NYT Gets the Smear Bucket

First of all, this is not aimed at the people in question - this is aimed at NYT.

We know the movie ... we know the world view ... we know what we know.

Right out of Page 13 of the post-Vietnam "broken vessels" playbook - what I warned about over half a decade ago - here we go.

Like Mr. Pennington, many veterans injured in combat are finding that their invisible psychological and neurological wounds are proving more debilitating than their obvious physical ones.

About 1,700 American service members have lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan, most in roadside bombings that seared skin, shattered bones and damaged internal organs as well. Most of those troops also came home with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, which in many cases were not recognized for months.

Well meaning, perhaps. Typical "vets are victims" slideshow included.

I don't deny that there may be specific issues ... but we again have the media trying to apply the specific to the general.

Remember the formula. All veterans are broken. Because they are broken, they are victims. Because they are victims, they are to be pitied. Because they are pitied, their opinions carry less weight. Because their opinions carry less weight - they are marginalized. If they are marginalized, they are to be patronized. If you are patronized, you are disenfranchised from public discourse. If you are disenfranchised, you can be ignored.