Why do people who don't have to stay in Iraq?

[OnceByten]

Is it just me or ... or are all the people over in Iraq that DO NOT have to be there, but are staying INSANE??

I cannot believe that those people are still there. I know that there is money to be made in helping the rebuliding, but at what cost??

Money is NOT that important IMHO!

[theyeti]

Yeah I certainly wouldn't want to be over there. I like my head attached to my body.

[Justawoman]

Did either of you hear the interview with Jack Hensley's brother? Katie Couric interviewed him this morning on the Today Show. This man was not mad or angry over the war or that terrorists claimed his brothers life. He even said he understood why his brother went over there. I was greatly impressed with this man's attitude. I got the impression his brothers initial's motive for going was money. But after he got there and started corresponding with his family, he knew he was making a difference in the everyday Iraqi's life. Sometimes you do things for a greater purpose than perserving your own life.

[OnceByten]

I understand that, and I fully understand the altruistic attitude that alot of them have, but people are being killed left and right. Would you stay if your life was at stake??

[Justawoman]

Considering all of the responsibilites I have here I would not go. Like you there are times I don't understand why civilians choose to go and work in Iraq. But then again I will be honest, I can be an awfully self centered person at times. It takes someone bigger than me to go and risk their life.

[theyeti]

I guess another spin on this thread is the possibility of a draft. A while ago I thought it would be impossible but now that 97% of troops in the Middle East are ours, we'll have a huge problem if there's war on another front. And a President in a second term wouldn't have to face the consequences at election time.

So, if there is a draft, are the people who would go "insane?" We're having this discussion about volunteers now, but what about if you're forced to go? What do you think - would you be more insane, as an unwilling civilian drafted, following your conscience and not going or going and risking your life?

[Justawoman]

If I was drafted I would do as I was taught in my youth, shut up and go and do my duty. I have alot of family in the military and alot of kinfolk that have retired. I guess growing up rural you learn to do what you must when handed a task. I even have a daughter that plans on enlisting in the Navy when she graduates. I have no problem with that and am full aware of what might be facing her.

[jamesglewisf]

{offtopic}

theyeti, this is a scare tactic. You put the idea out there that Bush is more concerned about getting re-elected than doing what he thinks is right. If that were the case, he never would have gone to Iraq in the first place. You have no proof that Bush is contemplating a draft, but you throw it out there as a possibility and say that the only reason he would be waiting is so that he could get re-elected.

That is like me saying that Kerry might be planning to bring the troops back home in January so that he can forcibly shut down congress and turn over our government to the U.N. Has Kerry ever said that he would do that? "No, but he wouldn't because he wants to get elected." It's just ludicrous.

Kerry is not an evil mastermind with a plan to suppress all conservatives. And Bush is not an evil mastermind with a plan for world domination. They are just two long-time public servants trying to get elected. Don't make everything an evil conspiracy. It prevents us from having discussions about issues.

This thread is about civilians who decide to go to Iraq. It is not a political thread, and it is not a thread about the draft.

[theyeti]

Um... I never said that Bush is even contemplating a draft. However, a president who wouldn't have to worry about his chances at the next election would probably be more likely to reinstate one than someone who does want to be elected again. I don't think anyone can deny that.

However, there is a bill slated to be brought up that very closely resembles a draft. And the administration (as well as several democrats) have made statements, albeit vague, that indicate our military is reaching the breaking point.

[CuriousG]

Most of what I read has to do more with restructuring current military tenures, rather than adding personnel. I think they want to have the power to keep individuals in the military longer and have more control over deployment schedules.

A lot of people refer to it as a "backdoor draft."

Back to the subject at hand...
There is a lot of money to be made in outside contracts over in Iraq. A lot of the people who stand to make that money will never venture over there to do it, but they will send employees who aren't necessarily "forced" to go, but in the interest of advancing their careers and keeping their job security, they pretty much don't have choice. A lot of them are paid very well, since the people in charge know that they need to dangle a carrot out there to get these people to go over there and in turn make them a lot of money. People work in dangerous jobs everyday here stateside. It's a part of life, somebody has to do those jobs.