Literature Review: Politics and Democracy
Politics in the society always faces numerous cases of controversies that occur from time to time. Cases of corruption and misappropriation of funds are most common in public facilities. According to Priest & Hull (2007), the corruption case at the Walter Reed medical center has seen misappropriation of funds meant to ensure that injured soldiers receive quality care from the medical personnel. The corruption case, which was revealed in 2007 by the Washington Post newspaper, occurred at an army’s top medical facility where the wounded soldiers sought treatment. According to the article by Washington Post’s staff writers, the medical facility was unable to provide the soldiers with quality care that they require when they are wounded. For example, the hospital did not keep updated records of soldiers in such a way that, some soldiers could not be identified and there was a need to contact their service station or provide a photograph that shows that they were in service for the country in Iraq.
The corruption case at the Walter Reed medical facility was revealed through the family of the soldiers who were unable to cope with the mistreatment of their loved ones. Volunteers, the soldiers and the caregivers also contributed to revealing the problem of corruption at Walter Reed hospital. According to the article, the soldiers were not provided with the appropriate care that was necessary to help them heal their wounds. Additionally, the soldiers were unable to receive post-traumatic stress therapy, which is important for soldiers who got injured on the battlefield. The caregiver’s concern was that the problems facing the facility slow down the recovery process of the soldiers who need to get back to active duty. Revealing the case was important as it provided the real scenario to the country about what the armed forces that protect our country face when injured (Priest & Hull, 2007).
Exposure of the case to the people of the United States is important as it helps put pressure to the necessary authorities to ensure that veterans and soldiers are given the best care since they serve an important purpose in the country. The corruption case at the Walter Reed hospital leads to poor conditions among solders and lack of job satisfaction which is dangerous. According to Agere & Commonwealth Secretariat (2000), it is important that every level of authority is held responsible for the funds provided to improve the facility. In accountability, the media plays a very important role as an oversight body. The media helps overlook cases of corruption and directly reporting them to the public (Sambook, 2013). The media is thus an important contributor in fighting for quality service delivery at the Walter Reed hospital.
The military personnel are very important people for the United States as they help protect the country against its external enemies. Cases where the military personnel are not provided with the best care when they are wounded are sensitive to politics. The corruption case in the military has a long lasting implication in the American politics since the case occurred under the regime of President George Bush. The foreseeable issues that might arise due to the corruption case is with regards to transparency in the U.S. military and the department of defense. People are likely to question the resources allocated to the military since misappropriation occurred previously. Issues of corruption are still present in the current regime even though limited. Most of the cases occur within the state’s level as the governors avoid national overview of their performance.
References
Agere, S., & Commonwealth Secretariat. (2000). Promoting good governance: Principles, practices and perspectives. Londres, En: Commonwealth Secretariat. Retrieved 4 September 2016, from http://books.google.com
Priest, D. & Hull, A. (2007). Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 4 September 2016, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR2007021701172.html
Sambook, R. (2013). What's the media's role with open gov and transparency? (Survey) » We Media. We Media. Retrieved 4 September 2016, from http://wemedia.com/2013/07/31/whats-the-medias-role-with-open-gov-and-transparency-survey/
