As the Bush regime makes a show of fake respect for "Army Families," how much do you figure the Pentagon'll be paying Halliburton for all those "F"s?

Longtime DWT readers are aware that we don't take kindly to the Bush regime's shockingly shameful, not to mention viciously hypocritical, history of abuse of our armed services.

It was bad enough that those vermin, puffed up with their megalomania and war-profiteering greed, put American military lives at risk for the sake of their delusional and bone-headed policies of unilateral aggression. But then to do so without making even a minimal effort to equip and supply those forces adequately, and to subject them to such grotesque overuse (in order to spare themselves having to confront the American people with the reality of their warmongering), in the process pulling apart the lives of all those reservists and National Guardsmen, and going farther than any American government might ever dare to render the country all but defenseless militarily, and finally--the crowning indignity--to treat our wounded and maimed servicepeople with such imperious disdain and ineffective care.

That alone should guarantee that every last scumbag who has participated in the formulation and/or execution of Bush regime foreign policy roasts in hell for eternity.

But then factor in the deliberate and vile hypocrisy, in the form of the monumental campaign of slimification waged by Dick Cheney and his America-loathing Right against authentically patriotic Americans who had the sense--and, it turns out, courage--to ask basic and obvious questions about those hateful and insane policies. For all these years in which the regime bullyboys have played on what they knew, at least in their lucid moments, to be a vicious and vile fabrication, that the questioners "don't support our troops"--well, can we consign them to roast in hell for two eternities?

Now finally, it appears, the Bush regime has recognized some obligation to the families who have been called on to make sacrifices that the Bushbullies would never consider making themselves. Or at least some obligation to Army families--or rather, now, "Army Families."

The customarily vigilant Al Kamen has the story in his Washington Post "In the Loop" column today:

Army Puts an Emphasis on Families

This e-mail from the Army brass was circulating last week:

"The Acting Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff, Army have emphasized that Army Families are a key component of our readiness. Army Families shoulder a great burden of sacrifice, supporting their Soldier and often enduring long periods of separation from their loved ones.

"Top notch care and support of Army Families demonstrate our sincere appreciation and gratitude for their many contributions, and allow our Soldiers to fully concentrate on the fight and focus on their duties.

"Effective immediately, the word 'Families' will be capitalized in all Army correspondence. Please ensure wide dissemination of this change. Thanks for your continued efforts to do all you can to provide steadfast support to our Army Families."

Also, Extended Tours, Multiple Deployments, Shortened Home Leave and Other Words Will Be Capitalized From Time To Time, As Deemed Necessary.

No word as of yet from responsible officials about the possibility of "steadfast support" for Navy, Air Force, and Marine families. (And Coast Guard? Merchant Marine?)


IRONIC POSTSCRIPT

I'm not sure "irony" covers dereliction of responsibility on this scale, but did you pause, while reading the above, to reflect: Why exactly is it, again, that we have an "acting" secretary of the Army?

Poor old Francis Harvey was just one of the (now rapidly) growing number of Bush regime hacks being forced to fall on their swords in the regime's increasingly desperate attempt to deflect attention--and of course blame--from its pervasive misdirection, corruption, and incompetence. Former Secretary Harvey retains the distinction of being the highest-ranking regime apparatchik to take a fall for the Walter Reed disgrace, a scandal that should by now have consumed the highest ranks of the Pentagon and then laid siege to the Oval Office.