Care of the US Troops

Evil Chris · 03-12-2003, 04:56 PM

I took this from another board, but I find it very insightful, and it makes me wonder...

By Rush Limbaugh

I think the vast differences in compensation between the victims of the September 11th casualty, and those who die serving the country in uniform, are profound. No one is really talking about it either because you just don't criticize anything having to do with September 11th.

Well, I just can't let the numbers pass by because it says something really disturbing about the entitlement mentality of this country.

If you lost a family member in the September 11th attack, you're going to get an average of $1,185,000. The range is a minimum guarantee of $250,000, all the way up to $4.7 million.

If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt.

Keep in mind that some of the people that are getting an average of $1.185 million up to $4.7 million are complaining that it's not enough.

We also learned over the weekend that some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing have started an organization asking for the same deal that the September 11th families are getting. In addition to that,
some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well.

You see where this is going, don't you?

Folks, this is part and parcel of over fifty years of entitlement politics in this country. It's just really sad.

Every time when a pay raise comes up for the military they usually receive next to nothing of a raise. Now the green machine is in combat in the Middle East while their families have to survive on food stamps and live in low rent housing.

However our own U.S. Congress just voted themselves a raise, and many of you don't know that they only have to be in Congress one-time to receive a pension that is more than $15,000 per month and most are now equal to be millionaires plus. They also do not receive Social Security on retirement because they didn't have to pay into the system. If some of the military people stay in for 20 years and get out as an E-7 you may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed you in harms way receive a pension of $15,000 per month.

I would like to see our elected officials pick up a weapon and join ranks before they start cutting out benefits and lowering pay for our sons and daughters who are now fighting.

poppy · 03-12-2003, 05:11 PM

Good read indeed and very interesting Chris.

03-12-2003, 05:15 PM

I really don't see the reason they should get that much money for Sept. 11. Don't get me wrong, it was a horrible thing but that's a lot of money. And now all these other people involved in terrorist attacks are wanting the same thing. Sound like $ hungry to me.

Magnus3x · 03-12-2003, 05:16 PM

That's fucking brutal!

PaulSweet · 03-12-2003, 05:21 PM

My personal opinion of why this came into being is this:

Members of the Military are generally recruited from the lower-middle class on down. They do alright but don't have a lot of money. They don't wield a lot of influence or political power (they would if they could work together in unison come vote time etc). And because they volunteer for the military, the general public sees them as disposable. Would you pay a premium price for a disposable lighter or pen?

Probably a majority of people in the ROTC programs who join the military to pay for their education due so not because they want to be in the military but they are trying their best to get ahead in life and don't have the means to do it otherwise. They are essentially risking their lives to get that education.

I personally don't understand the entitlements the victims get. I think this is part of the same mentality that allows you for suing a company if the coffee they serve you is "too hot" and you accidently spill it on yourself and end up getting burnt. I feel there should be some kind of social benefits to help people out but there are other options here too. The people in the world trade center could have had life insurance policies to protect their families in case they died...after all you could die at any moment. Car accident, heart attack, allergic reaction, etc.

However the World Trade center was full of wealthier people with a lot more political power....and those people are not viewed as disposable....

In North America we pretend we have no class system but we do: its all about how much money you have. If you have it you're part of the elite club, if you're not you're just another number.

roger · 03-12-2003, 05:22 PM

crazy I can't believe they are getting all that money.

where is the money coming from? our taxes?

I feel bad about 9/11 but to pay them that much is just crazy. unless its insurance policies or something.

So now our soldiers are going to fight for our protection and they get jack for it if they die in combat.

But its all about making money the gov could care less about us all we are is a number.

What about people who get put in jail and later they realize he was not the one who comitted the crime.
those people don't get shit except an appology for doing time for something they didn't do. imagine that hell

Evil Chris · 03-12-2003, 05:35 PM

I'm appalled. Lately in the news all I have been hearing about is the support we should be giving our troops overseas who are deployed to the Persian Gulf etc..

I knew about the compensation for 911 WTC victims was high, but I had no idea how high. I don't understand it either. If anyone can honestly justify those numbers, please do it for me. What Paul posted makes a lot of sense:

Quote:

Originally posted by PaulSweet
I personally don't understand the entitlements the victims get. I think this is part of the same mentality that allows you for suing a company if the coffee they serve you is "too hot" and you accidently spill it on yourself and end up getting burnt. I feel there should be some kind of social benefits to help people out but there are other options here too. The people in the world trade center could have had life insurance policies to protect their families in case they died...after all you could die at any moment. Car accident, heart attack, allergic reaction, etc.

gregtx · 03-12-2003, 07:33 PM

Its the difference between civilian tradgedy and military death...

Paul you make some very valid points.. many young men and women no longer go into the military as a career choice but as a last resort... we are now all taught to go straight to college. But remember... we do produce many great officers from our universities and from our miliary academys... from growing up in a town with a large air force base.. .i've seen many military families who did just fine... a good buddy of mine from high school.. is an F-16 fighter pilot and is paid very well... especially as a single bachelor.... but yes.. the enlisties are not paid on a grand scale... but that is just like any lower position in any business...

frivilous monies paid for misfortune is a sad way of remembering or replacing the dead.. I agree... but that money was some how raised and allocated to be paid out...

Evil Chris · 03-13-2003, 12:54 PM

Greg, you make a couple good points, and it's true that not all military families are forced to live in sub-standard living conditions, but I'd have to point out that military death is supposed to (or attempts to) prevent civilian tragedies.

baddog · 03-14-2003, 12:52 AM

the difference between death benefits for 9/11 and wartime is pretty simple, and it has nothing to do with the income level of our ALL VOLUNTEER MILITARY, it is insurance.

The airlines, and owners of the buildings and employers all have insurance, with decent benefits.

The military has a lot more potential payouts, and are payed by taxpayers, hence the differtence.