A breaking new story says it pretty plainly: "A secret Pentagon study has found that at least 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to their upper body could have survived if they had extra body armor."

The story of exactly what the Marines needed, and all the factors tied in to why they haven't been getting it for almost the last three years, is a disturbing and vital one--the story linked above is a must-read. When you see this debacle and then compare it to, for example, how quickly and easily the administration has whipped up billions of dollars for no-bid Halliburton contracts, it's enough to give any sensible person pause.

This situation is a very good example of why I and so many other people have grown to detest the Bush administration. It's not about Bush being a bad man (that's not for me to judge), it's not that I personally hate the guy, but things like this story, recent revelations about how his high-level appointees have stymied mine-safety investigative bodies, and of course the whole FEMA disaster with Hurricane Katrina--and to be honest, you can take this back to 9/11 itself--show a pattern of mismanagement and carelessness that stands in sharp contrast to their rhetoric. They're friends of the military, yet they don't provide them with the tools they need and then cut their benefits after they return home. With friends like those...

Time and time again, we see the Bush administration appointing inexperienced, unconcerned cronies to key positions, and the neglect and oversights that result. Those who dismiss criticism of Bush by saying he didn't personally cause any of the disasters we've been through during his time in office are missing the point--that his own lack of concern for and awareness of the outcomes of decisions has a ripple effect that is costing American lives, American respect in the international sphere, and American unity at home. His administration is bad for the country, and these Marines aren't the first or last to pay the price. We deserve better.

Labels: Politics