“This is one of the fastest pain attenuators in existence – the pain can be gone in five minutes,” said Niemtzow, a physician, acupuncturist and senior adviser to the Air Force surgeon general.

That’s right. Your tax dollars are being spent to turn physicians into acupuncturists and then deploy them to Iraq to treat wounded soldiers.

Our fighting forces deserve better. So do we. As one of the commenters pointed out:

The situation may be worsening. Secretary of HHS designee, Tom Daschle, supported provision of chiropratic in VHA hospitals. It gets worse, Senator Tom Harken (D, IA), another quack-friendly guy, is taking the lead in revising healthcare legislation.

If the prospect of Socialized Medicine doesn’t scare you enough, how about the idea of Government-Enforced Quacks?

We’re doomed.

Update:

It has already gotten worse, at least in the Air Force.