Bush Reintroduces Slavery?

quite a stretch john. did ya hear they captured saddam>

Webb,
Just a little FYI.

U.S. Per Capita GDP: $37,600
Yearly Pay for U.S. soldiers: $14,316
Percentage U.S. soldiers earn compared to U.S. PCGDP: 38%

Iraqi Per Capita GDP: $2400
Yearly pay for Iraqi soldiers: $720
Percentage Iraqi soldiers earn compared to Iraqi PCGDP: 30%

Sure sounds like slavery to me

For years, soldiers have made only a small fraction of what civilians have made. Thats the way things work when you choose to serve your country. Thats what it means to 'serve' your country.

Fed - and that makes it right? It's crazy.

It just means that the Iraqi soldiers are being treated no better or worse than any other countries soldiers.

Do workers in India or Poland make as much money per hour as their counterparts in the United States?

No, because the economy dictates that they get paid based on what is considered a 'fair' price for their services in their own country.

My only point is that the money they are paid could be considered a decent sum based on the current economy of Iraq.

John, I think it's a stretch too. If it were slavery, those soldiers wouldn't be given the chance to leave, but clearly nobody is trying to stop them. Incidentally, what was the latest reward put out by the US for info leading to capturing Osama? They put a hefty one out on Saddam too, but none of the oppressed have stepped up on either, have they?

Fedral makes a good point about the perceived fairness of wages. Simply put 90% of the world's wages would sound unfair to an American.

The notion that this is slavery is also absurd.

But there is something I consider unfair.

These soldiers are being trained to replace the US soldiers in a fight the US picked. This is being rushed in hopes of reducing US casualties and subsequent war weariness. In a way it can be characterized as them being paid $60 a month to get in harm's way and possibly die in place of an American soldier.

In that context "fair" might take into account the discrepancy between the US GI and the Iraqi soldier's pay.

But then again, this would undermine the future of their military as the wages would eventually have to be realistic within the scope of Iraqi wages....

Surely it is extremely close to slavery when the only jobs available are very badly paid and the risk to personal safety massive?

41 Iraqi police and civilians killed or injured in a suicide bombing of a police station today. Doubtless with many more to follow, including allied and American forces.

not worth a response

A truly amazing man is Saddam. According to the Bush Administration, not only has he been able to organize all those daily attacks against American and allied forces from his hole in the ground, but he even manages to do it whilst under arrest.

Two more large explosions reported in Baghdad today SO FAR!

Or could the answer simply be that other unhappy Iraqis object to the continued occupation of their country by foreign invaders - even those as kindly and benevolent as the President and his friends?

A number of these attacks are not being carried out by Iraqi soldiers and militia. They are being carried out by Syrian,Lebanese,Iranian,Afghani,Palastinian and assorted other fanatics that have been crossing the border into Iraq to get a crack at the Americans. The can't get at the U.S. in America, but they can get at them in Iraq.

It's only a matter of time before the Iraqi people themselves get tired of watching these outsiders kill their own people and start turning them in.

So it's all evil foreigners killing themselves in suicide attacks and the thousands of Iraqis, who have had their homes destroyed and their families decimated by Bush's bombs are filled with adoration?

Plenty of allegations about these intruders, just like W.M.D.s, no proof!

Why do Fedral's comments sound like a party line with the stench of disinformation?

John Webb, Before you slam the pay of Iraqi military as "slave labor," you should do a 'investigative' study on 1) what other military get paid compared to their civilian counterpart, 2) the relative pay of those countries compared to the US and other developed countries, and 3) why do people volunteer into the military?

Excuse me John but did I say that all these attacks or even the majority were being carried out by foreigners?
No I said a number, which is to say some of them. Please do not try to spin my words to suit your own twisted political ends.

[quote="cicerone imposter"]John Webb, Before you slam the pay of Iraqi military as "slave labor," you should do a 'investigative' study on 1) what other military get paid compared to their civilian counterpart, 2) the relative pay of those countries compared to the US and other developed countries, and 3) why do people volunteer into the military?[/quote]

C.I., I have accepted your wise observations regarding pay in various armed forces. But, with the only jobs currently available in Iraq, being American-appointments, carrying the stigma of collaboration and resulting very high risks of death or injury, leaves few or no other choices open to those with families to feed and support.

John Webb, But that is a whole other issue; we have people in "this" country unable to feed their families. We have over nine million without jobs in "this" country. More middle class families are turning to food banks to feed their families. There are inequities in every part of this world, but if I had my druthers and I was one who didn't have the wherewithal to feed my family, I still prefer to be in this country - the place of my birth, because I know that opportunities here are better than most places. We are still the strongest economy in the world, and things are improving - albeit very slowly.

C.I., there is much wrong with America .... but all is curable with a far better administration than the present disaster.

That explains a lot. Only monkeys work for peanuts.

So to you, the brave men and women of each nations armed services be they American, English, Iraqi, French, German or Australian are just monkeys to you because they chose to serve their country and risk their lives to protect an ungrateful slug like yourself?

Calling someone who serves their country a monkey because they chose to earn less in the military world for the honor of serving their country and protecting those who can't protect themselves......

You make me violently SICK

Good