Straight-talk Express

Soldier Suicides at Record Level

Whiteside's personal tragedy is part of an alarming phenomenon in the Army's ranks: Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study obtained by The Washington Post. Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006.

At the same time, the number of attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries in the Army has jumped sixfold since the Iraq war began. Last year, about 2,100 soldiers injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002, according to the U.S. Army Medical Command Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

It is criminal that Bush and Cheney are still not incarcerated for taking the country to war on false pretenses. If there is a god, then they'll certainly roast in hell for their actions (or in the case of the PTSD suffering troops returning from extended deployments in Iraq, inactions).

Meanwhile, the Straight-talk Express chugs right along with it's "Less Jobs, More Wars" mantra, even saying that "it would be fine with me" to have troops in Iraq for 100 years.

I watched the Republican debate last night, and the only applause line of the night was for Ron Paul, who remarked that the debate was focused on minor technicalities between two candidates who backed the same insane policy of supporting and continuing an immoral and illegal war.

I only hope that McCain keeps shooting his mouth off about "victory" in Iraq, because nearly 70% of the country oppose that position. Let's hope that he keeps the Straight-talk Express headed straight for the unemployment line.