every time a u.s. military person dies in iraq think about this guy….

as 2004 comes to an end, it was a tough decision to pick out who was the bum of the year in american society. there were so many possible candidates.

you had your pharmaceutical types who made and sold medicine that could kill you. there were the corporate rats who destroyed the pension funds of their companies. and of course there were the politicians on both sides of the aisle who were responsible for getting the united states involved in the moral and economic mess we have.

the “hey abbott award” for 2004 goes to general tommy franks. time magazine has the “man of the year.” here now is the “bum of the year.”

this four star general now retired, planned for the war in iraq, ran the war in iraq and then when it was convenient for him, he deserted his troops and retired. where else in the military history of the world do you find a general who just walked out the door in the middle of the battle to set up a business and a web site? take a look at franks and then return to this page.

franks sent young american men and women to war in scarce numbers. he sent them to fight and die in shoddy equipment. he sent them to die without the safety net of proper training.

not only did he pour the full time active military personnel into a funnel of death and wounded, he sucked the nation’s national guard and reserve forces into the conflict before they were properly trained and before they had adequate equipment.

the additional tragedy of what franks has done is that he has put the nation in peril on the home front where many states no longer have national guard forces for possible natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes and tornados.

in cities all across this country, fire departments and police departments and emergency medical departments are short personnel because of the call ups to active duty that franks started.

general tommy franks was exactly the uncle tom type that the bush administration wanted. they bounced general eric shinseki when he wouldn’t play the game. they bounced general jack keane when he wouldn’t play the game.

franks probably said, “pick me. pick me. i will lead the army into hell, but i will make it look like i am doing the right thing.”

when general tommy franks finally goes on to the great beyond, he will be quartered with another general for all eternity.

george armstrong custer.

**our editorial director, belding weed, invites your comments. his belief is that businesses, institutions and government agencies are just structures. it is the person who runs the show who creates the morality. other than calling the person to your attention and perhaps hurting his/her feelings there isn't much more we can do.

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