Saturday, July 24, 2004

This is self-indulgent feminism.

The Pentagon is issuing "stop loss" orders on troops, rather like Martha Stewart dealing with her stock broker. With no political will for the draft, Rumsfeld assures that "We're perfectly capable of increasing the incentives and inducements to attract people into the armed services." For example, anyone in uniform can get free cosmetic surgery.

Mario Moncada, an Army private who was recently treated for losing the vision in one eye in Iraq, said that he knows several female soldiers who have received free breast enlargements: “We’re out there risking our lives. We deserve benefits like that.”

Four hundred and ninety-six breast enlargements and 61 liposuctions in 2000-03. A Navy JAG had her whole face redone, about $100,000 worth of surgery.

But there is a catch. The work is done by military doctors in training, for "the surgeons have to have somone to practice on." Maybe this makes it all morally neutral.

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