"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
m...

On 5/17/13 8:34 AM, Eisboch wrote:


"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
m...

On 5/17/13 8:04 AM, Eisboch wrote:


"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
m...

On 5/16/13 11:20 PM, wrote:

The thing most people don't know or chose to ignore is that our
withdrawal from Iraq was only the DoD people. We left
20,000-30,000
"contractors" there to do what the military was doing. It is good
for
the government because dead contractors don't come home to Dover
in
flag draped coffins.
It is not any cheaper tho.

I suppose the real question is whether we have any reason to be
there
in the first place.



Many of the "contractors" are in Iraq because of greed, and nothing
more. If they come home dead, it is because they were willing to
take
the risk for the money. I doubt most uniformed military personnel
joined
up because of the money.

----------------------------------------------------------

I continue to find it incredulous that so many people or businesses
engaged in providing a service or product for profit is doing so
due to
"greed" according to you. The goal of any person or business
should be
to earn more money than they spend. In personal finances, the
extra can
be applied to improvements in life style, education of family
members
and a nest egg for retirement. In business it affords growth,
expansion, higher employment and job security. Some do it better
than
others, but without profits, we all may as well let the government
define what standard of living is allowed, what education we
receive,
what health care is enough and what is a socially acceptable
retirement
income. Maybe that's your idea of utopia, but it's certainly not
mine.



The topic started out with an example of how a private contractor
was
trying to screw the federal government out of billions of dollars.
"Greed" would be a mild descriptor.

It then devolved to the "contractors" who went to Iraq to make more
money than they could guarding buildings than they could at home,
and
how some of those non-military personnel are getting killed.

My comment was that these non-military contractors were there for
the
big bucks, and that getting killed was part of their equation.
That's a
lot different than the motivation for a typical soldier, who isn't
enlisting for "the big bucks."

-------------------------------------------------------------

My point is that how a person or private contractor earns money is
their
business as long as it's lawful. Obviously a contract with the
government was involved. If you feel the contractors are "greedy"
maybe
the fault lies with whatever government agency signed the contract.

Personally, if I were to consider going to Iraq as a private
contractor
for hire and risk my life, I'd only do it for BIG bucks. But I
wouldn't do it. You couldn't pay me enough.





I think the government ought to terminate the contract with KBR on 90
days notice, and let the contractors sue. Screw 'em.

As for the private guards who go to Iraq for the big bucks, as I
stated,
they are going there for the money and if they get killed, it isn't as
if they were military volunteers who went there. I don't feel a sense
of
loss or sorrow for the moneygrubbing paramilitary types if they come
home in a box.

-----------------------------------

Interesting. Many of the paramilitary types are former military types
who can't find employment back at home.
I'd have a sense of sorrow for anyone who got killed trying to do
their job.

As for KBR contracts, most major government contracts have
termination clauses in them. I used to deal with them in both direct
government contracts and in contracts with major defense contractors
like Raytheon, Lockheed and others. The termination clauses are
typically not negotiable as they are structured for the convenience of
the government. Heck, even a simple thing like my military
obligation was extended for two months beyond my "contract" for "the
convenience of the government". I wasn't too happy about that but
there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. So, it works both
ways.