‘CBS Evening News': Correspondent Jim Axelrod Investigates Fraud | Variety

In the first part of a two-night report, CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod discovers that American taxpayers are spending millions of dollars on questionable medications for military personnel and veterans. The creams, which are touted as having the ability to soothe pain and scars, are marketed directly to military personnel, and dozens of websites advertise them as low-cost cure-alls for service members’ wounds and pain.

The catch, Axelrod finds, is that the medicines aren’t so cheap. Major General Richard Thomas, who oversees the military health benefit system Tricare, tells him the agency is on track to spend more than $2 billion in taxpayer funds in 2015 on the dubious prescriptions.

Axelrod has spent much time covering the rise of so-called “pharmaceutical compounding,” in which drugs are made for specific patients’ needs, sometimes by an outsourced pharmacy operation that may not be regulated as much as a hospital facility.



 


‘CBS Evening News': Correspondent Jim Axelrod Investigates Fraud | Variety

Klingenschmitt Hopes To Push Gay People 'Back In The Closet' | Right Wing Watch

On Friday's "Pray In Jesus Name" program, Gordon Klingenschmitt was trying to make the case that male-on-male sexual assault in the military has increased as a result of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and, in doing so, pointed to former Petty Officer Third Class Brian Lewis, who testified last year about having been assaulted when he served in the Navy.

Of course, the assault against Lewis took place back in 2000, more than a decade before DADT was repealed, so we are not sure how that helps to prove Klingenschmitt's point. Nonetheless, he demanded that the military reinstate DADT in order to push gay people "back in the closet, especially if they're so flagrant that they want to violate one another when they're openly serving",,,

I touched on the military rape issue in response to a OneNewsNow article titled, "A Veterans Day story that focuses on ... homosexuality?" In rebuttal to Matt Barber's insidious twisting of information and callous disregard of rape, it had to pointed out that these military assaults are not necessarily seen as sexual acts but are seen as a humiliating acts; acts of emasculation. In other words, rape is rape; rape is power. But of course that does not fit the Reich's or Klingenschmitt's agenda.

Klingenschmitt Hopes To Push Gay People 'Back In The Closet' | Right Wing Watch

Report Debunks Right-Wing Claims of Military Persecution of Christians | Advocate.com

Firing back at the anti-LGBT Family Research Council, the organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State has compiled a report to debunk claims about religious persecution in the military.

“The AU report,  ‘Clear and Present Falsehoods: The Real State of Religious Freedom in the Military,’ responds to an earlier report by the Family Research Council (FRC) that purported to list widespread instances of religious liberty violations in the armed forces,” reads an Americans United press release. “In fact, AU says, the FRC report (titled 'A Clear and Present Danger: The Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military') is merely a list of overblown and inaccurate claims that often don’t provide context or the whole story.

“Many examples of religious liberty 'violations' listed in the FRC report were in reality efforts by military officials to enforce separation of church and state or were ambiguous policies that were quickly fixed. A final category included examples of private individuals being critical of military policy.”

Not every one of the Family Research Council’s 61 claims, each followed in the report by Americans United analysis and response, is related to LGBT people. However, several do reference same-sex marriage and other LGBT issues. Here's an overview of the LGBT-specific items, along with the Americans United's (paraphrased) findings:

Report Debunks Right-Wing Claims of Military Persecution of Christians | Advocate.com

A Veterans Day story that focuses on ... homosexuality?

What this article fails to mention,,,

Although it is an obvious fact, men in the military outnumber women by more than 5 to 1 hence why the "raw" numbers - 12,000/ 6.8% of women (~200,000 total service woman) compared with nearly 14,000/1.2% of men (~1.2 million total service men) - elicit a 53% male victim total

What is ignored is the concerted effort by "military leaders, under pressure from Congress and the White House to eliminate rape from the ranks."  Despite Barber's innuendo, it was not the assaults that were out of hand but the atmosphere has changed.

Galbreath, who joined the office in 2007, describes a sea change in the military's efforts since then -- particularly during the past two years under Hagel and his predecessor, Leon Panetta.
,,,
Another key development: The 2011 repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Officials and advocates believe the ban on openly gay service members chilled reporting by male victims, gay and straight alike.

Galbreath says the Pentagon's efforts have led to an increase in reports. More than 3,550 sexual assaults were reported during the first three quarters of the 2013 fiscal year, the Pentagon said last month, a jump of nearly 50 percent.

I would rather read an "offensive" article about "sexual identity politics" focusing on an "individual's abhorrent sexual proclivities and his lifestyle choices" than one filled with false interpretation and misleading data presented as truth.

One last thing,

The Washington Times reported on the findings earlier this year, quoting a homosexual in the story who claimed the male-on-males assaults weren't done by homosexuals – that they were more like prison rapes.

Well fucking DUH!! Doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, rape is rape. Rape is power.  It is kind of the whole point in doing the survey and implementing changes based on the findings.

When a man alleged a sexual assault, wrongful sexual contact and forcible sodomy were the charges most frequently investigated.

Military data show that the typical perpetrator is a man who has served longer in the military than his victim and holds a higher rank. In most cases, the assailant identifies as heterosexual.

Roger Canaff, who has trained Army lawyers in prosecuting sexual assault cases, says many attacks amount to a particularly violent form of hazing.

It "isn't necessarily seen as a sexual act," says Canaff, a former prosecutor in New York and Virginia. "It's seen as a humiliating act. It's the ultimate act of emasculation.

You see that in fraternity life, sometimes. You see that in the civilian world. The military has it also."

A Veterans Day story that focuses on ... homosexuality?

Thanks to Military.com for the excellent article Men Sexually Assaulted in the Military Speak Out

UPDATE::The Pentagon’s pugnacious critic on religion gets his day in Congress - The Washington Post

As the United States sent tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan in 2010, a controversy erupted: the rifles they were carrying had coded scopes engraved with biblical references. In the war against the Taliban, already religiously charged, it was akin to tossing a match on gasoline in the ongoing fight over where religion should fit into military life.

The incident followed a script for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the activist organization that exposed the issue. Service members registered their complaint about the so-called “Jesus rifles.” Mikey Weinstein, its founder, distributed the information widely through the media, expressing outrage. And then the government responded, with some officials defending the practice while others — including Gen. David Petraeus, then the top commander in Afghanistan — called it problematic.

The scope’s maker, Trijicon, eventually promised that it would stop using biblical references, and the military said it would work to alter rifles already in service. They were inscribed with phrases like “PSA91:5,” short for Psalms 91:5: “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day.”
,,,
On Wednesday, Weinstein will get one of his largest stages yet: An appearance before the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on military personnel. Weinstein, along with several other witnesses, will testify before Congress on the military’s current policy for religious accommodation, which requires Sikhs to seek a waiver from top service officials to wear their religion’s mandatory turbans and beards.

Weinstein intends to stretch the conversation beyond that, though, he said. He plans to tell Congress that numerous leaders in the military practice a “twisted version of Christianity” that oppresses not only Muslims and other religious minorities, but Christians who are not devout.

The Pentagon’s pugnacious critic on religion gets his day in Congress - The Washington Post

UPDATE::MRFF's Testimony Before the House Armed Services Committee Cancelled

As usual, I got a we bit sidetracked (the Cherron Phillips Sovereign case) whilst waiting for the release of Mikey' Weinstein's digital copy of his now cancelled testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. Along with that, I was also wondering and waiting on his reaction (if any) to Pat Robertson's anti-semitic diatribe

First up, Mikey's testimony as provided by MRFF,,,

It is 78 pdf-pages long and thoroughly breaks down the issue of religious coercion in the military. It is "divided" in to three basic sections, with the first section detailing numerous testimonials from individuals helped by MRFF.

Following that, there is discussion concerning the formation of “Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition" in regards to the NDAA debate including the Fleming Amendment and detail concerning various incidents that required MRFF intervention, "Just War Theory" being a prominent example highlighting the FRC bogus propaganda “A Clear and Present Danger: The Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military." Basically this sections is MRFF’s response to that report which has been cited and referred to by members of Congress on a number of occasions,

As a third enclosure MRFF includes Chris Rodda's contribution to the book Attitudes Aren’t Free: Thinking Deeply About Diversity in the US Armed Forces. The chapter, titled “Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic,” covers numerous issues. that still plague our military; includes incidents and examples related to both our military’s religious proselytizing overseas in combat zones and on military bases here in the US.

Even if you decide not to thoroughly read through Mikey's testimony, this PDF is a good resource to have on hand to combat the Reich's bullshit.

As for Mikey's reaction to Windbag Robertson, I defer to Hemant Mehta,

I called up Weinstein to see if he had anything to say in response to Robertson — as if he ever didn’t have something to say — and he was even more blunt than usual:

“Pat Robertson is to human dignity and sanity and integrity and character what dog shit is to a fine French restaurant on the menu.”

Unquote. I’ve had many phone conversations with Weinstein over the years, but never one that quick. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.

MRFF's Testimony Before the House Armed Services Committee Cancelled

ADDENDUM::House Votes To Deny Climate Science And Ties Pentagon's Hands On Climate Change | ThinkProgress

One ramification of denying science, specifically climate science . "Sea level rise impacting naval bases. Climate change altering natural disaster response. Drought influenced by climate change in the Middle East and Africa leading to conflicts over food and water — as in, for instance, Syria."

In other words, the Pentagon is concerned about the following national security issues: 1] oil supplies being cut off, making the transporting of troops and machines difficult. 2] local or regional wars, in "areas of interest" to the US, over food and water. 3] Loss of property vital to infrastructure such as farmlands, storage facilities, airports and/or sea ports.

The attitude displayed by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) et al in ignoring Pentagon concerns is reminiscent of the article I posted in March

To be most effective in spreading their message to the public to influence opinion, staffers in these groups "publish books, they give congressional testimony, they go around and make speeches, they serve as sources for newspapers, they write op-eds," Brulle said.

"It's based on a political strategy, which is to develop these arguments and get them out into the public," he said, adding that the environmental movement doesn't have equivalent think tanks. The total impact is hard to tell, but only 46 percent of Republicans believe there's solid evidence the world is warming, compared with 84 percent of Democrats, according to a 2013 Pew study.

A political strategy funded by 

,,,top-tier conservative think tanks in Washington, such as the AEI and Heritage Foundation, which focus on a range of issues, as well as more obscure organisations such as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and the John Locke Foundation.

Funding also went to groups that took on climate change denial as a core mission – such as the Heartland Institute, which held regular conclaves dedicated to undermining the United Nations climate panel’s reports, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which tried and failed to prosecute a climate scientist, Michael Mann, for academic fraud.

“I call it the climate-change counter movement,” Brulle, told the Guardian. “It is not just a couple of rogue individuals doing this. This is a large-scale political effort.” And we don’t even know who’s behind it. The majority of the funders, about 75 percent, channeled their money in such a way that Brulle was unable to uncover their identities.

__
With a mostly party-line vote on Thursday, the House of Representatives passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) that seeks to prevent the Department of Defense from using funding to address the national security impacts of climate change.

“You can’t change facts by ignoring them,” said Mike Breen, Executive Director of the Truman National Security Project, and leader of the clean energy campaign, Operation Free. “This is like trying to lose 20 pounds by smashing your bathroom scale.”

The full text of McKinley’s amendment reads:

None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to implement the U.S. Global Change Research Program National Climate Assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report, the United Nation’s Agenda 21 sustainable development plan, or the May 2013 Technical Update of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Executive Order

In other words, the House just tried to write climate denial into the Defense Department’s budget. “The McKinley amendment would require the Defense Department to assume that the cost of carbon pollution is zero,” Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bobby Rush (D-IL) said in a letter to their colleagues before the vote. “That’s science denial at its worst and it fails our moral obligation to our children and grandchildren.”

The amendment forces the Defense Department to ignore the findings and recommendations of the National Climate Assessment and the IPCC’s latest climate assessment, specifically with regard to the national security impacts of climate change. It would also do the same for the Social Cost of Carbon, which provides a framework for rulemakers to take into account the societal, security, and economic costs associated with emitting more carbon dioxide.

House Votes To Deny Climate Science And Ties Pentagon's Hands On Climate Change | ThinkProgress

Air Force Academy employs Focus alum and 'conversion therapy' champion | Local News | Colorado Springs Independent

When Lt. Josh Seefried recently learned that a conversion therapy practitioner works at the Air Force Academy, he picked up the phone.

"I called to ask him [about] his past with ex-gay therapy and his current teachings with cadets," says Seefried, a 2009 academy grad who helped found OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an association of LGBT active-duty personnel, veterans and military families."I was directed to his book and told of ways to deal with my struggles with same-sex attraction."

That book, Sanctification Coaching: Sexual Purity and Peace for Christian Men with Same-Sex Attractions, was self-published under the Xulon imprint for Christian books by Dr. Mike Rosebush in 2009. That's the same year the academy hired the former Focus on the Family vice president to work in its "plans and programs directorate," which develops institutional policy, plans and assessment strategies for commanders.

It's also the same year the American Psychological Association debunked conversion or "reparative" therapy, saying not only that it's unproven, but that it can cause depression and suicidal thoughts.

Air Force Academy employs Focus alum and 'conversion therapy' champion | Local News | Colorado Springs Independent

'Ex-Gay' Therapist Leading Air Force Academy's Cadet Counseling | Advocate.com

LGBT advocates are calling for the removal of a therapist set to lead the Air Force Academy's cadet counseling program, citing the shrink's two-decades long advocacy for the unscientific and harmful practice of "reparative" or "ex-gay" therapy, which aims to turn gay people straight.

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog broke the news today that the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., had hired Mike Rosebush, Ph.D, to serve as the chief of character and leadership coaching at the academy. Aravosis and other LGBT advocates were quick to highlight Rosebush's long-standing advocacy of so-called reparative therapy. In the position, which he has held since 2011, Rosebush oversees a team of counselors who work with cadets to develop strong character and leadership attributes.

'Ex-Gay' Therapist Leading Air Force Academy's Cadet Counseling | Advocate.com

Solomon: Atheist Chaplains Would Encourage Soldiers To Kill Themselves | Right Wing Watch

A very painful 3 minutes to listen to. As most atheists do not believe in an afterlife so "encouraging" one to suicide would be going against the idea that we should live life to the fullest as it is the only one we got. And once again perpetuating the myth that since we do not believe in a deity, we obviously have nothing to live for,,,sigh!! I would be more afraid of a theistic chaplain encouraging suicide so one could have their "reward" of heaven and immortality,,,

The whole thing really did not sit well with host Stan Solomon, who said that atheism is "basically sticking your head up your butt and wondering why it's dark" and said that being an atheist chaplain is like being "a sensitive cannibal who says grace before he chews your leg off."

After Klingenschmitt claimed there was no need for atheist chaplains in the military and the whole thing is really just a way to undermine the Christian chaplains and reduce our numbers," Solomon asserted that it was all a part of the effort to implement President Obama's health care policy by encouraging wounded soldiers to kill themselves.

"An atheist chaplain," Solomon declared, "would be the perfect vehicle for convincing wounded warriors that they should end their lives because there's nothing in the future and there's nothing now, so why not just save money and kill themselves":

Solomon: Atheist Chaplains Would Encourage Soldiers To Kill Themselves | Right Wing Watch

In the Marines, Fitness Is a State of Mind

 The practice of yoga has been in the news  quite a bit lately,both pro and con.  But could someone explain this diatribe,,,

In the military, it's out with God--and in with the goofy! Hello, I'm Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council in Washington. U.S. troops are learning how to use another weapon: their minds. As part some new training, Marines are being asked to join weekly yoga and meditation classes. Sergeant Nathan Hampton said the idea took some getting used to. "Why are we sitting around a classroom doing weird meditating stuff?" he wondered. Former Army Captain Elizabeth Stanley says it's to relieve stress. She's the one behind M-Fit, or Mind Fitness Training. She insists the New Age approach "creates a sense of calmness, reduces drug and alcohol use, increases productivity, and improves working relationships." What a coincidence--so does faith! Unfortunately, the military seems intent on driving religion out and replacing it with wacky substitutes. They've added atheist chaplains, Wiccan worship centers, and now, meditation classes. But none of them are effective or as constructive as a personal relationship with God. Unfortunately, though, it's mind over what matters--and that's faith.   [http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PG12L01&itemType=CM#listing  Jan 8, 2013 In the Marines, Fitness Is a State of Mind]

For those that don't believe in your God, your faith may seem goofy and just as wacky,,,

In the Marines, Fitness Is a State of Mind


Now please note the CORRECT quote from Sergeant Nathan Hampton,,,

There also were weekly meditation classes — including one in which Sgt. Hampton and his squad mates were asked to sit motionless in a chair and focus on the point of contact between their feet and the floor.

“A lot of people thought it would be a waste of time,” he said. “Why are we sitting around a classroom doing their weird meditative stuff?

“But over time, I felt more relaxed. I slept better. Physically, I noticed that I wasn’t tense all the time. It helps you think more clearly and decisively in stressful situations. There was a benefit.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/5/marines-expanding-use-of-meditation-training/?page=all

A very thorough article about the above program that Perkins thrashes.

Bishop James Magness: Veterans Day: Healing the Wounds of Those Who've Served Us -- A Spiritual Perspective

 An additional conclusion can be made that we are on the verge of becoming blind to service members and veterans; that we have forgotten about them, and therefore no longer care about them. Even in the recent presidential debates, aside from the argument over who would cut or fund "defense spending" to include a moderately interesting comment about Navy ships and "horses and bayonets," we hardly heard any mention of the military. We heard even less about the fact that every day our service-members continue to be engaged in armed conflict in Afghanistan.

[,,,]
Why bring out these hard statistics, you may ask? Can't you just leave well enough alone and let this tragic war fade into the rearview mirror of historic obscurity? Let me answer my own questions. I am a person of faith and a Christian. In my opinion, one of the most influential sayings of Jesus in the Christian Scriptures is this one: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15.12, NRSV).

If people of faith are going to engage in God's mission of healing, forgiving and restoring, we have to know the facts. If we are serious about healing, we will soon find ourselves chest deep in repentance and penance. The service members and veterans are the unseen citizens who have been going to war, OUR WAR, for more than 10 years. I recognize that many of us have little or no sympathy with the war.

However, that does not absolve us of the need to care for these citizens who are our children, neighbors, sisters and brothers. How will we love those who have been willing to lay down their lives for us? Do we care enough about service members and about veterans to help them? Though there are some technical and organizational fixes to the solution for helping service members and veterans that may not be the fix for God's people. God calls us to more than a simple fix. The first principle is, I believe, to take seriously Jesus' mandate of love.

Bishop James Magness: Veterans Day: Healing the Wounds of Those Who've Served Us -- A Spiritual Perspective