AuthorsDen.com
Join | Login
Where Authors and Readers come together!
Featured Authors :
William Martell , i David Arthur Walters , i Betty Jo Tucker , i Lisa DAnnolfo Levey , i Roger Vizi , i Robert Liu , i Tracey Morait , i Lloydene Hill , i FERIAL Haque , i RickthePoetWarrior , i
Blogs by Larry Rochelle
Iraq War Makes Money for Privateers 2/3/2007 3:08:40 PM
While our soldiers risk their lives in Iraq for $28,000 a year, and while many of them lose their homes and families through divorces, private contractors make upwards to $150,000 per year for doing the same jobs. Bush is trying to privatize our military, to the detriment of our regular army.
"As the U.S. military wages the war on terrorism, it is increasingly relying on for-profit companies like Blackwater to do work normally performed by soldiers. Defense contractors now do more than simply build airplanes-they maintain those planes on the battlefield and even fly them in some of the world's most troubled conflict zones. Private military companies supply bodyguards for the president of Afghanistan, construct detention camps to hold suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, and pilot armed reconnaissance planes and helicopter gunships to eradicate coca crops in Colombia. They operate the intelligence and communications systems at the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado, which is responsible for coordinating a response to any attack on the United States. And licensed by the State Department, they are contracting with foreign governments, training soldiers and reorganizing militaries in Nigeria, Bulgaria, Taiwan, and Equatorial Guinea.
In recent months, private military companies have also played a key role in preparing for a war with Iraq. They supply essential support to military bases throughout the Persian Gulf, from operating mess halls to furnishing security. They provide armed guards at a U.S. Army base in Qatar, and they use live ammunition to train soldiers at Camp Doha in Kuwait, where a contractor, whose company ran a computer system that tracks soldiers in the field, was killed by terrorists last January. They also maintain an array of weapons systems vital to an invasion of Iraq, including the B-2 bomber, F-117 stealth fighter, Apache helicopter, KC-10 refueling tanker, U-2 reconnaissance plane, and the unmanned Global Hawk reconnaissance unit. In an all-out war against Saddam Hussein, the military was expected to use as many as 20,000 private contractors in the Persian Gulf That would be 1 civilian for every 10 soldiers—a 10-fold increase over the first Gulf War.
Indeed, the Bush administration's push to privatize war is swiftly turning the military-industrial complex of old into something even more far-reaching: a complex of military industries that do everything but fire weapons. For-profit military companies now enjoy an estimated $100 billion in business worldwide each year, with much of the money going to Fortune 500 firms like Halliburton, DynCorp, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. Secretary of the Army Thomas White, a former vice chairman of Enron, "has really put a mark on the wall for getting government employees out of certain functions in the military," says retired Colonel Tom Sweeney, professor of strategic logistics at the U.S. Army War College. "It allows you to focus your manpower on the battlefield kinds of missions." http://www.barryyeoman.com/articles/soldiersfortune.html
Post a Comment More Blogs by Larry Rochelle CHILLY DOGS - Thursday, December 11, 2014 Rochelle Reads at McIntyre's Books Nov. 13th - Thursday, October 13, 2011 Bonaventure Summary - Saturday, September 24, 2011 BONAVENTURE - Thursday, September 15, 2011 Murder on 15/501 Gets Good Review - Sunday, July 12, 2009 Grand-daughter on phone at 2:30 a.m. - Tuesday, July 7, 2009 Walking on Fisherman's Wharf - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Spinach or Okra? - Saturday, June 13, 2009 I'm thinking tornados. - Thursday, June 11, 2009 Curious About Crop Circles? - Tuesday, June 9, 2009 How many new crop circles this week? - Tuesday, June 9, 2009 I'm thinking.... - Monday, June 8, 2009 Are trees just big weeds? - Monday, June 8, 2009 Tar Heel Writer - Thursday, June 4, 2009 MURDER ON 15/501 To Be Published This Sunday - Friday, May 29, 2009 CRAZY LIL' MEDIA Reading April 24 2 pm - Saturday, April 18, 2009 BURNT COFFEE Wins 2009 EPPIE for Poetry - Saturday, March 7, 2009 CRAZY LIL' MEDIA on sale at LULU. - Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Too Bad about Van Johnson. - Saturday, December 13, 2008 Bettie Page Has Died at 85 - Thursday, December 11, 2008 One Place - Saturday, April 14, 2007 Moving Day Looms - Thursday, April 12, 2007 Everything's Too Highly Organized - Wednesday, April 11, 2007 Pegboard Helps Fiction Writing - Tuesday, April 10, 2007 TEN MILE CREEK - Sunday, April 8, 2007 Crazy Weather - Saturday, April 7, 2007 Big Item Pick-Up Day - Friday, April 6, 2007 The Masters Ritual - Thursday, April 5, 2007 My God! Ingrid Bergman! - Wednesday, April 4, 2007 Does Professional Golf Have a Uniform? - Tuesday, April 3, 2007 Spitting Statistics in Baseball - Monday, April 2, 2007 Speaking Your Mind Is So Old-Fashioned - Monday, April 2, 2007 Day 1: Each Day I'll Explain the Signs of Aging - Saturday, March 31, 2007 I'm Shopping for a new Religion That Doesn't Have Cannibalism as Its Base - Saturday, March 31, 2007 What I Learned About Craig's List - Friday, March 30, 2007 Garage Sale Lessons - Friday, March 30, 2007 Golf Is..... - Wednesday, March 28, 2007 The Logic of Religious Self-Hypnosis - Monday, March 26, 2007 NCAA Bookmakers Set Odds for NCAA Tournament - Sunday, March 25, 2007 NCAA Point Shaving in 1994 - Sunday, March 25, 2007 What Is Point Shaving? - Sunday, March 25, 2007 Gambling in sports. Let's Ask the Impossible? - Sunday, March 25, 2007 Hoxie's Kids - Sunday, March 25, 2007 How Not to Investigate Bush - Thursday, March 22, 2007 Why Does White House Fear the Bible? - Thursday, March 22, 2007 Read the Real Thing: James Dickey - Wednesday, March 21, 2007 How Do Neocons Differ from the Mafia? They Don't. - Tuesday, March 20, 2007 Groups Who Would Not Be Democrats - Tuesday, March 20, 2007 Top Five Beautiful Drives - Sunday, March 18, 2007 Duke Flops! - Sunday, March 18, 2007 Bad Habits of Neighbors (Not Mine!) - Monday, March 12, 2007 Top Five War Novels - Sunday, March 11, 2007 Was Christ a Demi-God? - Sunday, March 11, 2007 Top Five Psychological Novels - Saturday, March 10, 2007 Most Popular USA Poet? - Friday, March 9, 2007 Don't Forget Conrad Richter - Thursday, March 8, 2007 Five Biggest Bush Lies - Thursday, March 8, 2007 Vermont Impeaches BUSH/CHENEY - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 If the USA Is a Union, Pay Your Dues - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 Mantra: Cut Taxes - Monday, March 5, 2007 Why We Need Unions - Monday, March 5, 2007 Dirtiest Move in College Basketball--Ever - Sunday, March 4, 2007 TOP FIVE MEN'S GROUPS - Sunday, March 4, 2007 TOP FIVE GIRL GROUPS - Saturday, March 3, 2007 Top Five Female Favorite Singers - Saturday, March 3, 2007 Election Foolery - Saturday, March 3, 2007 Top Five Male Pop Singers? - Friday, March 2, 2007 Five Steps to a Dictatorship - Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Interesting Journal - Tuesday, February 27, 2007 When Did Our Nation Lose Its Soul? - Sunday, February 25, 2007 The 2008 Fiasco - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Kissinger and Cheney: Bloody Brothers - Saturday, February 24, 2007 Off With His Head - Thursday, February 22, 2007 Mean Nun Blues - Wednesday, February 21, 2007 BEAD BEADS BEADS BEADS - Wednesday, February 21, 2007 Wild Beads in the Night - Tuesday, February 20, 2007 Shave Your Head - Monday, February 19, 2007 TOP MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS - Monday, February 19, 2007 Getting a Tag Line? - Sunday, February 18, 2007 Very Loud Lawrence Welk Music Helps Gays Go Straight - Saturday, February 17, 2007 Cages: Foster Parents Get Two Years. GITMO? How Many Years for Cages and Torture? - Friday, February 16, 2007 Reality Quiz - Friday, February 16, 2007 Racism Alive in USA - Thursday, February 15, 2007 Extreme Catholics Spread Hate - Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Charlie Spivak and His Orchestra - Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Twenty Years - Tuesday, February 13, 2007 BUSH HURTS TROOPS’ HEALTH CARE - Tuesday, February 13, 2007 Bush Supports Troops by Cutting Their Medical Care - Tuesday, February 13, 2007 What's Up with PE Teachers? - Monday, February 12, 2007 Top Five Valentine Hits - Monday, February 12, 2007 Top Five Movie Picks Ever (For Now) - Sunday, February 11, 2007 Army Gets Accused Criminals - Saturday, February 10, 2007 Lest We Weep - Saturday, February 10, 2007 MARJOE REVEALS RELIGIOUS MUMBO-JUMBO - Saturday, February 10, 2007 The Religious Protection Racket - Saturday, February 10, 2007 Why God Can Not Answer Our Prayers - Friday, February 9, 2007 How Democrats Can Win in 2008 - Thursday, February 8, 2007 How Republicans Can Win in 2008 - Wednesday, February 7, 2007 HOW BRAINWASHERS FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR MONEY - Tuesday, February 6, 2007 How Does Local Brainwashing Work? - Monday, February 5, 2007 Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change - Sunday, February 4, 2007 THE JESUS INDUSTRY: Why All the Middle-Men for Jesus? - Sunday, February 4, 2007 Iraq War Makes Money for Privateers - Saturday, February 3, 2007 Veterans Against the War - Saturday, February 3, 2007 No Confidence Vote: Anyone With Integrity Would Step Down - Friday, February 2, 2007 Would You Want to Have a Beer With Him? - Thursday, February 1, 2007 NIXON AND JFK ASSASSINATION - Wednesday, January 31, 2007 Republicans Use Character Assassination - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 List of Political Murders in USA: Why Do We Yawn? - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 QUIZ: Are You a Republican? - Monday, January 29, 2007 Was H.W. Bush Involved in JFK Murder? - Sunday, January 28, 2007 Oh, Those Cute Catholics - Sunday, January 28, 2007 Are You a Skinhead? Take This Quiz. - Saturday, January 27, 2007 Will Karl Rove Repent Like Atwater? - Friday, January 26, 2007 Does Bush Use Cult Leader's News Editors? - Thursday, January 25, 2007 Bush Worse Than Nixon - Thursday, January 25, 2007 Say NO To Private School Vouchers - Thursday, January 25, 2007 Nixon's Dirty Tricks Return - Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Good Friends and the End of Life - Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Snacks, Snacking and Re-Snacking - Monday, January 22, 2007 Wheat Chex--Yum - Sunday, January 21, 2007 Cary Grant: THE BEST! - Saturday, January 20, 2007 The Starlight Drifters - Friday, January 19, 2007 Our Role: Shut Up and Go To Sleep - Tuesday, January 16, 2007 GOP No More? - Monday, January 15, 2007 WHY NOT NEGOTIATE FOR LOWER DRUG PRICES? - Friday, January 12, 2007 Brave Neocon Leader - Friday, January 12, 2007 The Draft, Ration Cards and Sacrifice - Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Endless Silly Campaigning - Tuesday, January 9, 2007 Congress Should Question Bush as They Do To Blair - Monday, January 8, 2007 Catholics Must Embrace Priestly Marriage - Saturday, January 6, 2007 Louisiana Mayor Assassinated? - Friday, January 5, 2007 Right-Wing Radio Host Urges Assassinations - Thursday, January 4, 2007 Assassination Accomplished - Wednesday, January 3, 2007 ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE and/or TORTURE - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 Hussein Hanged: Is Kissinger Next? - Monday, January 1, 2007 Know-Nothings Rule - Sunday, December 31, 2006 Gerald Ford Ignored Jack Ruby's JFK Leads - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Gerald Ford Urged JFK Cover-up - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Blessed Virgin Mary Was Underaged - Sunday, December 24, 2006 Cages and Children - Friday, December 22, 2006 CAUTION: HINT OF JUICE ONLY - Friday, December 8, 2006 WHY DO THE NEOCONS DISHONOR OUR TROOPS? - Tuesday, December 5, 2006 Only 12 Hours on Abuse - Thursday, November 30, 2006 NEW FAD: Buy a Membership To Smoke In Restaurants? - Monday, November 20, 2006 SPOOKY--Rochelle's Predictions Come True - Thursday, November 9, 2006 SHOCK AND AWE - Sunday, October 29, 2006 Read My Lips - Saturday, October 28, 2006 KING GEORGE - Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Home Schooling - Tuesday, September 19, 2006 2773 - Tuesday, August 15, 2006 Shocking! - Friday, July 14, 2006 MEPHISTO DIARY REVIEW - Monday, April 10, 2006 Nanci Griffith and HOME SCHOOLED - Sunday, April 9, 2006 MOODY BLUE Published - Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Conscience Will Ask Us - Wednesday, March 29, 2006 WHAT IF ELVIS VISITED KANSAS? - Sunday, March 26, 2006 GHOSTLY EMBERS Gets Good Review - Sunday, February 19, 2006 Woody Allen's MATCH POINT - Sunday, February 12, 2006 GEESE AND AVIAN FLU - Wednesday, January 25, 2006 Impeachment Part 5 - Saturday, December 17, 2005 Impeachment Part 4 - Saturday, December 17, 2005 Impeachment Part 3 - Saturday, December 17, 2005 Impeachment Part 2 - Saturday, December 17, 2005 Impeachment Definition - Saturday, December 17, 2005 The Privacy of Christmas - Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Thugs Attack a Professor - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 Texas Drugs and Children - Saturday, December 3, 2005 The Rapture - Saturday, November 26, 2005 MEDICARE FRAUD - Friday, November 25, 2005 Wal-Mart Shoppers - Thursday, November 24, 2005 GRAN FALLOON OR SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION? - Thursday, November 17, 2005 Okay, So This Is Better...? - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 Patricia Kaas, er Kass - Saturday, November 12, 2005 Adjust our science curriculum in Kansas - Wednesday, November 9, 2005 Kansas City's Other Writer - Saturday, October 29, 2005 The Carpenters, esp. Karen - Monday, October 24, 2005 The Writer's Fantasy - Saturday, October 22, 2005 Larry Rochelle: Biography of a Kansas Author - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 BLUE ICE Coming this Winter - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 GULF GHOST Details - Friday, October 7, 2005 GULF GHOST AVAILABLE AGAIN - Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Memories of Toledo - Wednesday, September 14, 2005 GULF GHOST PREDICTS DISASTER - Friday, September 9, 2005 Faux KC STAR Interview - Sunday, September 4, 2005 Bad Timing - Saturday, September 3, 2005 TOLEDO BLADE Features Rochelle - Wednesday, May 25, 2005 Tourists - Sunday, May 15, 2005 Lurid Lawyers - Monday, May 9, 2005 Toledo Is Calling - Sunday, May 8, 2005 MSG and Migraines - Monday, May 2, 2005 Enron and Bush - Monday, May 2, 2005 Horror at Oklahoma City - Sunday, May 1, 2005 Religion Makes Billions - Wednesday, April 27, 2005 Cheating in America - Tuesday, April 26, 2005 Love the Blues - Monday, April 25, 2005 Spitting in Public - Sunday, April 24, 2005 Tornado Alert - Thursday, April 21, 2005