Originally posted by slackerwire
reply to post by BlasteR
Actually his agenda does matter. Scahill and his little book are full of factually incorrect lies and propaganda.
1) His agenda is to do just what? Why would he willingly choose to take on such a massive government-backed organisation? To make money for a book?
Please.. This guy didn't testify in front of the Senate in a landmark hearing on security contractors if he didn't know what he was talking
about.
2) Blackwater security contractors are directly responsible for killing innocent civilians yet no blackwater contractor has ever been held accountable
for ANYTHING. Blackwater governs its own personnel and doesn't have to answer to the UCMJ or any other form of international law when such things
occur, yet our military has to? Justify that considering there are more contractors in Iraq than there are soldiers and tell me it makes sense.
en.wikipedia.org...
One hundred twenty two of its armed personnel in Iraq have been dismissed from their positions by Blackwater since its contract to protect U.S.
diplomats began nearly three years ago. These firings were most frequently for incidents related to weapons use.[45] On October 3rd, 2007, the New
York Times reported that the government was charged $1,222 for each day of work by a Blackwater security guard in Iraq.[46]
Quite the slap on the wrist. Hitting someone in the pocketbook for killing an innocent civilian, whereas our military members are held accountable,
dishonorably discharged, and will have a tough time ever finding good work AGAIN unless they have some previous education they can use to their
advantage (which enlisted personnel usually do not have).
3) $1222 for each day of the war per person, and Blackwater (according to the 2006 contract for diplomatic security) can have up to 1,020 staff in
Iraq. $1222*1020=$1,246,440 per day. For just over a thousand men.
www.cato.org...
An active-duty sergeant (or E-6 in military terminology) has an annual base pay of $33,976 plus allowances for housing and subsistence, for a
total of $44,863. Adding special duty pay, a re-enlistment bonus aggregated over four years, and other allowances, minus federal taxes, the total net
cash compensation comes to $63,340 a year.
That may not seem like much when compared with a similarly qualified military contractor, whose average base pay is $165,000. But the PMC receives no
other benefits.
Because he is rotated in and out of Iraq every 90 days, he cannot claim the income tax exemptions that he could if he was stationed abroad for a full
tax year. In his high tax bracket, he must pay $69,300 in federal taxes -- more than 50 times what the sergeant must pay.
But that still leaves the contractor with a net cash compensation of $95,700, or about 38 percent more than the sergeant.
Alot of these are probably ex-special forces and have very specialized military experience. That may seem like a justification for the extra pay, but
they are not risking their lives any more than an active duty private on the streets of Fallujah.
It's no wonder our active duty soldiers are pissed off.
-ChriS
[edit on 15-6-2008 by BlasteR]
