STARR : The discarded army (fülszöveg)
There was a time when America fought wars of passionate commitment against enemies clearly identifiable as villains. And when the wars were over, the soldiers who fought them came home to a public that was lavish in its display of gratitude to its fighting men. The bands played and the bunting was bright, and every G.I. was a hero.
Now, at the end of our longest and, by wide acknowledgment, our most inglorious war, Paul Starr calls badly needed attention to a new kind of soldier, one toward whom the American people have been indifferent if not hostile – the Vietnam veteran.
America's historic concern for her vets is testified to by the $12.5 billion budget of the Veterans Administration, the third most heavily funded department or agency in the federal government (after the Pentagon and HEW). Older veterans who who have benefited by the more generous World War II and Korean War G.I. Bills do not complain of ingratitude.
Why, then, are the Vietnam veterans discriminated against? Who are they, how do they differ from the men who fought our previous wars, and why are their benefits less satisfactory than those of the older ex-servicemen? Why are so many of them unemployed and disillusioned?
The Discarded Army is a troubling and urgen epilouge to Vietnam. Vividly documented by interviews with veterans who speak with startling candor about their experiences in Southeast Asia, Starr's report discloses, in addition, the severe structural defects of the VA, explains why it is so poorly equipped to handle the special needs of younger veterans, and offers suggestions for improving its wasteful machinery.
Rejecting the images of the veteran as misfit and the veteran as hero, The Discarded Army calls for understanding without overstatement, respect without illusions, help without condescension.
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| KATALÓGUS | TARTALOM |
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