The evidence is in, and though it may be a little inconvenient for Mr. Gore to hear, the facts don’t lie. This U.N. report shows that animals raised for food generate more greenhouse gases than all cars and trucks combined, and goes on to say that meat is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global,” including land degradation, air pollution, water shortage and pollution, loss of biodiversity, and of course climate change. And according to a recent University of Chicago study, switching to a vegan diet is more effective in countering global warming than switching from a standard American car to a Prius. We even went so far as to offer to cook him faux “fried chicken” as an intro to vegetarian meals, since, no matter how many of those cool little energy saving light bulbs you put in, the reality is that there just isn’t such a thing as a meat-eating environmentalist.

A story about the whole issue ran in The New York Times today, but Gore declined to comment. Mr. Gore, you’ve done so much good by putting yourself out there as the face of the anti-global warming movement, and you’re so right on so much of it, but come on, it really is high time to put some substance behind it by leading by example and doing the single most effective thing you can do to address the issue: simply going vegetarian.

Comment by muckdog — September 6, 2007 @ 7:51 pm

No, no, you’re consfused. Michael Crichton, the “Global Warming Skeptic Expert” is the one who earns money writing fiction.

Although I give due credit for the trolls on this, I rather like it!

His government broke his heart but it could not break Air Force veteran Charles Powell’s spirit. Fighting back tears, the 64 year-old vet stood tall and resolute in front of 400 of his comrades, describing in verse the final steps of a painful disillusionment.

When the veterans gathered in 2002, prior to the invasion of Iraq, Powell, who had served on a Titan ICBM launch crew during the Cuban missile crisis, read his poem titled, “I Won’t Let Them Take My Flag.” He noted the warmongers were “again waving my flag” as a buildup to invasion, and he countered what he felt was a manipulation of the national symbol with the following lines reminiscent of the great Langston Hughes.

“But to me ‘Old Glory’ still stands for the liberty, justice and solidarity yet to come. So I still wave it too. I wave it for health care, education, housing and food for all. I wave it for peace and love and I wave it for hope. Most of all, I wave it for the America yet to be.”

After four and a half years of war in Iraq, Veterans For Peace convened again this summer and Charles Powell was there as always. As his turn came at the Speakout microphone, he struggled a few seconds to compose himself. Then, in a clear voice growing more determined as he spoke, Powell mirrored the pain, regret, and anger in the hearts of so many who listened.

I WILL SALUTE NO MORE FOREVER

As a child I learned to Worship that piece of colored cloth.

My family, my school, the movies, TV taught me to believe that fragment of fabric stood for good things.

I watched my father, a World War II Army veteran, give homage to that wad of material.

As an airman, I saluted that banner for the four years I served in the Air Force where I stood ready to help launch Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles on command.

Then I became aware that the wonderful things for which that clump of colors is suppose to represent, have not been achieved.

I came to know that awful, unlawful, unwise, and immoral acts have occurred under the stars and stripes.

But I still clung onto the belief and hope that someday, somehow conditions would change and the good things for which that rag is still supposed to stand would yet be realized.

However, I’ve been forced to come to my senses.

Now we have: preemptive war, the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, stop loss, neglect of returning veterans, ignored infrastructure, billions of dollars squandered on war and occupation, extraordinary rendition, secret imprisonment, warrantless domestic spying, disenfranchisement of voters, stolen elections, torture, suspension of habeas corpus, and denial of due process.

So, even though hearing “America The Beautiful” still increases my heartbeat.

Although seeing those stripes still brings a lump to my throat.

Even though the sight of those stars continues to bring tears to my eyes.

I won’t pledge to it anymore.

I won’t remove my cap.

I won’t stand in respect.

I won’t wave it.

I will salute no more forever.

Comment by jb — September 6, 2007 @ 11:

ter·ror·ism – The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

Provided the actions that the Bush Administration perform are unlawful, I think the definition fits.

Comment by just john — September 6, 2007 @ 11:53 am

CBO seems to be having some site problems at the moment, but you can google the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act for more info. It definitely doesn’t look like they’re going to be tracking down veterans and forcing them to have mental health screenings, which the linked editorial seemed to imply. The bill just tells VA to do more of what they’re already starting to do, and take a more proactive approach to PTSD and related mental health issues that have been overlooked for too long.

Comment by just john — September 6, 2007 @ 11:49 am

I’m pretty sure the “RoS” posting this morning is a namejacking troll (Mr P, gauging by the non-sequitir lunacy) who’s insulting you so that he can go back to his ultra-conservative blog and complain that “Think Progress has no respect for veterans.”

On topic, thank you and Democrat Soldier for the explanations!

Hope the clinical trial works out okay.

toasterhead — Tried that link, no success (may be error on this end.)

If it’s actually just an offer of improved voluntary screening, I withdraw my complaint and hope future reporting is less dire-sounding.

How about a little Clinton-troll bait? From worldnutdaily:

Kathleen Willey, the woman who says Bill Clinton groped her in the Oval Office, claims she was the target of an unusual house burglary over the weekend that nabbed a manuscript for her upcoming book, which promises explosive revelations that could damage Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Willey said she has spoken with an investigator. [...]

I wonder if wingnuts now will trumpet the integrity of Sixty Minutes’ news producers?

That would be sublime.

(And let’s see if “Republic of Stupidity”’s exit is a Beckett one, in that he doesn’t actually MOVE despite announcing his departure. )

Mine was spent behind a computer terminal! ;-) (MOS: 74D)

I’ve used the VA Hospital in San Antonio (Audie Murphy Memorial) for a short period before I moved away, and I’m on a clinical trial that was based out of that hospital.

Comment by toasterhead — September 6, 2007 @ 11:38 am

Some of those symptoms would appear to manifesting themselves right on this thread this morning!

I feel I got plenty of value in return for my enlisted time. Of course, this time was spent at a desk, not in combat.

Just to help you out: If anyone has served in the military, they can go to the VA for help.

The VA will look at your service, and depnding on what your “priority group” is will determine what you have to pay for and what the VA will pay for.

These are the current Priority Levels as defined by the VA: (SC stands for Service Connected)

1a: Veterans with SC Conditions rated 70% or more disabling
1b: Veterans with SC Conditions rated 50% or more disabling
2: Veterans with SC Conditions rated 30% or 40% disabling
3: Veterans with SC Conditions rated 10% or 20% disabling
4: Veterans who are catastrophically disabled, plus others
5: Non-service connected veterans whose income & net worth are below the established dollar threshold, plus others
6: Catastrophically disabled
7: Veterans with income above VA Means Test Threshold but below the applicable Geographic Means Test threshold
8: Veterans not included in priority group 4,6 or 7

The lower your Priority Level, the less you have to pay for services. (Excepting Priority Level 6, and then they look at any other coverage you may have.)