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Man, that's a mighty fine paycheck! 168k a year and much of it tax free, yeah, I'm envious. You could buy a nice house for cash with one year's income. How many Americans could do that with their entire life's savings?
Anyone that chose to spend 20+ years in service to their country, which allowed them to acquire a very specific skill set.
But that would require endless days and nights away from family, enduring everything the weather can throw at you, being 37-40 with the body of a 65-70 year old. Not to mention the very real possibility of losing your life while you are acquiring those skills.
I made a commitment to my country, I agreed to willingly go wherever I was sent, without regard to my own personal safety or comfort, and do whatever was required to successfully complete the mission.
They agreed to provide me with healthcare, a pension, and certain other things.
ANYONE could have made the same choice. But not EVERYONE is willing to do what it takes. They are only willing to ***** and moan and complain about the things that a lot of us EARNED.
Anyone that chose to spend 20+ years in service to their country, which
allowed them to acquire a very specific skill set.
But that would require endless days and nights away from family, enduring
everything the weather can throw at you, being 37-40 with the body of a 65-70
year old. Not to mention the very real possibility of losing your life while you
are acquiring those skills.
I made a commitment to my country, I agreed to willingly go wherever I was
sent, without regard to my own personal safety or comfort, and do whatever was
required to successfully complete the mission.
They agreed to provide me with healthcare, a pension, and certain other
things.
ANYONE could have made the same choice. But not EVERYONE is willing to do
what it takes. They are only willing to ***** and moan and complain about the
things that a lot of us EARNED.
I assuming (perhaps incorrectly) you served in that fiasco in Iraq. The same fiasco that cost this country over a $1 trillion. Boy, do I wish this country could have that money back. Perhaps, there would have been less whining and moaning over TARP and the President's Stimulus.
I'm hoping your not one of the people who took your 168K and now complains about all the "people on welfare" that "have caused our country's deficit". If you are well....let's just say there are great divisions between the way many of the people in this country think today. You see what you did as a "national service". I see the resources that were wasted in Iraq as a national tragedy.
I'll never respect that war or believe there was a need for it.
Last edited by markg91359; 06-07-2013 at 08:30 AM..
I assuming (perhaps incorrectly) you served in that fiasco in Iraq. The same fiasco that cost this country over a $1 trillion. Boy, do I wish this country could have that money back. Perhaps, there would have been less whining and moaning over TARP and the President's Stimulus.
I'm hoping your not one of the people who took your 168K and now complains about all the "people on welfare" that "have caused our country's deficit". If you are well....let's just say there are great divisions between the way many of the people in this country think today.
I'll never respect that war or believe there was a need for it.
It was never my place to question whether or not it was the right, just, whatever, thing to do. It was my job to do my job.
However, Iraq was a huge waste of our resources, in materials, money and most importantly, our people.
And I am on record in other posts saying that I believe we have a responsibility as a society to help those that cannot help themselves. I also believe that everyone will probably need a helping hand of some type at some point in their lives. But people have to help themselves as much as they can.
I don't identify myself by any particular party, as I think they are all the same, I think each side has their good and bad ideas and people.
What I can't stand are ideologists that, regardless of party, refuse to acknowledge the good ideas from the other side, just because they are from the other side.
We can continue to trash each other over status, money, race, religion, whatever, or we can actually grow up and figure out ways to fix the mess we are in as a country.
I'll never respect that war or believe there was a need for it.
You certainly don't have to. But the mistake people make, just as with the Vietnam era, is taking it out on the service members. We were ordered into the frays whether we agreed with them or not. It wasn't as if most of us had a choice. Most were drafted. It's different now but the bottom line is that when people choose to serve in the military they agree to go where needed and do what they're trained/directed to do.
Man, that's a mighty fine paycheck! 168k a year and much of it tax free, yeah, I'm envious. You could buy a nice house for cash with one year's income. How many Americans could do that with their entire life's savings?
Those who have the skills and wisdom to develop in demand skill sets and continue to develop them. Also if he was a 1099 he was responsible for the full payroll tax and had no fringe benefits etc etc. you mention buying a nice house for 168k. You might want to ask him where in the country he was employed and what housing cost there were. That is the relevant reality not yours. Another question for you is why you think his working salary is tax free? Just inquiring because I didn't pick that up and want to.
We live in The United States of Ridiculous-ness. And we've been listening to the government's lies for so long that we believe it is the truth.
At the risk of stating the obvious, if you don't like it or feel you can live with/in it, presumably you do have others choices, you know. Either that or fix it.
It was never my place to question whether or not it was the right, just, whatever, thing to do. It was my job to do my job.
However, Iraq was a huge waste of our resources, in materials, money and most importantly, our people.
And I am on record in other posts saying that I believe we have a responsibility as a society to help those that cannot help themselves. I also believe that everyone will probably need a helping hand of some type at some point in their lives. But people have to help themselves as much as they can.
I don't identify myself by any particular party, as I think they are all the same, I think each side has their good and bad ideas and people.
What I can't stand are ideologists that, regardless of party, refuse to acknowledge the good ideas from the other side, just because they are from the other side.
We can continue to trash each other over status, money, race, religion, whatever, or we can actually grow up and figure out ways to fix the mess we are in as a country.
You certainly don't have to. But the mistake people make, just as with the
Vietnam era, is taking it out on the service members. We were ordered into the
frays whether we agreed with them or not. It wasn't as if most of us had a
choice. Most were drafted. It's different now but the bottom line is that when
people choose to serve in the military they agree to go where needed and do what
they're trained/directed to do.
I don't hold individual veterans responsible. At least not the ones who don't go around telling us "how important the war was" and how great (not) the President who created that mess Iraq was.
I do have some issues with concepts like veterans preference when it comes to civil service employment. I don't see the relationship between military service and being a superior government employee. If we want to reward veterans for their service, I'd prefer it be done by giving them some other benefit.
Again..another poster disparaging an entire class of men and women, the military, by saying that contractors do all the work and those in uniform do nothing. Or at least that is what this implies.
When does this BS stop? When will people stop slandering entire groups because of a few? The last time I was in combat, there were no contractors around me, only my fellow soldiers. Do contractors and civilians serve a vital role in the military community, absolutely.
But except for those few providing security, i.e. Blackwater, etc. They are not the ones out there putting their lives on the line. So stop with the inuendo that military folks do nothing but walk around with cups of coffee all day. Oh, and since I was one after I retired from the military, as a contractor I made 5 times the money that the soldiers around me did.
And since I was making 14k a month as a contractor, I could afford to put aside just a little bit of that money for the future.
Never ceases to amaze me, Envy should be the first of the deadly sins.
Do you have security clearance? If so congrats for living your life so you could. That is worth bucks just there, others should but many don't.
A lot of the fighting on this forum is for a very obvious reason. The government has gotten too big, too much a part of our lives, and many are completely dependent on it so that their lifestyle can be maintained. This immediate sets up winners and losers. The winners who get the money and want to keep it flowing, and the losers who have to work to pay the bills. So naturally fights break out because those getting benefits want to keep it or get more. Those working to support the system are angry because they feel that many in the system are getting to live off their hard work. You all can keep fighting. I figure I'm just going to keep working, saving and investing, cause I don't expect anyone to work to support me if I'm still able bodied.
The fighting on this forum is just a sample of the carnage and riots and mayhem that some think will happen if the government ever collapses. Of course, some people think its not a matter of if, but when. WHY? Because the government keeps increasing the numbers of those who are not working and being supported by the taxpayers, who have become fewer and fewer in number.
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