 hard ways to get your finances in order.

1. Only buy things used – and save 50% or more!

New is nice, but there are very few items that you need to purchase new. Learn to buy everything you want used or don’t buy it at all. eBay, Craigslist, second-hand shops, consignment stores,  flea markets and garage sales will be your new shopping grounds. This should reduce your spending by 50% or more and with a bit of work and a good eye, you’ll be the only one to know you didn’t pay retail prices.

2. Only buy what you NEED!

You know that you have too much stuff and your closets and other storage areas prove it. If you really want to purchase something, vow to donate, sell or get rid of three items for every one that you buy. If you want that new shirt, those new shoes or a new book, you have to give up three of each to get it. While it is not easy giving things you have up, this will ensure that you only buy things that you really want and avoid gathering that 80% of junk that most people buy but no longer use.

3. Turn Christmas into a no-spend holiday – and do some volunteer work instead!

Decide that you are opting out of the commercialism of Christmas or whatever winter holiday you celebrate and turn it into a no-spend holiday. Instead, go back to the roots of what the holiday is supposed to mean [and even contribute to the spirit of Christmas by doing some volunteer work in the community]. It will not be easy and friends and family may not understand, but not only will you save a bundle of money, you’ll have a less stress while getting a lot more meaning out of the holidays.

For the remaining 7 ideas on how to reduce expenses, save money and get out of debt read the balance of the article here at our associated site.

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=129975

The US sanctioned coup of Diem sealed our fate in Vietnam

by Ed Mattson

August 10th marked the 50th anniversary of the commencement of using Agent Orange defoliant in Vietnam and other countries of Southeast Asia. This is not a momentous occasion by any stretch of the imagination, but like the Watergate incident involving the Nixon Administration; it marked the end in the belief for many, which was that the US was always right regardless of whatever action it would take.

Some folks have always bought into the idea that whatever government does, it is for “the greater good”, and have had the tendency to look the other way regardless of the fallout. The bombing of Japan to end the war in the Pacific, the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, and hundreds of feel-good programs embarked upon by our government trying to social engineer our way to providing equal prosperity to every citizen, are reminiscent of simpler times.

The lack of success the French had in their Indo-China war should have been a wake-up call that our incursion into Vietnam would be a difficult task and perhaps an impossible one at best given the political climate of the region and the corrupt government with whom we had aligned our country. The sense in fighting a war with a guerrilla enemy in a terrain that provided unlimited opportunities for concealment and refuge, to develop a democratic government that was borne of corruption, and to not expect a conflict that would go on for years is simply naïve in retrospect, but then, that’s how much of history is remembered…20-20 vision in hindsight.

Early-on US strategies were as observers and trainers of the South Vietnamese military, to protect the people and a corrupt government, probably as much from each other as for each other. It soon became obvious that, as talented and capable as some of the South Vietnamese soldiers were, they would never be a match for an enemy that could easily hide in the citizenry, and move in and out of a battle disappearing into the countryside or back to an urban area without batting an eye.  Since much of the internal conflict in South Vietnam was with the fascist government and president Ngo Dinh Diem, a staunch Catholic in a country dominated by Buddists, Diem had to go and the CIA was more than a willing accomplice in his assassination.

Following Diem’s demise there were a series of coups, but no one was strong enough to create a stable government so the US itself became the defacto head of state leading to charges of colonialism by many Vietnamese, and a rallying cry for the Communists of North Vietnam. With the US firmly entrench in the hole it dug for itself, the only survival for a struggling South Vietnam was US boots on the ground. And so we were incrementally sucked in by our own politicians believing that the only hope for success was the false notion that American blood would make a difference.

I guess to those in Washington DC the idea was the only way to prevent the spread of Communism throughout Southeast Asia, but today all would agree the loss of 58,000 American troops was not worth the effort which ended up dividing America and became the platform for much of today’s political derisiveness.  It is hard for a government to lead without the trust of its citizens, and one could easily argue the beginning of distrust emanated from the handling of affairs in Vietnam.

Adding insult to injury to the Vietnam War was the notion that we needed to level the battlefield of the enemy by depriving them the use of the jungle for refuge and for warehousing war-making supplies, and by using defoliating agents we could accomplish that task but also eliminate much of their food supply as well. The problem with the plan was the inability to tell guerrilla combatants from the citizenry. The devastation caused by the defoliation program had a catastrophic affect on not only most of Southeast Asia, but on the lives of hundreds of thousands of US troops and their families.

So, in 1961, the use of defoliants began, which in hindsight we can all agree was fool-heartedly at best, but as it has turned out is far more than that. While there is much blame to go around, what started out as negligence in the way the program was deployed, it evolved into a program that became felonious behavior. As I mentioned in a previous article regarding the infamous Dr. Joseph Mengela and his human medical experiments during the Nazi regime, so to could the cavalier use of Agent Orange and other toxins be applied to the actions of our government. The saddest part of the defoliant “experiment” is that it affected millions of innocent men, women, and children, in Vietnam and other countries of Southeast Asia.

Some will argue that the use of defoliants was a successful program in that it did destroy much of the vegetation, but  simply handing over toxin chemicals to the military, pat them on the back and say, “go spray”, without proper instruction as to cautions that should be taken in handling, mixing (proper concentration), storage, clean-up, and destroying waste and left-over product, has to viewed as fragrant disregard for the outcome which has come to be  recognized as nefarious.  A report by Admiral Zumwalt to Secretary Derwinski of the Department of Veterans Affairs  concluded some of the chemical mixes were 6-25 times the recommended dilution, when at a 50-50 dilution rate the toxin is one of the most deadly chemicals known to man…a fact not relayed to the boots on the ground.

It is one thing to deploy a strategy for waging a war, but we took it to a whole new level when we embarked on the use of defoliants. No one realized at the time that deploying 10-12 million or so gallons of Agent Orange would end up costing upwards of a trillion dollars before it can be determined to be “all over”. According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 people being killed or maimed, 500,000 children born with birth defects, and 10 million hectares of agricultural land contaminated. It is nearly impossible to fix the exact cost in medical expenses for the Vietnamese people (and other citizens exposed in Southeast Asia), the US troops living with the aftermath, the cost of clean-up, and the future loss of productivity by those maimed by the deadly toxin.

So where are we today, fifty years after the fact? There is some good news to be found. A study conducted by Hatfield Consultants, Ltd, Vancouver, Canada, in collaboration with the government of Vietnam and through a series of earth core samples has reported the Vietnamese countryside to no longer pose a health threat with the exception of “hot spots” that are comprised of the former US military bases of Da Nang, Bien Hoa, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Phu Cat, Pleiku, and Yan San Nhut, and the downstream and the immediate surrounding areas. The Vietnamese government has stated that with proper notification of its citizenry, future problems can be minimizes.

An action plan by the France-Vietnamese Friendship Association (AAFV) in May 2011, has called for $300 million to help finalize the remaining clean-up operation financed mainly by the US government, but it still leaves in doubt, the medical fate of thousands of US soldiers and their families, as the Veterans Administration continues its knuckle-dragging policy of insisting upon the victims to prove a correlation between Agent Orange and their sickness.  Is it time to put the issue behind us and call for a speedy resolve of the situation?

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=129974

The views expressed herein are the views of the author exclusively and not necessarily the views of VT or any other VT authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors or partners. Notices

Posted by Ed Mattson
on Aug 11 2011,

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by Rick Percoco

In July, 2007 I transitioned from my four year Navy enlistment back into the civilian world. I will spare you a long drawn out story about my Navy experience, but lets just say it was interesting to say the least. After struggling for about a year trying to transition and get accustomed to civilian life, I finally went to my local VA hospital for help, and filed for disability with the VBA. Let me tell you, VA didn’t make a very good first impression, and it continued to get worse after that.

After a few years under my belt dealing with both the VHA and VBA, I finally understand the reasons why they aren’t able to run things as efficient as they need to, in order to meet the needs of all of us. VA is way too understaffed to handle the ever growing needs of Veterans. Washington isn’t properly funding VA to be able to operate smoothly. And last, but equally as important as the others, the organizations and groups that all have a part in supporting military Veterans aren’t working together for the common cause. These groups include DoD, VA, the President along with the House and Senate, and private organizations there to help Veterans.

With the economy, and the financial debt crisis in Washington the way it is, we need to think of creative new ways to take care of our needs. That is why I have created a system that I feel is as close to fail safe as one can get. The time for Washington to bicker and fight like immature teenagers is over. This country needs stuff done, and done now. Obviously our elected officials are not professional enough to handle everything themselves, so it is time WE THE PEOPLE come together and take action. Read my proposal and please comment with your thoughts, good or bad.

1.)   Disabled American Veterans, a not-for-profit organization, has over 1600 local chapters across the country. They have over 1.3 million active members who are ready, willing and able to help Veterans with whatever they need. The DAV already helps Veterans with disability claims, transportation to and from medical appointments, and a variety of other services that help Veterans. The DAV is made up of tens of thousands of volunteers who volunteer throughout the 1600 local chapters who are already doing everything they can to help Veterans for FREE. Why not bump this up a notch by allowing them to become certified to build a Veterans disability claim? I mean they are practically already doing this anyway, why not bring this service down to each local DAV chapter?

2.)  With this being said, there is pretty much only one regional office for every state in the US. This means that a large number of claims and educational benefits applications, among other things, are being filtered into one building with a small amount of people working them.  The way this system is set up, back logs and long wait times are inevitable. However, by spreading all the services offered at the regional offices, and the employees down to the local DAV chapter’s level, and allowing and training the DAV members and volunteers to assist VA, we create a more local atmosphere that is far more efficient then having one large location per state.

3.)  Most of the disability backlogs are because VA reps at the regional offices have to build Veterans claims file. This means they have to request information from VHA or VA hospitals, which now runs with a completely different system than VBA. Why? I don’t know. They have to request military records from archives, and medical information from private doctors. My proposal for a solution to this problem is this:

All 25 million living military Vets will need to check into the DAV chapter that covers the area they live in. They will have their military records sent from archives down to a secure part of the local DAV chapter building, so just in case they file for disability, their service and medical records are already present for the DAV volunteer to organize and build as part of the Veterans claim file. Or as part of the answer to whatever question needed looking up. Then each local chapter will have access to the systems network VHA uses for Veterans medical records. Therefore, all they will need to do is sign into a computer, punch in the Veterans information, and pull whatever medical information that is relevant to the disability claim. That right there is months of waiting wrapped up into days if not hours. Then all they will be waiting on is the medical documents from the private doctors. All this and the added value of the new VLER system, will allow the time being spent building ones claim will be reduced by months. Once the DAV rep has finishes building the claim, it will get passed onto the VA employees at that same location for final inspection and decision. Everything is done in house at the local chapter location.

4.)  Now seeing as how each location only deals with the Veterans who live in their area, a Veteran in need will have more of a one-on-one relationship with the DAV reps at their local location for help and mentorship with whatever they need. Now not all of the 25 million living military Vets need help. If everything is okay then all they will need to do is once a year check in with their local chapter, fill out and sign a form saying they don’t need any help, and within minutes they are out the door until the next year. They will have the option to volunteer to help other Vets in need, which will increase the amount of local people a Vet in need can call and come to for help. Because of this, more Veterans will be accounted for seeing as how every Veteran will have to, by law, check in to their local chapter. This will create a system where we can see who is homeless and in need. And most importantly if a Veteran is suicidal, they can have a list of other local Veterans to call for immediate help, rather than having the only resource being the suicide prevention hotline.

Now if all 25 million Veterans have to pay a membership fee, or kind of more like a Veteran tax of say $50 per year, then there will be an additional $1.25 billion annually into helping Veterans. If we make it that every Vet has to pay just a $1 a day, or $360 per year, then an additional $9 billion annually will be raised to help support Vets. This is just an idea to help get more money into VA to help Veterans.

Now obviously, I can’t just make this a reality myself. Our elected officials need to pass this idea and make this into law, and of course our Commander in Chief needs to sign off on it. With this being said, Congress needs to hear that more than just myself feel that this type of system will be more effective than the one currently in place.

I am thinking of starting an organization to bring Americans together for this cause. Once a member you can give me and my organization permission to write your local representative on your behalf. The letter will include a copy of my proposal, along with a statement saying you support the idea and want to see this become reality.

What do you think about my plan to combine a lot of different systems and organizations to create a more local environment to help our Vets? Also, if you are in favor of this system would you be willing to join an organization that would help bring this to our elected official’s front door?  Demanding that Americans from every corner of the US want this to become a reality, and that we are not going to stop writing them until it happens.

Rick Percoco is a 26-year-old disabled U.S. Navy Veteran who lives in the Norfolk, VA area. He was a part of the last F-14 Tomcat deployment before decommissioning in 2006. He was with an F-14 squadron attached to the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt.

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=130020

by Terry Richards

Welcome to Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, FL, Home of VA employee BONUSLAND – Why use the Bonus Money towards Housing for Homeless Vets, our employees need it more a/k/a VA Clueless Mentality!!!

 In March 2009, the average earnings for full-time Federal employees were $74,403. Click 

And on top of that some Federal Employees, like VA Adjudicators working on Veterans Disability Claims can earn up to $33,000 per year in Bonuses for “Acting in the best interest of the United States.”  Does “Acting in the best interest of the United States mean DENYING VETERANS’ CLAIMS? Click for first story. Click for second story.

VA GIVES HIGHEST CAREER EXECUTIVE BONUSES OF ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY – Executives received bonuses that averaged $16,713.

 The St. Petersburg Times obtained Haley financial records detailing bonuses from 2007 to 2010 that totaled $1 million. Haley confirmed some budget figures and provided additional detail. Not all the bonuses in those years involved meeting collections goals.

Haley’s 2009 bonuses “stand out like a search beacon in the desert,” said Paul Sullivan, a veterans advocate who is the executive director of Veterans for Common Sense in Washington, D.C. “VA should be more transparent, especially with bonuses, so the public is reassured the cash payments are reasonable and based on performance,” he said. Read full story by Willaim Levesque of the St. Petersburg Times. Haley VA paid big bonuses in tight 2009 budget.

I ask you fellow Veterans and other Americans, when will treating Veterans as “Second-Class Citizens” cease and desist???

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=129990

July—August 2011 -Volume 2, No. 4

SBA Releases 2010 Small Business Scorecard

SDVOSB Lags Behind Other Set Aside Groups

(Washington, DC — SDVOSB News Services, June 28, 2011)— The Small Business Administration (SBA) released today the FY 2009-2010 annual scorecard of federal agency performance on small business contracting. The scorecard indicates that while most federal agencies have improved their procurement minimums for SDVOSB, other set-aside programs are much closer to their mandated goals than SDVOSB.
The scorecard tracks the progress of each federal agency in meeting mandated levels of contracts awarded directly to small business and subcontracted to small business. In addition to the overall mandated level of 23% awarded to small business, contracts set-aside for disadvantaged small businesses are recorded.
The federal government awarded nearly $100 billion in federal contracts to small businesses in Fiscal Year 2010, an increase for the second straight year after four years of steady decline.

According to the American Small Business League (ASBL), however, SBA records indicate that of the 100 small business that received the highest dollar amount of contracts, 61 were large companies. These large companies significantly skew the SBA’s calculations. The 61 firms received more than $8 billion, or nearly 60 percent of the $14 billion that went to the top 100 “small” companies, ASBL contends.

SBA Method:

1. An overall grade holistically assesses an agency’s entire small business procurement performance along three “quantitative” measures.

• —prime contracting achievement
• —subcontracting achievement
• —plan progress achievement

Previous scorecards only addressed prime contracting achievement and did not offer an overall grade to assess the comprehensive procurement practices of an agency.

2. The Scorecard moved from a color based methodology that used three potential grade ranges (green, yellow, red) to a letter grade based methodology with six potential grade ranges (A+, A, B, C, D, F). Expanding the number of grade ranges allows for greater distinction between agencies.
3. [The 2010 Scorecard] incorporated a quantitative measurement of subcontracting and plan performance categories not previously measured. According to the SBA, “the new scorecard format measures the total performance of an agency’s achievements in a more transparent and consistent method…”

SDVOSB agency highlights of the SBA’s FY 2009-2010 report include:

• FY 08-09 Goal FY 09-10
• DOD 1.43% 3% 1.82% DOD received a “B”
• DHHS .94% 3% 1.00%
• DHHS “A”
• DHS 1.91% 3.% 3.21%
• DHS “A”
• OPM .15% 3.% .05%
• OPM “D”
• SBA 3.05% 3.% 1.9%
• SBA “B”
• VA 16.96% 3.% 20.05%
• VA “A”

According to SBA’s measurement method, 13 agencies received an “A”; five agencies received a “B”; four agencies received a “C”; two agencies received a “D.”

The federal government overall received a “B” on the scorecard, just less than one point short of an “A”. This grade reflects significant efforts by federal agencies toward meeting the 23 percent statutory goal, but indicates the need for continued improvement, according to the SBA news release. ~~VLM

NOTE:

The recent OIG report does and will have an effect on the Veterans Administration SBA scorecard. The investigative report indicates that fraud and miscalculations of the amount of contracts to SDVOSB are bloated. We don’t know if the SBA will ‘re-examine’ VA’s reported levels of contracting activity with SDVOSB. If the VA is falsifying, what’s to keep other agencies from doing the same? The SBA Scorecard is not a reliable indicator of contracts let to SDVOSB. ~~VLM

On the Hill

Bill Introduced to Hold Federal Agencies ‘Accountable’ to Contracting Goals for SDVOSB

(SDVOSB News Services June 7– Washington, D.C.) – Today Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced the “Honoring Promises to Service-Disabled Veterans Act of 2011” (S.1154). The bill seeks to hold federal agencies to the mandated three percent minimum of procurement contracts to SDVOSB as outlined by PL 106-50 and EO 13360.

By posting quarterly contract awards on the internet, the bill is intended to bring attention to those federal agencies who are not meeting the threshold, including the Department of Defense, an agency that has never met the minimum.

“My bill will hold agencies accountable by letting taxpayers know which offices are doing right by our veterans and which aren’t, and there’s nothing like the disinfectant of sunshine to force folks to hold up their end of the bargain,” Baucus said in a news release.

S. 1154 was referred to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for deliberation. Though sponsors in this Committee are pending, the Committee, Chaired by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has championed legislation concerning SDVOSB and VOSB. In March, Ranking Member Olympia Snowe (R-ME), introduced S. 633, Small Business Contracting Fraud Prevention Act of 2011, which has not moved beyond the Committee. According to Press Secretary Jennifer Donohue, Senator Baucus is working with colleagues to garner bi-partisan support for S. 1154.

S. 1154 pressures agencies to meet the goal by requiring public disclosure of every federal department and prime contractor. The bill also requires the SBA to maintain the information on a web site to be updated every three months and report progress of each department to Congress annually.

S. 1154 Analysis
Though similar to the SBA scorecard, this bill has several key differences.

•  The bill requires that all federal agencies submit quarterly reports on agency progress toward meeting the 3% minimum, as opposed to the SBA’s annual report. In general, the smaller the measurement window, the results — positive and negative – can be tracked easier and changes more evident.

• Prime contractors must reveal SDVOSB subcontractors quarterly and at the completion of contracts.

• These agency rankings reported to SBA must then be reported directly to Congress. The scorecard currently used by SBA is not reported to Congress.

Drawback: The SBA’s methodology will probably be used in the quarterly reports.

Drawback: Co-sponsors pending, legislation will be delayed until bipartisan support is attained.~~VLM

Featured Interview, Senator Max Baucus
We interviewed Senator Baucus from Washington on July 2.
VetLikeMe: Thank you, Senator Baucus for drawing attention to this issue. At present there are no cosponsors of this bill. Do you expect other Senators to cosponsor?

This bill is a simple, common sense approach to help create jobs and do right by our veterans – and that’s something everyone can support. I’m working with my colleagues to build support and find a path forward to pass this bill into law, so it can start working for our veterans and our economy.

VLM: How many veterans operate businesses in Montana? Is there an estimate of the number of SDVOSB business in your state?

A 2007 survey showed that Montana has about 20,000 businesses that are at least 50 percent veteran-owned. There are about 1000 SDVOSB’s in Montana seeking business with the federal government.

VLM: What urged you to introduce S. 1154?

It’s a no brainer: we need jobs, and we need to support our veterans. That’s why Congress set the goal that when government agencies contract with private companies they ought to award at least a portion of those contracts to small businesses owned by veterans wounded in service. Now it’s time to hold federal agencies’ feet to the fire and make sure they meet this goal. My bill will hold agencies accountable by letting taxpayers know which offices are doing right by our veterans and which aren’t.

VLM: As noted in S. 1154, very few Executive agencies have met the mandated 3% minimum of procurement contracts to SDVOSB. PL 106-50 and E.O. 13360 both require Executive agencies to comply with the 3% minimum. Why do you think federal agencies have not come close to this mandated minimum?

I like to give credit where credit is due, and the Department of Veterans Affairs has been doing a great job of meeting this goal in recent years. Sadly, I can’t say the same of the other departments. I think the biggest reason that the goal isn’t being met is that the federal departments aren’t being held accountable — no one seems to be paying attention.

VLM: In your bill, the SBA is required to exhibit greater transparency of agency progress on this issue. Currently the SBA issues a ‘scorecard’ of agencies’ progress on meeting this mandated minimum. How does S. 1154 differ from the SBA scorecard?

First, my bill puts scrutiny on large prime contractors, not just the agencies. Some of these contractors receive hundreds of billions of government contracts in a decade and it is also their job to help achieve this goal.

Second, the bill requires more frequent reporting, and a comprehensive, user-friendly website to make this information transparent and easily accessible to the American people. We’ve got to let federal departments know that this is important and that we’re keeping an eye on them.

But it’s not all sticks, we’ve got some carrots in there too. The bill encourages agencies to do the right thing by having the Small Business Administration nominate contractors with outstanding progress for Congressional recognition.

VLM: What is the penalty for agencies that do not meet the minimum? What accountability measures will S. 1154 put in place?

I strongly believe in the power of sunshine. This bill will hold federal agencies feet to the fire by making sure the American people know exactly who is meeting their obligations to our veterans and who isn’t.

VLM: The lack of accountability is the main reason agencies have done so poorly meeting the minimum. Agencies continue to ignore PL 106-50 and E.O. 13360. What’s different about S. 1154 that will make a difference for SDVOSB?

This bill will help the American people engage on this issue. The American people know how important it is to do right by our veterans and to support our small business owners in these tough economic times. If we give folks the information, they’ll hold agencies accountable.

VLM: The unemployment rate among returning troops is well over 17%. For veterans disabled in the line of duty unemployment is substantially higher. This is especially true of National Guard and Reserve Forces who have no medical benefits after separation from the service.

It’s well known that veterans hire veterans. Do you think that holding agencies accountable to their obligations would reduce the dismal employment situation for disabled veterans?

Absolutely. This bill is just one more piece in my strategy to help create good paying jobs for our veterans…no service member should return home to an unemployment check instead of a paycheck.

VLM: Would you be willing to speak with SDVOSBs prior to Committee deliberations?

My staff for I are always available to help answer questions you may have. I thank you so much for your support. With your help we’ll get these bill passed and start creating good-paying jobs for our veterans. ~~VLM
Editorial Historic Irony and Government Shame

By Hardy Stone

I learned today the U.S. Navy will soon be cutting 33,000 troops, the Marine Corps 29,000 and the U.S. Army 28,000. We’ve seen military draw downs before, but this one is very different—and likely to be a severe blow to these veterans because of, among other things, the fragile state of the American economy and the scarcity of jobs.

Soldiers exiting the U.S. military today are twice as likely as other job seekers to be rejected by employers. The national unemployment rate is about 9%. The unemployment rate for veterans separating from the uniformed services is 17%.
Last month, this astonishing unemployment rate drew big smoke from the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs that we hope will encourage government agencies to dedicate more resources to Veterans. Veterans Service Organizations are scrambling for answers to a problem that seems to be getting worse.

Sure, it’s not easy to land a job anywhere today, even if you have skills. Targeted skills make one more employable and we hope the VA’s VocReb programs and the GI Bill can help returning vets develop the skills that employers want. In addition, the experience factor comes into play.

A son of a friend of mine returned from Afghanistan recently and has had doors close on his job prospects. A combat veteran, he joined the Army Infantry right out of High School because he was drawn to serve. He went to Airborne school and played out his military time with distinction.

Now let’s look deeper into the problem. We’ve said this before but it’s worth repeating. Vets hire vets, simple as that. We watch after our own. Vets know that vets have skills that are not recognized–attention to detail, the importance of teamwork, judgment, respect of chain of command and the critical completion of the ‘mission.’ Aren’t these all skills that employers want?

The 2010 SBA small business scorecard came out earlier last month. The percentages of federal procurement contracts awarded to SDVOSB has risen slightly, but those numbers are more than likely a direct result of the recovery dollars that were injected into the government in 2009 and 2010.

While we saw very modest gains, 8a, Hubzone and women-owned companies enjoyed significant increases, much higher percentages than we did. This is puzzling.

All of these protected groups achieved that status not because of anything they did, but because they were born into a protected group. I understand the urban-renewal theory of Hubzone business preference and the importance of all small disadvantaged businesses to the overall economy. But that’s where it ends.

In an editorial for VLM in January, Lynn Lowder, a Vietnam combat-disabled veteran, insists that this must change:

“NO ONE IN THIS NATION HAS A GREATER RIGHT TO BE HEARD AND TO RECEIVE PROMISED SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAN SDVOSBs…NO ONE”

Everyone should believe that diversity makes America great and should strengthen our economy. I also understand that Hubzones, WOSB, and 8A small businesses groups did not sign an oath, did not imperil themselves in any way, did not get injured in the line of duty. Yet they enjoy this business preference and exceed the minimums that have been mandated by our federal government.

This is a monumental irony, especially since the unemployment rates for returning vets are so high. Impending military draw downs will release more SDVOSB into the economy than ever before. It is shameful for the American government not to honor our warriors – regardless of the circumstances of injuries sustained in service.

The SBA encourages federal agencies to ‘give’ 5% of federal contracts to qualified protected groups. Yet the SBA encourages federal agencies to ‘reward’ disabled veterans with 3%…and to make that slap in the face sting more…most agencies’ dismal record toward that three percent is simply astonishing.

This great country provides opportunities for protected business groups BECAUSE of the freedoms we enjoy…thanks to our veterans. But if we’re disabled while serving, our great government historically rejects our sacrifices. Uncle Sam is concerned with birthright.

And birthright groups have rich war chests and powerful connections in Congress to ensure these business preferences are maintained…it’s time that SDVOSB make themselves known to the powers in Washington.

It’s time to circle the wagons.~~VLM

Veterans Administration Inspector General Audit Report

Blasts VA’s Acquisition Program

(Washington, DC — SDVOSB News Services, July 25, 2011) The VA office of the Inspector General (OIG) released today “Audit of Veteran Owned and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Programs.”

The 50-page report revealed that at least 1400 VOSB and SDVOSB contracts valued at $500 million have been awarded to fraudulent companies annually. The VA will award $2.5 billion to ineligible business over the next five years.
In addition, 76% of the 42 companies randomly selected by the OIG were either ineligible to participate in the SDVOSB set-aside program or ineligible for the awarded contracts. The thirty- two companies the OIG found to be ineligible were awarded $46.5 million in contracts including $26.7 in Recovery Act contracts, according to the report.

Congress required the Small Business Administration in 1999 to establish programs to help veterans and service disabled veterans make the transition from active duty to civilian business owner. The SBA was tasked with increasing business opportunities for SDVOSB by creating a set-aside program for this small business group.

Certification of SDVOSB was mandated in October 2010 by the Small Business Verification Act. The VA, however, is the only federal agency that requires verification, and the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) maintains that responsibility, which will reportedly be complete in August 2011.

According to the report, many of the businesses were ineligible because the veterans owners subcontracted more work to non-veteran owned SDVOSB than allowed under federal regulations or SDVOSB did not really control or own the business. This practice, known as ‘rent-a-vet,’ is widespread in VA’s procurement system.

Inadequate oversight of contracting officers responsible for determining eligibility contributed to fraud. The VA’s Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction, Jan Frye, Director, is responsible for contracting policy and training acquisition staff.

VA’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Holds Congressional Hearing

(Washington, DC — SDVOSB News Services, July 28, 2011)— The U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Bill Johnson, (R-OH) Chair), heard testimony from several government officials regarding widespread fraud in the contracting set-aside program for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).

The hearing came on the heels of the VA’s Office of the Inspector General’s report of a 2-year investigation of fraudulent SDVOSB. “Audit of Veteran Owned and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Programs,” released on July 25, stirred the Subcommittee’s action. The VA’s Office of the Inspector General revealed that at least 1400 VOSB and SDVOSB contracts valued at $500 million annually were awarded to fraudulent companies. The VA will award $2.5 billion to ineligible business over the next five years.

In his opening statement before the Subcommittee, Chairman Johnson remarked: “The Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) and SDVOSB contracts accounted for approximately 30% of government-wide contracts in this category during FY 2010. This leaves 70% of VOSB and SDVOSB contracts to be given to self-certifying firms not verified by the VA.” (emphasis added)

The OIG report released this week detailed that more than $21 million had been awarded to fraudulent companies, and estimated that ineligible firms receive $500 million in VA contracting funds annually. In October 2009, the Government Accountability Office issued a investigative report on ten firms and uncovered that all ten were ineligible for the SDVOSB set-aside program. Despite the investigation, the companies continued to perform millions of dollars in contracting work for VA.

Mr. Johnson added, “In some cases [VA personnel] have been threatened into silence [for speaking out on fraud in the system], they have been circumvented by their own chain of command, they have been ignored, or even fired.” Former OSDBU Executive Director Tim Foreman was fired earlier this year for questioning upper level management on contradictory activities in the VA’s “Veterans First Program.” Johnson quoted Christian cleric Quintus Tertillian (c. 160 – c. 220 AD): “Truth engenders hatred of truth. As soon as it appears, it is the enemy.”

Testifying witnesses included: Belinda J. Finn, Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gregory D. Kutz, Director, Forensic Audits and Investigative Service, U.S. Government Accountability Office and Thomas J. Leney, Executive Director, Small and Veteran Business Programs, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Congressional Hearing – Blow-by-Blow

(SDVOSB News Services—Washington, July 28, 2011) The Congressional hearing focused on the recent rash of SDVOSB set-aside contracts that the VA has awarded to businesses that are not eligible SDVOSBs. The VA’s Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) audit confirmed that awards of contracts to ineligible companies seems to be the rule rather than the exception, with an estimated three-quarters of all VA set-aside awards going to companies that are not bona fide SDVOSBs.

The witnesses at the hearing were able to offer extensive diagnosis but few solutions. The witnesses described how contracting officer error was by far the greatest contributing factor to wrongly awarded contracts and that the lack of coordination between the VA and SBA made correct eligibility determinations vastly more difficult. The witnesses frequently offered abstract solutions such as greater coordination between the VA’s various offices and better training for contracting officers. But at the end of the day, concrete solutions to effect a more consistent application of the eligibility rules – such as changes in process or procedure – were elusive.

The Members in Congress who participated in the hearing were very concerned and upset with the state of affairs. The only options – new legislative enactments or cutting off funding – do not seem viable options at this point.

The first panel included two witnesses from the VA OIG: Belinda J. Finn, Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, and James J. O’Neill, Assistant Inspector General for Investigation. A third witness, Gregory D. Kutz, is the Director of the GAO.

Ms. Finn spoke extensively about a recent audit completed by her office revealed an endemic problem of VA contracts set-aside for SDVOSBs being awarded to ineligible companies. According to the audit, 76% of the randomly selected contracts reviewed were awarded to ineligible companies. The main reasons for ineligibility in the evaluated contracts was that a service-disabled veteran did not own and control the company or veteran-owned businesses “passed through” or subcontracted more work to nonveteran-owned businesses than allowed under Federal regulations. The audit concluded that the Center for Veteran’s Enterprise (“CVE”) “online document reviews were insufficient to establish program eligibility and ensure businesses meet Federal ownership and control requirements.” The audit indicates that “interviews with veteran owners and business managers and the review of documents such as corporate bylaws, stock certificates, tax returns, resumes, and negotiated checks during onsite visits are critical to establishing a veteran’s ownership and control of a business.”

Ms. Finn placed the blame for the high percentage of ineligible businesses receiving contracts squarely on the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (“OSDBU”) and the CVE and those offices’ lack of coordination with the VA’s acquisition offices.

Because contracting officers were not adequately trained or monitored, they repeatedly failed to assess the eligibility of business for set-aside contracts. Contracts awarded to ineligible businesses, in 75% of the cases, it was due to contracting officer error – typically the contracting officer did not review or properly assess the business’ subcontracting and partnering agreements at the time of the award.

The only solutions that Ms. Finn could offer for the VA’s failures were to strengthen the CVE verification practices and to promote greater collaboration between OSDBU and the VA’s acquisition offices.

Mr. Kutz reported on a GAO review of the VA’s response to 2009 and 2010 GAO reports on weaknesses in the VA’s fraud prevention controls. The GAO’s review found that while the VA and SBA have taken some action to correct fraud prevention controls and punish businesses that misrepresent themselves as SDVOSBs, the VA continues to overlook businesses that misrepresent themselves. Furthermore, the GAO found that there was insufficient coordination between the VA and the SBA with regard to eligibility reviews. The GAO also found that the current VetBiz verification program is ineffective in preventing award of SDVOSB set-aides by other agencies. Lastly, the GAO found that the VA needs to be more aggressive in referring firms for suspension or debarment for misrepresenting their status.

Most of the questioning by the Members of Congress expressed shock and outrage at the percentage of contracts being awarded to ineligible businesses. In the panel’s view, the solution to the problem was greater coordination between the various offices within the VA and SBA. However, the witnesses were unable to offer any more concrete solutions. The Members of Congress also wanted to know what efforts were being taken at criminal prosecution. The panel responded that all OIG investigations were referred to the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office but the cases usually did not merit much attention from the U.S. Attorneys.

The sole witness on the second panel was Thomas J. Leney, Executive Director of Small and Veteran Business Programs at the VA’s OSDBU. Mr. Leney generally described the benefits that the VA’s government contracting programs were providing to veteran owned businesses. He went on to describe the efforts that the VA had undertaken to ensure that ineligible firms did not receive awards including referrals to the OIG and its own, internal status protest process. He closed by making assurances that the VA was doing everything that it could to keep ineligible companies from winning contracts.

Questioning of Mr. Leney was similar to the questioning of the previous panel. The Members impressed on him the urgency of getting this problem fixed. Representative Poe (R-TN) suggested that the program should be scrapped and a new program should be created. Mr. Leney assured the Members that changes would be enacted.

All in all, the hearing,did not give much for SDVOSBs aggrieved by the procurement process failures to be optimistic about. Additional congressional pressure and scrutiny may force improvements. But if anything, the hearing showed that cultural issues within the VA are causing these problems and they will be difficult to overcome.
~~VLM

Short Takes
Hire a vet, get a tax credit: As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, more than 1 million service members are projected to leave the military between 2011 and 2016.

http://tinyurl.com/3pzsu23

H. R. 1424 —To improve the Federal Acquisition Institute. Training in procurement for contracting officers. The July 25 Congressional Hearing shot arrows at poorly trained COs in the VA acquisition system. From Government Executive Magazine:

Unemployment payments to service members fresh out of the military have doubled since 2008, a sign that veterans are returning from war to an increasingly tough job market. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) is pushing legislation that would help troops enter the civilian workforce; DOD would provide exit training.

http://tinyurl.com/3mdfcgs

By Aaron Pease

This news is disturbing to say the least. Although somewhat aware of the existence of fraud within the system, I was incredulous to learn of ineligibility issues with 76% of awards made!! Following your lead, I downloaded the OIG report and read through the specifics and would offer the following unsolicited opinions:
1) The Recommendations do nothing except add additional bureaucracy to a verification process that already takes too long;

2) The oversight requirements highlighted in the recommendations are already in place under current policy. They’re just not being correctly executed due to incompetence, negligence, or both;

3) No mention is made of a specific timeline or plan for corrective action implementation and follow up by the IG to ensure corrections have been made;

4) No mention of what corrections will be made with regard to fraudulent contracts already let and / or the prosecution of those who have committed these frauds including the larger businesses that may have engaged in “pass through” practices as well as those “posing” as SDVOSB or VOSB eligible;

5) No mention was made of elevating this serious fraud outside and above the visibility of the VA super structure. This is a fraud on the American taxpayer and they have a right to know legitimate SDVOSB and Vets are being pushed out of opportunities intended to increase competition in government contracting.

In the end, I view this as a simple verification process for both or either SDVOSB or VOSB: show me a DD-214 and an adjudicated VA claim indicating a specific percentage of disability. Period. No need for massive technocratic or bureaucratic analysis to examine eligibility.

Similarly, if the contracting officers were actually executing their tasks in the spirit of the FAR, they would allot for reporting vendor validation as part of due diligence. Instead, they operate in somewhat of a leadership vacuum, more or less, solely focused on “high visibility” acquisitions, obligation rates, and year end close usually in that order.

Aaron Pease is the President CEO of Spear Point Medical Logistics, Inc. and founded the company in 2008 after completing over 13 years of service. Spear Point Medical Logistics is a VA Certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and offers medical logistics consulting and management services to clients in acute care, ambulatory surgery and alternate site, and expeditionary medical environments.

Federal Spotlight

This is a new series in VetLikeMe that we hope is helpful to the SDVOSB community at large. Some federal agencies are meeting their commitments to SDVOSBs and awarding at or above the 3% mandated contracting dollars. We give credit where credit is due, and though we’d like to think this feature will appear in each issue of VLM, agency track records tells us otherwise. We hope this series is here to stay.

Dan Sturdivant, II
Assistant to the Director, Outreach Programs,
Department of Homeland Security, OSDBU

VLM: What do you attribute to the success of DHS’ 3.2% procurement to SDVOSB?

I attribute our success to a “team effort” upper (DHS) Management’s support of the entire small business program.

VLM: Have DHS Contracting Officers been given training on considering SDVOSB for contracts?
The Director for DHS’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Kevin Boshears, is adamant regarding training, across the board.

VLM: In your opinion, why do so many agencies have dismal scorecards regarding SDVOSB?
If you’re asking for my opinion; I am fortunate enough to work for an agency that supports the Veterans program in not only contracts, but the hiring of Veterans as well. I have long maintained that there are only two things that make for a successful program that is, support from the top a budget. At DHS, we have both!

VLM: Would you support DHS giving guidance to other agencies in achieving their mandated goals?

We are ready, willing able (when requested) to advise any agencies that are interested in ascertaining what types of outreach efforts, programs
Department-wide Acquisition Contracts (or DWAC’s) that we implement at DHS, in support of the overall mission our SDVOSB program.

Federal agency public affairs and media relations policy maintains a consistent voice for the agency. VLM understands and respects this requirement for internal discipline. Some questions were considered opinion by DHS media officials and inappropriate for an official agency response, including:

VLM: Public Law 106-50 was passed in 1999. It mandated that agencies reach the 3% level as a minimum. That mandate quickly devolved into a ‘goal.’ In your opinion why has this happened?

VLM: Why do you think that SDVOSB have fewer contract awards that HUBZone, 8(a) and WOSB?

VLM: As a decorated combat-disabled veteran, do you think that service deserves, and that of other disabled veterans, greater preference than contracts awarded solely by birthright (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB)? ~~VLM

Other Voices

VLM receives emails and comments from members of the national SDVOSB community that provide perspective and a sense of political urgency to SDVOSB. Comments, criticism and suggestions are encouraged.

Email: bluepoint1@comcast.net Identifying information is redacted.

Mentor-Protégé Program Evaluated
From email: “The stated purpose of the Mentor-Protégé (MPP) as a mechanism intended to support SDVOSB and VOSBs is indeed a farce. Instead, it is a mechanism to further the interests of large business incumbents at the expense of SDVOSB and VOSB.

Second, I would caution SDVOSB VOSB from engaging in such a program as I would characterize the risks for moral hazard as “significant.”

Third, going forward, I would encourage the Secretary of the VA to have the honor to engage in a discourse that is candid and honest with regard to its programs and positions regarding the VA’s lack of commitment to disabled warriors and publicly admit their interests lie with large business incumbent contractors.

Lastly, I would encourage them to discontinue the current version of the MPP Guidebook until a significant revision can be developed. A revision that does not seek to mislead veteran owned companies with flowery language regarding a hollow commitment to assisting SDVOSB and VOSBs in enhancing their capabilities to perform as prime and sub contractors for the VA; a goal that has been refuted by the VA MPP program staff themselves.”

VetLikeMe is published bi-monthly by BluePoint Productions
Editor and publisher: Hardy Stone
Graphics Courtesy: Cactus Farm Graphics, Frederick, Maryland
Copyright BluePoint Productions, August 2011
bluepoint1@comcast.net www.bluepointgov.com
Contributing writers: Aaron Pease
Please duplicate, Repost, Tweet, Linked In, FaceBook, forward and spread widely. Airborne!

Related Posts:

• Veteran Benefits Fair
• 50th anniversary of using Agent Orange in Southeast Asia
• Veterans Administration Inspector General Audit Report
• For the Love of Veterans
• Programs Helps Disabled Vets Become Entrepreneurs

Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=130048

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No Fun for the Troops, Big Profits for the Wealthy

by Michael Chester

“War is a Racket.”  This is the title of a book and a speech given by the late Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.  Long time readers of Veterans Today have probably heard of him, but despite the fact that he was a two time winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, most history books leave out his name.  Why do they do this?

Perhaps because after a very distinguished career in the Marines, he realized that most of his work in the military was in reality acting as a mob enforcer for the wealthy and their corporations.

Butler also deserves a special spot among America’s great for exposing the plot to stage a military coup and take control of the US government.  A coup in the USA?  Sounds like something you would expect in some “Banana Republic”, but never here. It would have probably succeeded if not for Butler’s patriotism, the real thing, not what now passes for patriotism.

Who plotted this coup and why?  In the summer of 1933, newly elected President Roosevelt was working hard to try to end the great depression.  Part of his plan included a redistribution of
wealth to aid the less fortunate.  This angered the rich and powerful who had made millions and billions during the depression mostly on the backs of the poorest. (Sounds a bit like today, doesn’t it)

Members of the most wealthy families and corporations joined in a secret plot to overthrow Roosevelt by military force.  The families leading the insurrection included the DuPonts, the Morgans, The Goodyears, the Bush family (Yes, that Bush family), General Motors leadership, Chase Bank, and many other of the rich and powerful.  They planned to recruit an army of 500,000 retired military to march on the White House and seize control of the government to again make this a safe place for robber barons.

Some of the other conspirators are listed below along with their credentials:

• Irenee Du Pont – Right-wing chemical industrialist and founder of the American Liberty League, the organization assigned to execute the plot.
• Grayson Murphy – Director of Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel and a group of J.P. Morgan banks.
• William Doyle – Former state commander of the American Legion and a central plotter of the coup.
• John Davis – Former Democratic presidential candidate and a senior attorney for J.P. Morgan.
• Al Smith – Roosevelt’s bitter political foe from New York. Smith was a former governor of New York and a co-director of the American Liberty League.
• John J. Raskob – A high-ranking Du Pont officer and a former chairman of the Democratic Party. In later decades, Raskob would become a “Knight of Malta,” a Roman
  Catholic Religious Order with a high percentage of CIA spies, including CIA Directors William Casey, William Colby and John McCone.
• Robert Clark – One of Wall Street’s richest bankers and stockbrokers.

They needed a leader for this army, a man who would garner instant respect so they sent Gerald MacGuire, who was a bond salesman for Clark, and a former commander of the Connecticut American Legion to recruit Smedley Butler. Butler was famous at the time and was well respected in the general population as well as the military. What they did not count on, was Butler’s loyalty to the principles of the US Constitution and the rule of law.

He reported the conspirators to the Committee on Un-American Activities, and they eventually put an end to it. Being that the conspirators were among the country’s elite, it would have been too embarassing to persue their prosecution, so most got off without even a slap on the wrist.

Luckily for us, the plotters did not do proper research on the man they hoped would lead their privateers. If they had, they would have discovered that on August 21, 1931, Butler had given an impassioned speech to an American Legion convention in New Britain CT.  The person who gave this speech would be very unlikely to join their conspiracy. This video shows an actor re-creation of the exact words he spoke that day.

YouTube – Veterans Today -

The basic themes that Butler expressed were expressed again in 1961, in Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address as president.

YouTube – Veterans Today -

Keep in mind that both of these men had long and distinguished careers in the military at the highest level, during wartime.  They knew war better than most at the top ever will.  Their opinions deserve the utmost respect.

Why is all of this history important now?  Because we are in the middle of repeating it.  This time the powerful chose a much safer and more effective method of carrying out their coup.  Instead of conquering the government militarily, they simply bought it.

It is no secret that it now takes enormous sums of money to run for office.  In the last presidential
election, hundreds of millions of dollars was spent by the two campaigns.  Where did all of this money come from?  Well some of it came from individual citizens as small contributions, but the bulk came from special interest groups of all stripes.  The Supreme Court has ruled that money is equal to free speech, so those with more money get to speak louder.  This has always been true, but now they don’t even need to hide it.  With the Supremes’ recent decision, even foreign corporations can get in on the bidding for candidates.

During WW-I and WW-II our civilian manufacturers quickly re-tooled to produce war materials.  The automakers suspended production of cars and produced military vehicles, sometimes for both sides.  (It was well known among Allied bomber pilots in WW-II that you were never to bomb the Ford plant in Germany. The locals even used the plant as a bomb shelter because they knew it was safe from bombing.

The Cold War brought a new breed of corporation, one that only made military hardware and software. This is a highly profitable business and they can afford to buy lots of influence.

The Official Fiscal Year 2012 Department of Defense budget requests a total of $670.9 billion. (source: DoD website)  This does not include the Black Ops budget or money spent by other departments to aid the DoD.  A large portion of this money goes to military suppliers.  Other money goes to in theater “contractors.”  I don’t like the term “contractor” when used in this context.

A contractor is the guy you hire to build grandma a new sun porch,not to kill, maim and torture people.  These people are mercenaries and should be called that.  A whole industry has grown around the supplying of mercenaries to do the tasks that our uniformed soldiers are unable to carry out due to that pesky Geneva Convention and the Code of Military Conduct.

The lesson that they learned at Abu Ghraib was not don’t torture people, but rather to have the mercenaries carry it out in some undisclosed location.  This gives the officials plausible deniability.  “We just hired the company; we are not responsible for what their employees do.”

All of this depends on the ignorance or indifference of the American people.  This is why we are fed a steady diet of “fast food news,” quick, easy, and not very healthy.  I just did a Google Search for President Barak Obama and got 233 million hits, a pretty fair number, but a search for Britney Spears yielded 259 million hits.  Do I really need to comment on this?

The news media and the entertainment media (Both controlled by the same group of people) are leading us away from asking tough questions of our leadership.

We get to vote for our leaders, but only get to choose between the two candidates chosen by the major parties, both bought and paid for, many times by the same people or corporations. One way to ensure having access to the winner is to give money to both sides.  When was the last time you actually liked the choice you had and felt good about casting your vote?  Most times it comes down to the lessor of two evils.

All that third party candidates seem to accomplish is to take votes away from the major candidate closest to his position.  In 1992, Ross Perot got no electoral votes, and pulled voters from both parties, but he pulled more from the Republicans, thus helping Bill Clinton.  In 2000, Ralph Nader took virtually all of his votes away from Al Gore, and G.W. Bush became president.

I could keep going, but I think you get my idea.  I will close with a video of the late George Carlin.  He was one of the best observers of people and of what was going on in the world of our generation  In case you never heard him perform, I should warn that he uses coarse language, so you might want to send the kids out of the room before playing it.  Then again, hearing a few curse words is probably less detrimental to their intelligence than the lies and half truths they hear every day at school and in the media.

YouTube – Veterans Today -

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=130052

Here’s Today’s Department of Defense Contract Awards

NAVY

Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $56,577,660 modification under previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-2116) exercising priced options for continuation of construction preparation efforts, including procurement of long lead time material, of John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).   Under the contract, Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding, will provide all services and material in preparation for construction of CVN 79 to include necessary research studies; engineering; design; related development efforts; advanced planning; advanced procurement for detailed design and procurement of long lead material; advance construction; life cycle support; logistics data; and other data to support ship detail design and construction.  Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by October 2012.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $24,536,862 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-4410) for USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) fiscal 2011 extended docking phased maintenance availability (EDPMA).  An EDPMA provides for an extensive renovation and modernization of an LSD class ship, including alterations and repairs as well as inspection and testing to all ships systems and components ensuring safe and dependable operation of the ship.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2012.  Contract funds in the amount of $14,548,842 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc., Milford, Mass., is being awarded a $9,493,630 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of task order #0002 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40085-08-D-2112) for the provision of additional work associated with the construction of a fitness center at Naval Station Newport.  The work to be performed provides for investigation and removal of an obstruction at a light pole base at Nimitz Field; re-design of Katy Field parking given the Site 9 Record of Decision and other environmental considerations; provides for the revised foundation and slab; removal and disposal of asbestos contaminated soil discovered on site as needed to construct the facility.  Provide architectural and customer requested enhancements; including enhanced front entrance, turret feature, additional data outlets for fitness equipment, additional basketball scoreboard, raised access flooring, and second floor bathroom; and the deletion of the softball fields, tennis courts, and demolition of Building 355.  After award of this modification, the total cumulative task order value will be $33,469,716.  Work will be performed in Newport, R.I., and is expected to be completed by September 2013.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic Northeast Integrated Product Team, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

APIC Corp.*, Culver City, Calif., is being awarded an $8,700,000 modification to a previously awarded Section 845 other transaction agreement (N00421-03-9-0002) for commercial prototyping process technology needed to develop and fabricate prototype photonic integrated circuit chips for use on Navy and other defense networking and communication systems.  Work will be performed in Honolulu, Hawaii (50 percent), and Culver City, Calif. (50 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2012.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $6,840,711 undefinitized contract action under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-09-G-001Y) for various consumable items for the Airborne Low Frequency Sonar System for the MH-60R helicopter.   Funds in the amount of $3,420,355 will be obligated at this time.  Work will be performed in Brest, France, and is expected to be completed Aug. 11, 2013.  Navy working capital funds used for this action will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement, and one offer was received in response to the solicitation.  The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

DynCorp International, L.L.C., Forth Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $54,428,255 firm-fixed-price contract to provide services for the very important person special air mission.  These services include aircraft maintenance, transient alert, munitions, base supply and fuels in support of aircraft assigned to the 11th Wing and 89th Wing at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington (JBA-NAFW).  Included in the services scope are aircraft maintenance, servicing, and fueling for all U.S. and foreign transient aircraft.  Work will be performed at JBA-NAFW.  The Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. is the contracting activity (FA7014-11-C-0018).

Honeywell International, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., is being awarded an $11,571,924 firm-fixed-price contract for heat stack brake assemblies for the F-15 landing gear systems.  Work will be performed in South Bend, Ind.  The 748 Supply Chain Management Group, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (FA8252-11-C-0002).

United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney, East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a $37,577,422 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for four F117-PW-100 engines and associated data for the C-17 aircraft.  Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn.  The Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8626-07-D-2073, Delivery Order 0017).

ARMY

KEMRON – CMC Remediation Services, L.L.C., Atlanta, Ga., was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.  The award will provide for the remediation of the Picayune Wood Testing Superfund site and other sites throughout the South Atlantic division.  Work location will be determined with each task order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2016.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with nine bids received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-11-D-0082).

Design and Production, Inc., Lorton, Va., was awarded a $35,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the installation of exhibits for the National Museum of the U.S. Army, and possibly other sites within the geographic boundaries of the North Atlantic division.  Work will be performed in Lorton, Va., and Fort Belvoir, Va., with an estimated completion date of March 4, 2016.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with five bids received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Mass., is the contracting activity (W912WJ-11-D-0008).

General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded a $29,750,240 cost-no-fee contract.  The award will provide for the material sets and associated labor to be used for the conversion of 60 M1A2 tanks to a M1A2S configuration for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, with Aug. 30, 2012.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army TACOM LCMC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-11-C-0350).

Lebolo-Watts Constructors, J.V., L.L.C., Boynton Beach, Fla., was awarded an $18,392,000 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the Wideband Satellite Communications Operations Center to replace the existing Defense Satellite Communications System Operations Center.  Work will be performed in Fort Meade, Md., with an estimated completion date of April 9, 2013.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with seven bids received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-11-C-0033).

Red Cedar Enterprises, Inc., Miami, Okla., was awarded a $14,000,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.  The award will provide for the construction services for use within the Tulsa district boundaries of the U.S. Corps of Engineers to be used for either civil or military construction projects.  Work location will be determined with each task order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2016.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-11-D-0020).

JLG Industries, McConnellsburg, Penn., was awarded a $10,542,410 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.  The award will provide for the reset services on up to 102 vehicles to repair them to fully mission capable.  Work will be performed in Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 9, 2012.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-0153).

Honu Apo Facilities Services, L.L.C., Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded a $9,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract.  The award will provide for the remediation of the Libby asbestos site, including any operable units.  Work will be performed in Libby, Mont., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2016.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W9128F-11-D-0022).

The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded an $8,362,363 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the procurement of the Digital Automatic Flight Control Systems to support the Special Operations MH-47G aircraft.  Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 1, 2013.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Contracting Center, Fort Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity (W91215-11-D-0001).

HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc., Englewood, Colo., was awarded an $8,000,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery contract.  The award will provide for the architect and engineering services to provide environmental support to military, civil and federal agencies with the Mobile District of the Corps of Engineers.  Work will be performed in Mobile, Ala., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 15, 2016.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 28 bids received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-11-D-0078).

Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems, Herndon, Va., was awarded a $7,697,380 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract.  The award will provide for an extension to continue services for the Integrated Base Defense System of Systems support and sustainment effort.  Work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala.; Balad, Iraq; Fort Irwin, Calif.; Fort Polk, La. and Dominguez Hills, Calif., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2011.  One bid was solicited, with one bid received.  The U.S. Army Space Missile Defense Command, Redstone, Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W9113M-09-C-0236).

R.E. Staite Engineering, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $6,548,400 firm-fixed-price contract.  The award will provide for the dredging services at the Richmond Inner and Outer Harbor Channel, with excavated material to be disposed of at two sites.  Work will be performed in Contra Costa, Calif., and Marin, Calif., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 19, 2011.  Twenty bids were solicited, with three bids received.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco, Calif., is the contracting activity (W912P7-11-C-0011).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Cummins Power Systems, L.L.C., Harrisburg, Pa., was awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum $44,925,071 for engines.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using service is Army.  The date of performance completion is Aug. 9, 2016.  The Defense Logistics Agency Warren, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (SPRBL1-11-D-0027).

Kearfott Corp., Black Mountain, N.C., was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum $6,321,757 for circuit card assemblies.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using service is Army.  The date of performance completion is Jan. 17, 2014.  The Defense Logistics Agency Warren, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (SPRDL1-11-C-0128).

•  Small business

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• U.S. Department of Defense Contract Awards for Aug 03, 2011

Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=130167

by Bob Johnson

Texas Governor Rick Perry held a massive Christian prayer meeting Saturday at Reliant stadium in Houston. 30,000 Christian zealots turned out to show their support for Perry and for the belief of solving problems through prayer. As this article points out, prayer failed Perry in April when he and many of his fellow Christian fanatics prayed for three days to end the drought in Texas. One of the key speakers was Zionist Christian leader John Hagee. Hagee believes the psychological warfare the ancient Hebrews and Jews wrote in the Torah/Old Testament about God favoring those who submit to Israel, etc. Hagee started and runs the strongly pro-Israel organization Christians United for Israel which is blindly obedient to the Jewish terror state.

Perry is also beholden to wacko Christian groups who want to destroy Thomas Jefferson’s wall of separation of church and state and turn America into a theocracy against the desires of America’s founders. Here is an important article about a particular group of Christians who want Perry to run for president because they believe God told them so. The group is the New Apostolic Reformation. And here’s a video of Perry preaching to the 30,000 Christians/campaign volunteers. Between Perry and Obama’s White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships along with countless other attacks on the separation of religion and government, it looks like the Deist Thomas Jefferson’s wall of separation is having huge holes knocked out of it by politicians from both parties who pander to the “revealed” religions!

One way to stop the religious zealots dead in their tracks is to make them demonstrate that the Bible and Christianity are actually true. If we want to survive, we need to do this. As anyone who uses their common sense/God-given reason knows, the key to evolution and survival is being able to adapt. If you can’t adapt, you die. As I wrote on pages 93-94 in Deism: A Revolution in Religion, A Revolution in You (click here for the Kindle version), “Evolution, which is one of the Designer’s designs, teaches us that the species that adapts to its changing environment is the species that survives and is therefore allowed the opportunity to continue to live, to procreate and to progress. Our environment has changed considerably from the days when the ancient Hebrews wrote the Bible. We now have, thanks to people who went directly against the dogmas of the Abrahamic “revealed” religions, medical advancements that allow for a longer and better life, inventions and discoveries such as electricity, radio, television, telephones, computers, the Internet and internal combustion engines, to name only a few, which allow us to communicate with each other regardless of our geographic location and to travel great distances in a relatively short period of time, thus truly making the world a much smaller place. Yet, at the same time all these changes have taken place, and continue to take place, we have not changed or adapted our spiritual/religious thinking. It has largely remained stuck in the ancient past. This can be irreversibly catastrophic in our nuclear age!

“We desperately need to make real progress in our thinking about God. We need to pull our spiritual thoughts up alongside our technical and scientific advancements. One way to do this is to imagine what the world and our lives would be like if instead of just throwing our spiritual selves in reverse in order to keep them compatible with the Torah, Bible or Koran, with Judaism, Christianity and Islam, we also subjected all other aspects of our lives to these books and teachings of superstition and ignorance. For example, we would talk to our friends and family as if the world were flat, we would suggest someone with epilepsy was not sick but simply was possessed by a demon, women who are menstruating would be separated from society for seven days in keeping with the Biblical teachings of Leviticus 15:19-30, etc. Just imagining this is enough for a sane person to get a glimpse of the total disrepair their spiritual lives are in because of following these ancient nonsensical “revealed” religions and books of myth, and what real physical danger the world is in for the same reason. If we really want a world based on reason, progress and peace for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren, we must finally let go of teachings and traditions that promote unreasonableness and brutal violence which can only hinder progress and peace and actually put an end to Nature’s purpose for us which the Designer designed into our DNA: to continue to procreate and to advance in our knowledge, wisdom and understanding.”

With this in mind, Rick Perry, who presents himself as a sincere believer in Christianity and the Bible needs to be required to demonstrate the truth of the Bible and his Christian beliefs. Especially since he’s mixing Christianity and the Bible with government, he needs to show the world the truth of his beliefs before foisting them onto millions of Americans who don’t believe in them. This also will make sincere Christians and other “revealed” religionists realize that they must decide to either follow ancient books written by men and which violate our God-given reason, or follow the reason God gave to them. It’s either God or religion.

Keeping in mind that the nonsensical promises in the Bible were not put their by people trying to undermine Christianity, but were put there by the Christians themselves, we need to make Rick Perry demonstrate the truth of John 14:12. This verse states that Christians will be able to not only do the things Jesus allegedly did, but they will be able to do greater things than what Jesus is said to have done. It reads, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

Based on this promise which the Bible claims is from Jesus himself, Rick Perry, as a believing Christian, should be able to raise Texas billionaire and campaign contributor Charles Wyly from the dead. Wyly died in an auto accident this past weekend. The Bible claims Jesus caused Lazarus to rise from the dead. The Christian Bible says that Jesus said that Christians who believe in Jesus will not only be able to do what Jesus did but much more than what Jesus did. The Christians, Rick Perry among them, believe this nonsense and they are pushing their myth and superstition laden Bible on the rest of us, so they should be required to demonstrate the truth of their beliefs before they can expect any rational person who values their God-given reason to believe them.

The more people seriously question the ridiculous claims in the Bible, Torah and Koran, the sooner the religious fanatics in all countries will be defeated and true natural progress lead by our God-given reason will be on the march!

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=130172

The views expressed herein are the views of the author exclusively and not necessarily the views of VT or any other VT authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors or partners. Notices

Posted by Bob Johnson
on Aug 11 2011,

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by Zabi Rashidi

LONDON (Veterans to day) — Thousands of extra police officers on the streets kept a nervous London quiet Wednesday after three nights of rioting, but looting flared in Manchester and Birmingham, where a murder probe was opened when three men were killed after being hit by a car.

An eerie calm prevailed in the capital, where hundreds of shops were shuttered or boarded up as a precaution, but unrest spread across England on a fourth night of violence by brazen crowds of young people.

Scenes of ransacked stores, torched cars and blackened buildings have frightened and outraged Britons just a year before their country is to host next summer’s Olympic Games, bringing demands for a tougher response from law enforcement. Police across the country have made almost 1,200 arrests since the violence broke out over the weekend.

In London, where armored vehicles and convoys of police vans patrolled the streets, authorities said there were 16,000 officers on duty — almost triple the number present Monday night.

The show of force seems to have worked. There were no reports of major trouble in London, although there were scores of arrests. Almost 800 people have been arrested in London since trouble began Saturday.

“What happened in London last night was, when community leaders and the police came together, there were significant arrests,” said police deputy assistant chief constable Stephen Kavanagh. “We used buses to make sure some looters were taken away before they got into doing anything, but it was that joint action that made the difference.”

Outside the capital, some looting erupted, but not on the scale of the violence that hit several areas of London on Monday.

In the northwestern city of Manchester, hundreds of youths rampaged through the city center, hurling bottles and stones at police and vandalizing stores. A women’s clothing store on the city’s main shopping street was set ablaze, along with a disused library in nearby Salford.

Manchester assistant chief constable Garry Shewan said it was simple lawlessness.

“We want to make it absolutely clear — they have nothing to protest against,” he said. “There is nothing in a sense of injustice and there has been no spark that has led to this.”

Britain’s soccer authorities were talking with police to see whether this weekend’s season-opening matches of the Premier League could still go ahead in London. A Wednesday match between England and the Netherlands at London’s Wembley stadium was canceled to free up police officers for riot duty.

Britain’s riots began Saturday when an initially peaceful protest over a police shooting in London’s Tottenham neighborhood turned violent. That clash has morphed into a general lawlessness in London and several other cities that police have struggled to halt.

While the rioters have run off with goods every teen wants — new sneakers, bikes, electronics and leather goods — they also have torched stores apparently just for the fun of seeing something burn. They were left virtually unchallenged in several neighborhoods, and when police did arrive they often were able to flee quickly and regroup.

With police struggling, some residents stood guard to protect their neighborhoods. Outside a Sikh temple in Southall, west London, residents vowed to defend their place of worship if mobs of young rioters appeared. Another group marched through Enfield, in north London, aiming to deter looters.

One far-right group said about 1,000 of its members were taking to the streets to deter rioters.

“We’re going to stop the riots — police obviously can’t handle it,” Stephen Lennon, leader of the far-right English Defense League, told The Associated Press. He warned that he couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be violent clashes with rioting youths.

Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to the bombing and massacre that killed 77 people in Norway last month, has cited the EDL as an inspiration.

In the central England city of Nottingham, police said rioters hurled firebombs though the window of a police station, and set fire to a school and a vehicle but there were no reports of injuries. Some 90 people were arrested.

Some 250 people were arrested after two days of violence in Birmingham — where police launched a murder investigation after the deaths of three men hit by a car — some residents said the men had been patrolling their neighborhood to keep it safe from looters.

Police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of murder in the case.

In the northern city of Liverpool, about 200 youths hurled missiles at police and firefighters in a second night of unrest, and 44 arrests were reported.

There also were minor clashes in the central and western England locations of Leicester, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Bristol, and Gloucester — where police and firefighters tackled a blaze and disturbance in the city’s Brunswick district.

In London, hundreds of stores, offices, pubs and restaurants had closed early Tuesday amid fears of fresh rioting. Normally busy streets were eerily quiet and the smell of plywood filled the air as business owners rushed to secure their shops before nightfall.

In east London’s Bethnal Green district, convenience store owner Adnan Butt, 28, said the situation was still tense.

“People are all at home — they’re scared,” he said.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s government rejected calls by some lawmakers and citizens for strong-arm riot measures that British police generally avoid, such as tear gas and water cannons.

“The public wanted to see tough action. They wanted to see it sooner and there is a degree of frustration,” said Andrew Silke, head of the criminology department at the University of East London.

Cameron recalled Parliament from its summer recess for an emergency debate on the riots Thursday.

Other politicians visited riot sites Tuesday — but for many residents it was too little, too late. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was booed by crowds who shouted “Go home!” in Birmingham, while London Mayor Boris Johnson was heckled on a shattered shopping street in Clapham, south London.

Johnson said the riots would not stop London from “welcoming the world to our city” for the 2012 Olympics.

So far 770 people have been arrested in London and 167 charged — including an 11-year-old boy — and the capital’s prison cells were overflowing. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said it had teams of lawyers working 24 hours a day to help police decide whether to charge suspects.

A total of 111 officers and 14 members of the public have been hurt.

The violence was triggered by the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of four who was gunned down in Tottenham on Thursday under disputed circumstances.

Police said Duggan was shot dead when officers from Operation Trident — the unit that investigates gun crime in the black community — stopped a cab he was riding in. A Saturday protest demanding justice degenerated into a riot, which spread to neighboring parts of London on Sunday and by Monday had spread across the capital.

Duggan’s death resonated because it stirred memories of the 1980s, when many black Londoners felt they were disproportionately stopped and searched by police. Their frustration erupted in violent riots in 1985.

But the rioters who have taken to the streets since Sunday have been extremely diverse — those in central England appeared to be mostly white and working class.

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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=130192

The views expressed herein are the views of the author exclusively and not necessarily the views of VT or any other VT authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors or partners. Notices

Posted by Zabi Rashidi
on Aug 11 2011,

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0 Reads,

Filed under Britain United Kingdom, Europe, World.
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