Paid Subscriber Weekly Mailbag Questions - 7/20/23
Hello, all. I haven’t done one of these in a while, owing to the frenetic nature of the past month’s developments.
Also, there’ve been a large amount of new subscribers since the last one, and the amount of questions were already getting difficult to answer in one session. So to deal with that I’m rolling out a new rule: only one question per person. Maybe a second corollary question if it is closely tied to the first one.
If you’re one of the many new subscribers: the mailbag is just my occasional perk for the paid subscribers, where they get to ask a question which I’ve customarily answered in a much more well-thought-out and long-form manner than the typical comments section reply allows, particularly since I have less and less time to reply to comments these days, given that the sheer amount of them has increased manyfold.
As always, regular subscribers can still access and read the questions, but asking one is only for paid-subscribed members. So if you have an absolutely burning question then come join The Garden by subscribing.
Speaking of paid subscribers, I’d like to once again give a thanks to all who continue to contribute as I value your subscription very much. But also, those who contribute via my TipJar link are unsung heroes as well. Every little contribution through there likewise goes a long way, so don’t think I don’t notice those contributions just because I don’t respond to the messages on the BuyMeACoffee site. There are many people who give just as much on there as the in-site Substack subscriptions, they merely like to do so at their own pace without automatic monthly deductions, and that’s fine as well. So, a big thank you to every last one of you contributors and paid subscribers.
As I’ve recently mentioned, the conflict at the moment appears to be transitioning into a new phase, one that could be marked by a steady attritional character rather than large, dramatic offensive ‘surprises’ every few days. As such, most of you probably have a lot of things on your mind as regards the future of the conflict and geopolitical landscape in general. So it will be interesting to see what’s on everyone’s mind during this transitional new phase.
So, without further ado, let’s get to the questions. But remember, keep it to one or two closely-linked questions per person at the most.
Hey Simplicius,
What is the state of Russia’s equivalent to the USA’s VA (Veteran’s Administration)?
How well are wounded (psychologically and physically) veterans treated? Are medical issues properly addressed and done so in a timely manner?
What does this body do well, and where can they improve?
Secondary but related question: are there homeless vets in Russia? If so, how are they treated by the government and society at large?
Has this topic been broached in the Russian political discourse?
I ask because here in America the VA has been rightfully criticised for decades for falling short in terms of giving proper treatment to American vets.
I personally know a few who went down the OxyContin to Heroin to Fentanyl to an early grave/miserable existence path (luckily a few also found recovery) due to the mismanagement of the VA’s pain management clinics (before anyone judges, I’ll must say that these were decent men who got caught up in a miserable situation).
Not to mention the Walter Reed scandal, and how in every US military related YouTube video comments section vets always joke about how in regards to a horrific training/combat injury the VA will deny recompense by saying “this injury was not service related”
Thank you for your excellent work, and no hard feelings if you find other subscriber’s questions more pertinent to answer.
How does the Russian origin of most of Israel’s leadership affect relations between Russia and Israel? How does Israel’s condemnation of Russia’s SMO affect Russia’s opinion of Israel? How do Russians view the Palestinian issues such as the recent attack on the Jennine refuge camp?