Why are people complaining about soldier fatalities?

Question

In finances, the higher the return on your investment, the higher the risk associated with your investment. Given this basic truth, lets examine what is going on with a typical soldier or armed forces personnel.
A soldier has life benefits to his/her service. You get vehicle discounts, money from the government, paid education, shelter, guaranteed salary in your military workplace. These benefits amount to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars. What does a soldier risk? All you put on the line is your life. However, there is no guarantee of death. You may survive a war or there may be no war. THAT is the inherent risk you assume in the transaction.
Lets add in that the service is voluntary. Would it be fair if an investment existed where with no risk soldiers could reel in the benefits amounting to those sums? No! So a couple died. It's all in the risk! Considering how many people signed up for the armed forces, the number that died is rather subtle. So why are people so mad with wars?

I see people are saying my views would change if someone I knew were in the military or if I signed up. Well guess what- no one I know nor I would do that to ourselves. After all- ITS a CHOICE. Something people fail to consider. And for "can't put a price on life" -ofc not. But you can put a price on the risk at your life. Think stunt doubles.
And I'm sorry for not specifying- I am talking about American armed forces. Our benefits are very nice. Considering our top schools run at $40,000 a year, the college education alone is a $160,000 benefit.
Lastly 4,000 deaths is nothing when you consider other causes of death and the several hundred thousand military personnel in the reserves...

forced to write more: I'm not trying to see who hates who. I'm voicing an opinion: their choice- respect that and stop blaming deaths on our Country's Commander and Chief. Why am I getting so many insults? This is a discussion. Please discuss or don't post anything at all.

Answer 1

You have a very interesting out look on America's Armed Forces. I disagree with your statement, because some of your facts are wrong. First, you do not get vehicle discounts, unless the vehicle company is running a special for military personnel. Second, you receive money from the government in the form of a pay check, because...you work for the government. Third, you only receive paid education up to a certain amount, and you have to serve a minimum amount of years to receive full educations benefits. You can also only attend up to a state college for it to be paid, no UC's. Fourth, the military only provides you shelter if you work on base (or post). Still have to pay bills. Fifth, you are guaranteed a salary, just like any other job.
Almost every company in America offers benefits to their employees,why should the military be any different? Okay, so all you think they do is put their lives on line... think again. They help people, rescue people, protect people, protect this country, and they volunteer, so you won't get drafted. Let me ask you, how much do you value your life?

Answer 2

I suspect if it were your life on the line you would think very differently about your cold hearted response. How many people that you are close to have you had to bury in the past year? I can tell you how many my husband has had to say goodbye to; 16 so far during this deployment with several more months to go. All war casualties and every one of them with a family who mourns their loss of life every day. These are not "investments"; they're PEOPLE! Have you ever had to look a war widow, a war orphan or a parent in the eye? I didn't think so...

And I don't know anyone who's getting rich in the Military and what they make, even with benefits, is outrageously disproportionate to what they're willing to give when "all they put on the line is their life." I am truly disgusted by your cold hearted analytical comparison of money and a soldier's life as if they should just not care about themselves or each other since they volunteered to protect ideas they felt were important. You should be THANKING a Soldier for his willingness to lay his life down for you to spew your ignorance. SHAME ON YOU....

Answer 3

Today our society basically feels they are invincable - babies rarely die at birth - same with mothers giving birth, we have cures for many diseases, death is just not very common as it used to be - ie civil war times. We feel that since we have all this high tech stuff that we are going to eliminate death - or the death of the people that we love. Yes it is very hard to deal with death - the people back then had to deal with it as well. It was more common back in the day. I think also to accompany this situation that we have out our selves in also is a loss in faith - back then they delt with death often and religion was very important and it helped them cope - today religion is not as important to the American society - they don't have confidence in an after life. I know that there is a chance I will loose my husband in combat, but I know that I will be with him again after this life - I have no problem with that fact. Many people don't realize that the chance of someone dying in Iraq is pretty much the same as getting killed driving to work on the freeway. We should be greatful that we loose 5-6 at a time as opposed to 50,000 in a 4 day period - Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle this country has ever seen.

Answer 4

Why are people "so mad (angry) with wars?" Good question. When one considers that about 50,000 people die on the highways each year, 100's of thousands die because of medical errors, the few that die in wars is INSIGNIFICANT. Compare the war deaths to drug overdoses, muggings, homicides, accidents, drownings, etc.
But, you are so mistaken about the alleged benefits. Dealers always get their money: discounts are always taken from MARKED UP FIGURES. When I returned Stateside from Germany, the first thing they said was that I should apply for foodstamps because I was automatically elligible. Military, at least in the lower paygrades, don't even get minimum wage!
Oh, yeah, they get their shelter thown in, as long as they live in the barracks. If they get married and want to live with their wife, the housing allowance is far short of what people must pay for rent. Where ever there is a military base, rent is always 2 - 3 times what it would be elsewhere. Don't forget: sometimes that housing is a tent! Showers are cold! (Try that in winter!)
There is a whole lot more, but it would take a book.
Contact someone who has been in the military for awhile and see what it is really like.

Answer 5

Oh yeah it is so nice to get that wonderful 500 dollar ddiscount on a new car, you forgot some stores give a 10% discount, they get to live in wonderful homes.. Your research blows, did you know that alot of soldiers qualify for food stamps because the government sets the rate for poverty and then they let the soldiers with kids live in it, do you know how proud I feel to have my husband as a Hero knowing the man next to him is fine now with money because he is deployed but when he comes home he will barely feed his kids...Did you know that most military families are happy to have money left over from there pay on the last day of the month, and that if they are not eating ramon noodles they want to have a party where the whole world hears them... I understand there is a 1 and a million chance my husband could die overseas, it happens yeah.. But the reason people worry and are mad is because these people have families and they feel for them..It is the same reason that when you see an accident you feel bad for them, its called have a heart.. I do understand Soldiers pick there jobs, that is a given.. None of them joined to sale girl scout cookies, they are doing a NOBEL JOB and they are fighting for what you are doing, FREEDOM..

Answer 6

Seeing as how you don't know anyone in the military I am taking it upon myself to inform you a little....

I'm sorry people have died over there and I'm even more sorry that you think that someone's life isn't worth anything because you say so. When your husband and father of your children goes overseas, it's the worst thing in the world. You spend days, weeks, months without hearing anything and hope that the phone will ring just for him to say I love you and miss you and I'm still doing ok. You pray everyday that an unknown car doesn't show up in front of your house with uniformed officers to inform you of the worst possible fatality. You no longer watch the news because it's so scary to think that the soldiers that are missing belong to your family or friends. You have to watch your children cry and not understand why their daddy has to go fight for people he doesn't even know when he should be at home fighting for them. You have to listen to people say that your husband's life is worth nothing because they have the freedom in this country to say so...thanks to your husband and friends volunteering to put their lives on the line to fight for those enjoyed freedoms. You have to suffer through those asking you "how do you do it? I could never live my life without knowing how my husband is." Instead of saying "you know thanks...I haven't talked to him in a week and now I feel worse than when you walked up to me" you just smile and say "life doesn't end...my children still get up everyday expecting me to be mom and dad all in one."

Ok, so in the military you still pay rent, you still pay for your family to have dental benefits (just like with other jobs, you pay so much each month and pay deductibles when you have an appointment) while health benefits are included, paid education isn't guaranteed as most soldiers have NO time to take advantage of that benefit because they work anywhere from 12-16 hours a day, vehicle discounts? I'm not sure of this as we don't have any discounts on our vehicles...must be nice whoever does! If you mean discounts on say insurance and such well, many companies now offer discounts based on where you work or age and stuff like that. Guaranteed salary? Although you are guarateed a pay check, do you realize that if you break down a soldier's pay that they get paid less than $6.00 an hour? They work 12 -16 hours, sometimes 24 hours a day for 5 days a week, sometimes 7 days a week.. so during the 24/7 weeks their pay significantly decreases per hour. The only difference between a single soldier and a soldier with a family is that the soldier with a family now gets an allowance for rent. This means that the military will pay so much a month toward their housing...it's up to the soldier to decide if they pay rent off post or on post. Most think that we pay no rent but it's a common misconception as we get an allowance and we can use it either on or off post. You didn't mention extra pay if you go to Iraq but I'll explain it to you anywho....if you go to Iraq you get paid roughly $600 more a month.

Also, if you decide to quit well you don't have that luxury because you get thrown in prison for abandonment! With "regular" jobs if you get sick of doing it you can just go out and find another one!

Answer 7

This premise is so anti human I can't believe people actually think this way! How can you put a value on a life lost for any reason and especially for all the lives lost in this insane march to empire. It is not only inhuman, illegal and a real tragidy for our country but brings us closer to bankrupcy every day! But if you insist on counting the costs divide the total cost by the number of deaths and you will have a much more accurate number! If you do the math this comes out to $555,000,000 per american serviceman lost! Over 1/2 a BILLION dollars!!!! At this cost can we really aford to loose any more?

Answer 8

who ever said they are dying with no cause must be a bonehead. Those soldiers give their lives to protect innocent lives and someones freedom. Who ever said that freedom was free is an idiot. Many noble americans died to get our freedom, iraqis are fighting for their own freedom. they may not be doing a great job but they are doing what they can offer. Tell me how can a soldier fight a war when he has to worry his family might die in a car bomb any day. How dare you criticize about the war and never wear that uniform. I am in the military I dont support of the reason why we went to war but unfortunately yes people die in war. When does a war that people dont get hurt or die??? But what we do does makes a difference because some people over there desire to live a life like ours and not be worried about al-qaeda. Yes no one wants to see people die but thats reality people no one put a gun in my head and say sign that contract. I know from day 1 that i can die at any given day doing my job. But all of us that join accepted that fact., Their are more wars in history that is bloodier than this 57000, soldiers died in korea in 4 yrs. and 70,000 soldiers died in vietnam this war is not even close to those. to that. No one wants that but thats reality...

Answer 9

Good lord, you are a sociopath. I take it no one you care about is in the military. And FYI almost four thousand men and women have died, that is not a couple. You should move to another country like Iran where they would cut your hands off for being so stupid. Or better yet, why don't you sign up for the army since the benifits are so great?

Answer 10

I suspect in part, it is because it isn't a logical/calculated response. Most people are upset because they have been directly effected by the loss of a loved one. Also there are a number of soldiers who never seen benefits. Or the benefits they received are inadequate.

You could also take into account that in poorer neighborhoods, military services is not a voluntary as other places. A great number of those kids don't have any other work they can go into. They get promised careers and cash and a chance to get out of a bad situation.