Call me crazy - CNN: On Saudi hostage tape Johnson says

[JM]

he repairs Apache helicopters. Is he doing this as a contractor? I thought the only things being contracted out were things like food service, transportation, etc.

JM

[AP]

1. Last weekend on This American Life a contractor said that

the Army pays a soldier $1800 a month to repair a truck. Across the street, a private contractor gets paid (by taxpayers) $10,000 a month to do the same thing.

He said that contracting isn't about saving money for American taxpayers. It's about spending moneys.

But, yes, we're trying hard to bust the piggbank on private contractors doing all sorts of things in Iraq, including beating on prisoners, providing security, and repairing trucks and helicopters.

[Eloriel]

7. Contractors are doing security too

Interrogation in prisons (have you been off the planet for a while? LOL.) All kinds of military jobs, not just supplies and food service.

[Career Prole]

2. It's possible...when I was in the Navy we had civilian reps from

the defense contractors for technical advice. We called 'em sandcrabs...them side-steppin' beach creatures! :D

[Warpy]

3. The Saudis are hiring foreign workers to do nearly everything

They've been hiring nurses for decades. Nearly all services there are provided by foreign labor. That's one of the major reasons for Saudi unrest: there's a massive unemployment problem there, idled Saudi citizens living on stingy government handouts while foreigners are paid huge salaries and the royal family pockets the oil revenues.

Once the figurehead of the old king dies, expect all hell to break loose. The royal family has a wonderful tradition of succession by assassination, and there are many different factions within that huge family.

[leetrisck]

4. He works for Lockheed Martin and been there

10 years. Lockheed has been there forever.

[SoCalDem]

5. The only thing that could "save" him

would be a comment that goes something like this:

George Bush has ruined the US economy so much, that in order to feed my family, I took a job that led me here.. If I could have gotten a decent job in America, I would have never, ever taken a job with this scumbag company.

[SpiralHawk]

6. BushCo Mercenaries have God-Given right to make a huge profit

Because Bush says so, and he talks to God. End of discussion. Shut up, sit down, and turn on your TV now. You will feel better after you watch a Kobe Bryant trial update, or a Bill O'Reilly Spin Zone segment.

[Hammie]

8. Factory Service Technician