And this is virtuous how?

[AZCowboy]

Oh, you are so right, Dogface.

I now see the error of my thinking.

The fact that Saddam pays double for capturing soldiers is downright disgusting!

The fact that he doesn’t pay his soldiers a flat rate is outrageous!

The fact that Americans simply get decorated and hero-status for killing more enemies makes our system SO much better.

If you are going to be indignant about Saddam’s behavior, at least pick and appropriate issue. It ain’t that tough.

[kniz]

*Originally posted by carnivorousplant *
**The US citizens in the Flying Tigers received a bonus for aircraft shot down. **

*from Flying Tigers *
Were they mercenaries? Sure. To join the American Volunteer Group, the pilots resigned their commissions (or took a discharge, in the case of one enlisted pilot) to serve in a foreign air force for very high pay: $600 a month at a time when that sum bought a factory-new Ford V-8, plus the promise of $500 for every Japanese plane they shot down. This was a very different situation from, say, Americans who joined the Canadian air force–often as enlisted men, and always at a financial sacrifice–to fly for Britain.

…and the USA offera a reward for terrorists or info on them.

They basically offered it to the local people not to our soldiers or to U.S. citizens.

IMHO it shows that they are so desperate that it is comical. It shows that they know that there is no one that is loyal and therefore the only hope is to pay a bounty.

[blowero]

*Originally posted by Dogface *
**Ah, I see. So as far as you are concerned, all members of the US military are exactly equivalent to the murderers who flew into the WTC on 9/11.

Now that I realize whose side you’re really on, I’ll treat everything you say accordingly. **

Hee, hee. In the “for us or agin’ us” category, I nominate this for Strawman of the Year.

[AZCowboy]

kniz wrote:
It shows that they know that there is no one that is loyal and therefore the only hope is to pay a bounty.

Every nation pays its army, and that pay is a benefit which supports loyalty and morale.

You seem to be only concerned regarding the distinction of how that pay is calculated.

The desired behavior of the soldier is identical.

[carnivorousplant]

*Originally posted by Dogface *
** So as far as you are concerned, all members of the US military are exactly equivalent to the murderers who flew into the WTC on 9/11. **

You are mistaken.

[SuaSponte]

*Originally posted by istara *
[slight hijack]
I also still don’t see why so many people (mainly Americans as I perceive it) are demonising France, when several other major world powers are equally vocal against war.

Because the other primary world powers opposed aren’t democracies with centuries-old traditions of respect for the sanctity of human life and opposition to tyranny.

IOW, Russia and China are acting in conformance with their values. The French are ignoring their own values.

Sua

[carnivorousplant]

Perhaps they wish to see proof that Iraq has illegal weapons or believe that the UN should enforce UN resolutions.

On the other hand, maybe they’re hacked off over our pulling their chestnuts out of the fires of WWI and II.

[Danimal]

At first I was inclined to agree with AZCowboy that there was nothing wrong with this, but on second thought I think Hussein’s system is an open invitation to atrocities. This is a lot like the 19th-century practice of paying bounties for the scalps of enemy Indians. Not wrong in and of itself, except that it encouraged people to scalp Indian women and children, or friendly tribes, and pass them off as enemy scalps. Every army has a minority of scum, and the scum of the Iraqi army would likely murder some Shi’ites or other unpopular civilians and pass them off as Americans or Brits.

Still, this is a minor offense in comparison to Hussein gassing the Kurds, hanging dissidents, and paying Palestinian families to send their kids to blow themselves up on buses.