<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for In a privatized war, mercenaries outnumber soldiers—and bring home cash for their bosses]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by sindark http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:41:13 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/1 Interesting, but this is the wrong venue

In what way is this "environmental news [or] commentary?"

]]> Interesting, but this is the wrong venue

In what way is this "environmental news [or] commentary?"

]]> Comment #2 by Delay And Deny http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:07:45 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/2 India Combo


You can go to India Combo in Kent, WA and have all you can eat Indian food that is fresh, delicious and nutritious for $6.95

http://www.indiacombo.com/

If this model were scaled to high schools, and profit eliminated, I'm sure the costs could be cut in half.  That means $3.50 per child...not much more than current spending.

No plastic.  No boxes.   Just hot tandoori chicken and saag paneer served fresh and hot.

John Bailo
Supratext:


]]> India Combo


You can go to India Combo in Kent, WA and have all you can eat Indian food that is fresh, delicious and nutritious for $6.95

http://www.indiacombo.com/

If this model were scaled to high schools, and profit eliminated, I'm sure the costs could be cut in half.  That means $3.50 per child...not much more than current spending.

No plastic.  No boxes.   Just hot tandoori chicken and saag paneer served fresh and hot.

John Bailo
Supratext:


]]> Comment #3 by wiscidea http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:11:36 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/3 Why?

Because Iraq is a pointless bottomless endless money pit.

In the mean time, corporations and individuals want tax breaks and loosening of regulations protecting the environment just to remain economically viable. One often hears business folks complain that we cannot afford to protect the environment.

Well... if we can afford the war in Iraq, especially if we can pay contractors 5x what the averaged volunteer soldier gets paid, we can certainly afford to protect the environment.

Those wanting tax breaks and loosening of regulations protecting the environment can either shut up or demand an end to the war in Iraq.

Forward!

]]> Why?

Because Iraq is a pointless bottomless endless money pit.

In the mean time, corporations and individuals want tax breaks and loosening of regulations protecting the environment just to remain economically viable. One often hears business folks complain that we cannot afford to protect the environment.

Well... if we can afford the war in Iraq, especially if we can pay contractors 5x what the averaged volunteer soldier gets paid, we can certainly afford to protect the environment.

Those wanting tax breaks and loosening of regulations protecting the environment can either shut up or demand an end to the war in Iraq.

Forward!

]]> Comment #4 by wiscidea http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:14:31 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/4 Regarding the "Surge"

From what I've read, the extra 20,000 Americans actually replace 20,000 other members of the coalition of the insane that are being withdrawn by their governments.

There is no surge... just Americanization of the war.

Forward!

]]> Regarding the "Surge"

From what I've read, the extra 20,000 Americans actually replace 20,000 other members of the coalition of the insane that are being withdrawn by their governments.

There is no surge... just Americanization of the war.

Forward!

]]> Comment #5 by wiscidea http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:23:11 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/5 Or...

The money could be invested in alternative energy... better for the environment and national security.

The money could be invested in organic agriculture... better for the environment and the health of our citizens.

The money could be invested in national parks...

in...

replacing aging INFRASTRUCTURE!

providing national health care!

improving education system!

The last three would improve the nation's economy, creat more and better jobs, and generate revenue that could be used for protecting our environment!

Unnecessary and mismanaged wars ARE an environmental issue.

Forward!

]]> Or...

The money could be invested in alternative energy... better for the environment and national security.

The money could be invested in organic agriculture... better for the environment and the health of our citizens.

The money could be invested in national parks...

in...

replacing aging INFRASTRUCTURE!

providing national health care!

improving education system!

The last three would improve the nation's economy, creat more and better jobs, and generate revenue that could be used for protecting our environment!

Unnecessary and mismanaged wars ARE an environmental issue.

Forward!

]]> Comment #6 by sindark http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:12:57 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/6 Wars and the environment

"Unnecessary and mismanaged wars ARE an environmental issue."

True, but mixing anti-war messages into a forum with an environmental story feeds the prejudice that environmentalism is exclusively a partisan left-wing undertaking.

If the environmental movement is to have any lasting success, the issue must become understood in non-partisan terms.

]]> Wars and the environment

"Unnecessary and mismanaged wars ARE an environmental issue."

True, but mixing anti-war messages into a forum with an environmental story feeds the prejudice that environmentalism is exclusively a partisan left-wing undertaking.

If the environmental movement is to have any lasting success, the issue must become understood in non-partisan terms.

]]> Comment #7 by wiscidea http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:53:12 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/7 Interesting

sindark wrote...

"...mixing anti-war messages into a forum with an environmental story feeds the prejudice that environmentalism is exclusively a partisan left-wing undertaking."

Your comment suggests that opposition to war is exclusively a partisan left-wing undertaking. Or that opposition to one war -- the quagmire in Iraq -- is equal to opposition to all war. Neither is true. I am very concerned about the loss of lives in Iraq. I'm very concerned about the waste of money. It is undermining our national security, creating more enemies, destabilizing the Middle East and other parts of the world. I know "conservatives" who agree with me, which is probably why GW's approval ratings are belwo 30%.

Brave men and women responded to 9/11 by volunteering to fight those responsible. But instead of finishing the job in Afghanistan, our wacky President -- who apparently has a serious case of attention deficit disorder -- dropped the ball there and sent our forces to Iraq. Opposing the war in Iraq does not mean I oppose all war or can even be labeld a left-wing partisan. War is not pro-life. War is not pro-America. War is not a Christian value. War is not a family value. War is bad for MOST business. Instability in any region is bad for the global economy. War is bad for trade, bad for export markets.

and...

"If the environmental movement is to have any lasting success, the issue must become understood in non-partisan terms."

True, but the environmental movement should not be afraid to identify situations where money and lives being squandered when resources are needed to build a strong economy that can afford to restore and protect our environment. War is an environmental issue.

It is very common for corporations and aother business to complain that we cannot afford to protect the environment. At the moment corporations can respond to environmentalists who call for more money to clean up the environment or regulations to reduce harm to the environment by saying... "HEY! We can't afford that. Don't you know we're at war?! We can't afford luxuries like clean air and biodiversity. Forgot about 9/11?" Environmentalist must eliminate that excuse so they can move on to the next challenge.

And I'm just refering to the immediat effect on the United States. War in the developing countries makes it very difficult to address evironmental issues (as well as a host of other problems). When the United States contributes to conflicts, directly or indirectly, it harms what is left of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. War is an enormous drain on resources, and not at all a productive use of those resources.

Forward!

]]> Interesting

sindark wrote...

"...mixing anti-war messages into a forum with an environmental story feeds the prejudice that environmentalism is exclusively a partisan left-wing undertaking."

Your comment suggests that opposition to war is exclusively a partisan left-wing undertaking. Or that opposition to one war -- the quagmire in Iraq -- is equal to opposition to all war. Neither is true. I am very concerned about the loss of lives in Iraq. I'm very concerned about the waste of money. It is undermining our national security, creating more enemies, destabilizing the Middle East and other parts of the world. I know "conservatives" who agree with me, which is probably why GW's approval ratings are belwo 30%.

Brave men and women responded to 9/11 by volunteering to fight those responsible. But instead of finishing the job in Afghanistan, our wacky President -- who apparently has a serious case of attention deficit disorder -- dropped the ball there and sent our forces to Iraq. Opposing the war in Iraq does not mean I oppose all war or can even be labeld a left-wing partisan. War is not pro-life. War is not pro-America. War is not a Christian value. War is not a family value. War is bad for MOST business. Instability in any region is bad for the global economy. War is bad for trade, bad for export markets.

and...

"If the environmental movement is to have any lasting success, the issue must become understood in non-partisan terms."

True, but the environmental movement should not be afraid to identify situations where money and lives being squandered when resources are needed to build a strong economy that can afford to restore and protect our environment. War is an environmental issue.

It is very common for corporations and aother business to complain that we cannot afford to protect the environment. At the moment corporations can respond to environmentalists who call for more money to clean up the environment or regulations to reduce harm to the environment by saying... "HEY! We can't afford that. Don't you know we're at war?! We can't afford luxuries like clean air and biodiversity. Forgot about 9/11?" Environmentalist must eliminate that excuse so they can move on to the next challenge.

And I'm just refering to the immediat effect on the United States. War in the developing countries makes it very difficult to address evironmental issues (as well as a host of other problems). When the United States contributes to conflicts, directly or indirectly, it harms what is left of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. War is an enormous drain on resources, and not at all a productive use of those resources.

Forward!

]]> Comment #8 by Biodiversivist http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/ Fri, 17 Aug 2007 05:15:29 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-real-surge-in-iraq-rent-a-soldier/8 Sure, it is a stretch

You can tie virtually anything in with the environment though. It is only a matter of degree. There are also lots of Republicans who have decided this war should end. Most of our wars have been fought by Democratic presidents.

It was a very informative article. I had no idea it was this bad. I know a guy who got hired by the government (simply because he had a bachelor's degree in biology) to ride around Iraq with a bunch of other people for a year looking for evidence of biological weapons (to justify the invasion). He got paid a thousand dollars a day, but was unable to come up with the goods.

But most importantly, this is an example of how incompetent the Bush side of government is. We should be getting ready for huge increases in the price of energy but instead we squander vast resources on a war that has no reason to exist. It is apalling that the American public is ignorant enough to elect an imbecile for a president, not once, but twice.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]> Sure, it is a stretch

You can tie virtually anything in with the environment though. It is only a matter of degree. There are also lots of Republicans who have decided this war should end. Most of our wars have been fought by Democratic presidents.

It was a very informative article. I had no idea it was this bad. I know a guy who got hired by the government (simply because he had a bachelor's degree in biology) to ride around Iraq with a bunch of other people for a year looking for evidence of biological weapons (to justify the invasion). He got paid a thousand dollars a day, but was unable to come up with the goods.

But most importantly, this is an example of how incompetent the Bush side of government is. We should be getting ready for huge increases in the price of energy but instead we squander vast resources on a war that has no reason to exist. It is apalling that the American public is ignorant enough to elect an imbecile for a president, not once, but twice.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]>