US troops in the money

[NNN0LHI]

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWCSimQbzW1mgDRaCCmoPrU6P-VQ

America has given more than 100 million dollars (£50 million) in bonuses to special forces troops to stop them leaving for well-paid private security jobs.

Veteran Green Berets and Navy Seals got up to 150,000 dollars (£75,000) each in return for guarantees of staying on.

[patrice]

1. Disclaimer: I Support our Troops.

But what, exactly, IS a human conscience?

If people can't see now how they can be ordered to kill for lies and corporate profit, or if they do see and it doesn't matter . . . what kind of people are these?

Maybe they say to themselves "Someone has to be there to 'defend' America whenever it truly IS necessary, inspite of the times when those same defenders get used and robbed of their Humanity by lies and $$$." I may not agree, but at least I can understand: "Yes, our military DOES get mis-used, but if someone isn't willing and able to be ready, even when it is to do the wrong thing, no one will be there when we actually do need it." Now that I write it, it sounds too much like a rationalization for "The ends justifies the means." And besides, if they're thinking "even though the military does BAD things sometimes someone still has to be willing and able to be ready defend us when we truly do need it" what we've got there is a self-fulfilling prophecy: "It doesn't matter if we/military do Bad things as long as we are here to do 'good' things (defend the U.S.) when it really is necessary" CAUSES it to be necessary.

And none of that even mentions how perfectly possible it is for Veterans, no matter WHAT their motive, to get preference for disappearing good-paying civilian jobs too.

[NNN0LHI]

2. I had no idea that killing Iraqis paid so well n/t

[SoCalDem]

3. How quaint..Why not just make militias & mercenary/shadow armies illegal?

Wouldn;t that be just as good, and a whole lot cheaper too?

Throw that little spitwad, Erik Prince in jail

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. I got $79 a month when I joined and offered corporal's stripes and a free trip to Vietnam to extend.

But, I did get 30 days mess duty when I told them they could shove their offer.

[aikoaiko]

5. Good for the troops.

Although 100 million a lot of money, 150k for a couple more years is not much per year. For serious operators, contractors still pay much much more

[NNN0LHI]

6. Would you feel the same way if someone was paying Iraqis to come here and kill Americans?

Just curious.

Don

[aikoaiko]

7. No.

Why would I care what another country pays its soldiers?


Do you think Iraqis care whether one of their own dies from a soldier who gets paid more than another?