So, we're paying these companies money to hire our top soldiers away from the military AND we're paying 100 million in bonuses to keep the top soldiers from going to work for the private companies.

This makes sense to someone, I'm sure -- and it would have to be whoever is making money off this deal.

Let's see ...
hmm ...
whose plan was it to start farming out military gigs ... ?
who then ran a company that accepts those gigs ... ?
who still owns stock in that company ... ?
and who decided to use private combat forces in not one, but two wars ... ?
whose ideas were those wars ... ?

hmm.

http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.com/2007/03/keeping-world-safe-for-halliburton.html

Rev, what do you use to pay yr bills ? money ...

Alex

In reply: Credit Cards..., good try though!

For Che's real motivations, please read Vasily Mitrokhin's "The Sword and the Shield" and "The World Was Going Our Way".

Rev writes:"So what is the name of the true American value? It is money!"

Rev, what do you use to pay yr bills ? money!
how do you pay for yr groceries ? money !
whats in yr wallet ? money ! You must be an American.

Thanks for the "Sicko" link, che. Do you work full-time for ruthless* commie** bastards*** like Michael Moore, or is it merely an avocation?

*I have no evidence for this but what the wingnuts tell me.

**I have no evidence for this but what the wingnuts tell me.

***I have no personal knowledge of the sexual lives of Michael Moore's parents.

sir, where can i buy a copy of your new book on the israeli air force published now by the military press? thanks for the info, in advance. i look forward to reading your newest. joyce berman sanger

A well-placed commando unit can preclude the need for larger, more damaging and visible combat operations and can keep military and civilian populations safe. They gather intelligence that keeps this country safe.

As far as cost-benefit, Special Forces personnel are being paid peanuts with regards to the benefits they bring.

You want overpaid? I find that Congressmen are very overpaid, as far as cost-benefit. You can find a chimpanzee that can sit in meetings and then cast a vote on straight party lines.

And the chimpanzee will steal a lot less, at the end of the day.

O'Reilly,

Perhaps knucklehead O'Reilly should give some second thought to his attack on Mr. Arkin several months ago - with regards to American mercenaries in Iraq.

It would appear that everything we do or have done in America, even going back to the celebration of Christopher Columbus day last week, has had to do either with money, trade or trade routes.

So what is the name of the true American value? It is money!

And what is the war in Iraq really about? It's about oil money and its impact on the American economy!

And who isn't getting their share of the pie in this trumped up invasion/occupation? The majority of America's naiive soldiers who believe that they are fighting for a just cause!

The smarter and more elite fighters woke up and they are demanding their share of the booty. They recognize that others are making a killing off of the war, as they are expected to make the supreme sacrifice!

We got away from what it is all about.Since ww2 we have been involved in all sorts of undeclared wars and unpopular wars that the general population can see are useless.So it seems the logic is if we want to continue to fight these unpopular wars make it difficult to get into college and offer big money to join the Army.It is the cause we go to war that is the problem.I hope they reinstate the draft not because I want young people to serve but it would serve as a catalyst to action when there are rumblings of another illegal war.

There is much simpler and cheaper way for the government to keep mercenary companies, aka "security contractors", from cherry-picking spec-ops troops: First, either don't fund government contracts for their services, and/or require that contractors credit back the government for any recent hires. Second, to the extent the security contractors seek contracts from other governments, NGOs, or private firms, enforce the regulations governing the provision of "defense services" under the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (22 CFR 120 et seq)requiring prior approval from the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls before any U.S. person or foreign broker dealing in U.S. origin defense articles can provide or offer to provide defense services, and deny all such requests involving recent hires from the U.S. military.

Mr Arkin, sometimes your blogs seem as if they're tying to be sensational for the sake of controversy.

Offering bonuses of $8000 to $150000 (most likely pro-rated to about $25000 per year, or about $21000 per year after taxes) will not make enlisted commandos rich. I suspect you easily make more in two years than these senior enlisted troops will make for the duration of their retention bonuses.

Keep in mind they have 19 years in service, so they're pretty close to retirement eligibility where they could simply do nothing else and collect their pensions.

Bottom line, the military can't go into the civilian world and find a senior NCO (whether commando or in a "non-lethal" career field) or officer. There's no option to hire a Sgt Maj or LTC from industry (except perhaps medical professionals, like neurosurgeons). It takes around 15 years to develop a senior NCO, and over 10 years to develop a field grade officer. Once they leave, they're gone. How many people stay with a single company for 15 or 19 years? I'd venture to say not many, and the military faces a more critical problem since it can't just recruit an experienced 19 year Sgt Maj--even the "non-lethal" variety--from the Washington Post newsroom.

What undertaking would survive if there wasn't some retention of the most experienced leaders? I don't see anything unusual about this.

John McCain...

even John, always said that everyone should be making sacrifices during the time of war.

And we know that the conserva-nuts did not sacrifice anything, they gave themselves tax-cuts, built larger homes for themselves (even Cheney) while flying occasionally over to the Middle-east to tell the 'Browny soldiers', that they were doing a good job.

How long will this preposterous situation continue unabated? If you are going to insist that these people fight, empty out your treasuries and redistribute (Republicans hate that word) the wealth to the men and women who are fighting for #43's vision!

If anyone serving in the military had any sense...

they should be asking why the ones who insist on keeping them in harm's way, remain at home and, some are even getting rich off of the war (even the Vice President)!

How much money did Rush Limbaugh earn last year alone? Are any of these and others sharing any of their fortunes with the veterans or veteran's families who they he insist on keeping in harm's way?

Rush will probably be a billionaire by the time these folks finish their fifth, sixth and seventh tours!

make a bundle ?

A relative statement. Its a bundle if yr pushing papers on a 40 hour work week. The job description is very diff. You get to see yr family everyday, have dinner with them, get to watch yr kids grow up. These guys dont have that "cushy life". You say "many of these jobs" dont justify the higher compensation. In a market economy, what justifies your salary ?, coudnt some lower paid intern write the same short articles you do ? of course supply and demand dictates, so why do you begrudge others who do the same ? Perhaps you want to dictate salaries for all taxpayer jobs.
Whats your standard for being paid "too much" You should lay that out before accusing others of making more then they should. Yr making alot of judgements here, but you only need to look closely at what you have said to understand how patronizing and incorrect it is.

Why, they're just mercenaries I tells ya! Killbots programmed by the evil Chimpy McBushhitler!

LOL

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