Watching the pre-game for the Oiler's game.. God Bless the troops. I know I'm emotional, but it gave me goose bumps just watching it on tv.
Oh Canada
- Thread starter or_what
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I don't care much for the troops... They are not there to serve the country. they are there to get a free education and make a decent living.. btw, it does pay well to be in the military
What country have you been living in? Until recently... average military personnel were being paid just above the poverty line in Canada... although Harper has recently made some modest improvements.Papi Chulo said:
Yes... they do have some well deserved educational and medical benefits. But the income is crap.
Papi Chulo said:
What a terrible thing to say. If they joined because like guns and were looking forward to the possibility of killing people, would that make you like them more? They are CITIZEN Soliders, who, especially now know that they may have to take a bullet. They are doing their job, one we have asked them to do, to help make the world a better place. Often serving in locations and conditions that are terrible.
You could pay me a $100,000 a year to go to Iraq and I would not go.
Those poor guy's -and gal's-are over there having the time of their life's, right.
I am all against this BS war on terror but don't take it out on the young people severing over there. Its not their fault they are over there.
Notice this year, Bushie just used the phone to say happy thanksgiving to the troops. Things must really be going great over there
Those poor guy's -and gal's-are over there having the time of their life's, right.
I am all against this BS war on terror but don't take it out on the young people severing over there. Its not their fault they are over there.
Notice this year, Bushie just used the phone to say happy thanksgiving to the troops. Things must really be going great over there
Papi Chulo said:
Are you American or Canadian? The Canadian Forces do not have a very robust "free" education program for its troops. It exists, but the number of vacancies each year is extremely low. There is also no program through which soldiers can save money to go back to school and have their contributions matched by the CF. Different in the States from what I understand, but not here.
Pay tables for a Corporal is here:
http://www.dnd.ca/dgcb/dppd/pay/engraph/204.30_e.asp?sidesection=3&sidecat=28&alt=N&key=CORPORAL
There are many different jobs for soldiers, hundreds in fact, some of which are pretty soft and some of which are absolutely terrifying. The majority, though, get the opportunity to say goodbye to their families and get shot at and rocketed in the Middle East, because you, Mr. Chulo, elected governments who sent them there.
Back in Canada, in exchange for his $2800 a month, our young Corporal typically gets to enjoy:
- a 9 hour work day that starts around 7 and kicks off with a run through the woods, in the dark
- sent away on multi-week/multi-month courses and taskings every couple years
- month-long camping trips in all sorts of nasty weather
- zero overtime pay (and not even much time off in lieu of extra hours worked)
- the requirement to be avail 24/7 for recall (again, no compensation. maybe a free breakfast if the phone call comes at 4AM)
- being ripped away from the world he and his family knows, every 2-5 years, to go to a new job in a new city
- the opportunity to continually prove his technical and leadership skills at work and on course so he can get promoted, get a slight pay raise, and work harder while still hauling his ass out of bed in time for a morning run in the dark, while he's in his 40's or 50's)
- the disdain of people who think the troops are in it for a free education
LOL good points CG but you didn't mention that when they are in places like afghanistan etc they are NEVER really "off duty". While they may be in the rear with the gear they are still in the war zone and are expected to fight at a moment's notice. Maybe when they are here, their days are only 9 hrs long but "over there"? NOT.
While you may not condone the reasons they fight but you have to support them for risking their lives to maintain our freedom. As for anyone not believing they are protecting our freedoms think again: if they didn't take the fight to the middle east, we'd be dealing with more instances like 9/11 here.
While you may not condone the reasons they fight but you have to support them for risking their lives to maintain our freedom. As for anyone not believing they are protecting our freedoms think again: if they didn't take the fight to the middle east, we'd be dealing with more instances like 9/11 here.
3Tees said:
Cuz he wouldn't want to risk taking a bullet (or worse) for the right of getting a high school diploma lol. (or learning how to fix trucks lol)
Lets make it clear. The people "serving" in Canada's military are there solely by CHOICE. It may not be their choice to be in Afghanistan, but they knew the risks prior to joining.
btw... I do live in a city that is home to one of Canada's largest bases, I personally know people in the military that are only in the military because they cannot make the money the are currently making in the private sector, or just hanging on so that they can get a larger pension
It is kind of funny... today, someone can be considered a veteran without ever serving in a war. I think this is a great slap in the face to WWI & WWII vets who earned that title.
btw... I do live in a city that is home to one of Canada's largest bases, I personally know people in the military that are only in the military because they cannot make the money the are currently making in the private sector, or just hanging on so that they can get a larger pension
It is kind of funny... today, someone can be considered a veteran without ever serving in a war. I think this is a great slap in the face to WWI & WWII vets who earned that title.
I agree with this part.tboy said:
I disagree with this part. 9/11 occurred because US troops were already in the Middle East. OBL is Saudi. He objected to the establishment of US bases in Saudi Arabia during the first gulf war. These bases were not removed after the conclusion of that war, and US planes bombed Iraq during the Clinton years.tboy said:
Were members of the “Coalition of the Willing” safer at home after they joined the US in the war on Iraq? Look what has happened in Spain and England.
I agree with Canadian troops going to Afghanistan to help US allies get OBL. Getting OBL would have made the world safer. The mission has morphed into nation building with no clear deadline for leaving. This morphed mission is going to look like an occupation to some, and this makes Canada vulnerable to retaliation.
Here are some YourTube clips in support of my arguments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV-RzLCatWk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDnkpTkNXtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdzWGFoviJ4
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Papi Chulo said:
you're back peddling
you made it clear you do not respect millitary people...........What country do you hail from?
I didn't cut and paste your entire thread mark but while that is a part of the reason for the whole mess long before the US were invited by the saudis to build a base there extremists were battling it out over whose imaginary friend was better. The US base was supposed to add stability to the area but obviously it didn't.
Not to get way into the politics of the middle east but if they didn't have so much oil, and we didn't use so much of it (figuratively speaking) there wouldn't be a problem because there wouldn't be enough money for them to buy weapons etc. They'd still be roaming the deserts on camels.
Not to get way into the politics of the middle east but if they didn't have so much oil, and we didn't use so much of it (figuratively speaking) there wouldn't be a problem because there wouldn't be enough money for them to buy weapons etc. They'd still be roaming the deserts on camels.
