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I have a better idea: why don't we all start paying these people large sums of money rather than merely thanking them for sacrificing their lives while we don'

I have a better idea: why don't we all start paying these people large sums of money rather than merely thanking them for sacrificing their lives while we don't have to? We'd be less likely to send people into battle if we actually had to pay our soldiers what they're actually risking.

blazespin 12y ago
Nevermind! The emotive clap trap is much easier on my taxes. I'd hate to actually have to pony up for things like VA hospitals. Better to just give them nice parking spots and Veteran's day parades.
- lotsofmangos 12y ago
  2nd edit - removed the post completely, I was being far too offensive.
true_religion 12y ago
I think its because historically mercenaries would fight less strenuously, and break at the first sign of real trouble as dead men can't collect their pay. On a more contemporary note, research has shown that if you replace an intrinsic rationale (e.g. patriotism) for an action with an extrinisc one (e.g. money), its impossible to go back. I imagine its a lot easier to create patriotism than money, so people want to stick with that solution.
- mercurial 12y ago
  > I think its because historically mercenaries would fight less strenuously, and break at the first sign of real trouble as dead men can't collect their pay. That's debatable. Swiss mercenary pikemen enjoyed two centuries of well-earned respect for their fighting abilities, for instance. Or you can take the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, or the Gallowglass mercenaries. The issue was more often that many of them would not hesitate to change sides if it was seen as more profitable.
  - danudey 12y ago
    > The issue was more often that many of them would not hesitate to change sides if it was seen as more profitable. Well at least that's not a concern in the case of ebola researchers.
  - cafard 12y ago
    Indeed, when Alexios Comnenus needed to bribe his way into Byzantium, he didn't even bother trying the Varangians, figuring that it was pointless. And the Swiss were known for loyalty.
    - mercurial 12y ago
      Yes, I was more thinking of the European Renaissance period, where many armies incorporated large mercenary contingents which some of them, like the Landsknechts, happily changing employers. Italian Condotierri were also notorious for this behaviour. Though it should be said that employers were not necessarily more trustworthy, and could be prone to "forget" to pay the mercenaries they had hired once they had no more need for them.

blazespin 12y ago

Nevermind! The emotive clap trap is much easier on my taxes. I'd hate to actually have to pony up for things like VA hospitals. Better to just give them nice parking spots and Veteran's day parades.

lotsofmangos 12y ago
2nd edit - removed the post completely, I was being far too offensive.

true_religion 12y ago

I think its because historically mercenaries would fight less strenuously, and break at the first sign of real trouble as dead men can't collect their pay. On a more contemporary note, research has shown that if you replace an intrinsic rationale (e.g. patriotism) for an action with an extrinisc one (e.g. money), its impossible to go back. I imagine its a lot easier to create patriotism than money, so people want to stick with that solution.

mercurial 12y ago
> I think its because historically mercenaries would fight less strenuously, and break at the first sign of real trouble as dead men can't collect their pay. That's debatable. Swiss mercenary pikemen enjoyed two centuries of well-earned respect for their fighting abilities, for instance. Or you can take the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, or the Gallowglass mercenaries. The issue was more often that many of them would not hesitate to change sides if it was seen as more profitable.
- danudey 12y ago
  > The issue was more often that many of them would not hesitate to change sides if it was seen as more profitable. Well at least that's not a concern in the case of ebola researchers.
- cafard 12y ago
  Indeed, when Alexios Comnenus needed to bribe his way into Byzantium, he didn't even bother trying the Varangians, figuring that it was pointless. And the Swiss were known for loyalty.
  - mercurial 12y ago
    Yes, I was more thinking of the European Renaissance period, where many armies incorporated large mercenary contingents which some of them, like the Landsknechts, happily changing employers. Italian Condotierri were also notorious for this behaviour. Though it should be said that employers were not necessarily more trustworthy, and could be prone to "forget" to pay the mercenaries they had hired once they had no more need for them.