Bush Wants Gov't Employees to Volunteer for Iraq!

Funny, I didn't see this mentioned as part of the "surge" plan.  Yesterday's email to all employees of the agency where I work describes Bush's great new idea for reconstruction:

President Bush’s new strategy for Iraq includes the expansion of our civilian presence throughout the country by doubling the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT).  Ten new PRTs, supported by U.S. military units, will bring together outstanding civilian experts to complement our military presence, with dynamic programs that promote business development, assist local governments, and help accelerate the transition to Iraqi self-reliance.

More below the fold:

What a chance to show our patriotism!  

I am asking all Commerce employees to consider supporting this important effort.  The Department of State is seeking highly motivated, action-oriented, resilient people with a strong desire to assist in the Iraqi rebuilding effort.  Volunteers must demonstrate willingness and ability to work in a difficult foreign environment under challenging circumstances with access to few amenities.  Prior military or Peace Corps service, or extensive experience living in a developing country is strongly preferred.

 

Ah, but will there be any incentives besides plain old patriotism?  Yep:

Volunteers may be eligible for additional pay such as up to 35 percent hardship pay and up to 35 percent danger pay differentials.  Postings are for 12-month assignments.

May be eligible?  Maybe it depends on your political affiliation?  

This is truly a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of ordinary Iraqis.

Gosh....that's wonderful...some Iraqis might say we have already made a "real difference" over the last 4 year...
Now, I want you all to try to explain to me what the hell this logic is all about, how this will make us safer:

Bringing the expertise of Commerce employees to a nation in need, such as Iraq, will promote job creation and growth, thereby helping to keep our troops and our Nation safer.  It will also hasten the day when we can stand down, as Iraq stands up.  

Here are the positions which are available:  

Business Development Specialists, Banking Advisors, Economists, Microfinance Specialists, Budget and Fiscal Specialists, and Public Administrators.

 

What do you all think of this development?  Is it a further sign of failure, the lack of planning, the lack of sufficient resources?  Or shall we be thankful that, at least, it's not Halliburton?  I don't think the servers were jammed with those requesting more info.

•  I love this descriptor in the ad

  resilient people

  Does that mean not getting sick on the polluted water or perhaps not dying when hit by an IED?

  Wow, I bet the Government Employees are lining right up to jump on that bus!

  by Sychotic1 on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:43:51 PM PDT

  •  Our ranks are decimated, no one is left n/t

    by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:46:26 PM PDT

    •  that's part of the plan

      The neo-cons have been wanting to eliminate the Commerce Department and I suppose this is one way to do it.

      by craiger on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:09:37 PM PDT

      •  Oh yes, they've been trying for years. Did you

        know that a couple of years ago some Senator said "We don't need the Weather Service, we have the Weather Channel."  Such brilliance.

        Well, I hate to break the news, but their plan won't work.

        by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:32:26 PM PDT

        •  I know

          I'm a private pilot, and I get my preflight weather info from NWS.  If NWS were prohibited from disseminating weather information, it would cost me hundreds of dollars a year to maintain my present level of flight safety.

          Fortunately "some Senator" was Rick Santorum.

          by craiger on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:48:17 PM PDT

          •  Thanks, I forgot who that brilliant man was.

            After that the NWS made the private industry weather programs give credit to the NWS.  We do work together very closely in a cooperative spirit. NWS really does do a great service for the country, and their personnel (I'm a contractor) are, for the most part, very dedicated to their mission.  Of course, when they have to say "global warming" only in low whispers, it can affect morale.

            by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:56:56 PM PDT

        •  wasn't that some "brilliant" plan by Senator

          Man-on-Dog to ban the publicly [sp?] funded Weather Bureau from releasing information on the weather but forcing people to go through private enterprises who would ?? get it for free ?? and then sell it?  And he did this after getting a measly $2,000 donation from some corporate entity?

          by vome minnesota on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:13:40 PM PDT

          •  Good ole Rick, ya gotta hand it to him...

            well, no we don't, come to think of it...

            by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:58:02 PM PDT

  •  Where I work

    We got a pep talk about how we should all go and then the guy who gave the talk up and left the govt to work for a contractor one month later.

    What really pissed me off is they pulled thi shit in an awards ceremony that we were required to attend. It was like the prom scene in Carrie, only the blood is on Bush's hands.

    by f furney on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:24:01 PM PDT

    •  No pep talk, thank goodness, up to now only email

      by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:29:35 PM PDT

      •  Only Rubber Employee's Need Apply!

        How `bout Jenna & Not-Jenna go first?

        by JeffW on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:57:43 PM PDT

  •  Resilient

    The government should consider sending Claire Bennet from "Heroes"-- she who can heal from even mortal injuries -- to Iraq.

    Save the cheerleader, save Iraq!

    by litigatormom on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:47:14 PM PDT

•  I always forget the tip jar...

  so here 'tis...

  by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:45:47 PM PDT

  •  A contrary viewpoint ...

    1.  The variability on bonuses/pay: there are places more hazardous than others. Actually, where all the PRTs are, a 35% bonus & hazardous duty pay is pretty cheap, but there are differences and perhaps there are differences in bonus structures. This is normal, as per any job 'announcement', the specific details can vary by location / position.

    2.  This is EXACTLY the type of thing that that we want to be going on. The Cheney-Bush regime has been horribly incompetent (and dishonest) in its mismanagement of a war that shouldn't have been pursued (Iraq), a "war" that shouldn't be a "war" ("GWOT"), and a war of necessity (Afghanistan).  A critical part of the incompetence & mismanagement has been the overweight of military tools across all operational environments. Interagency is critical for any chance of creating stability going into the future.

    3. The problem here is that this is being done now ... rather than starting in 2001 for Afghanistan and (well, I worked against the idiocy of going into Iraq) in 2002 prior to invading Iraq.

    We need government civilians to be working in the PRTs to help get, in this case, the local economies functioning.  This is an effort to have civilian experts -- who might actually know something about, for example, "microfinance" -- working in their fields of expertise as opposed to military "civil affairs" "experts" who might not have any real clue about the issue.

    While this might be hamhanded, I am 180 degrees out from you on this.

    by besieged by bush on Fri May 04, 2007 at 07:07:21 PM PDT

•  Wonder if the twins will be signing up to help

  ordinary Iraqi's.  What an absolute mess this moron has gotten us into.  This would be laughable if people weren't dying..I'm sending this one to Olberman & Stuart.

  by sugarbaby on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:47:47 PM PDT

•  I assume the lack of comments reflects

  the fact that everyone is trying to figure out how to sign up.  That's ok, I understand.

  by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:52:29 PM PDT

•  This was tried before

  at my agency (HUD). I don't think very many people accepted the offer.

  by sfbob on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:53:57 PM PDT

  •  I assume ALL agencies get this opportunity?

    Did HUD get letters out also?  Just curious.

    by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:58:13 PM PDT

    •  Not Treasury!

      Tax collection is An Essential Industry.

      by grayday101 on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:41:42 PM PDT

•  Is this absurd or what.....

  I can see a call out for some engineers (civil and envrionmental), health and social workers, maybe even some teachers - but certainly not until it's safe to walk the streets without being shot.  We're a long way from setting up financial institutions and doing economic and business consulting. From what I've heard, all the people with any means at all have skipped the country anyway.

  by moose67 on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:54:25 PM PDT

  •  Well all of Iraq's banking and commerce

    has been privatized.

    I expect the new owners were promised support from the US government.

    by Robbien on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:00:56 PM PDT

  •  Too little, too late again.

    Everything that should have been rolling on day one comes years later, long after the infrastructure that could have made it successful has been destroyed.

    That's some quality CEO thinking there Mr. Bush! Start to build a sprinkler system after the factory has burned down!

    by RandomSequence on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:00:58 PM PDT

    •  Bush is a slow reader - he just finished the

      pre-war recommendations of the State Dept. which pretty much predicted every single problem that occurred and how to avoid them.  Of course, it was ignored.  After all, it came from the "elitist" - i.e., those who can read and write - part of the government.

      by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:04:05 PM PDT

•  What the hell????

  The Iraqi people are intelligent enough to rebuild their own Country. So, we are going to send people there to do it for them? Lets pi$$ them off some more. Are the Iraqi people going to have any say in their Country by the time bush gets done with that Country?

  by Owllwoman on Fri May 04, 2007 at 03:55:45 PM PDT

  •  And...

    ...their gummint is taking a couple of months
    off. While OUR troops protect THEIR capital!

    by JeffW on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:00:17 PM PDT

•  OK, good, looks like I can walk the dog now n/t

  by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:18:42 PM PDT

•  If the Secretary of Commerce agrees to join them

  why not?

  If he doesn't, I say go fly a kite.

  by Ammo Hauler on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:18:59 PM PDT

  •  You're Too Obtuse...

    ...Ammo Hauler. Whaddya really t`ink?

    by JeffW on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:01:19 PM PDT

•  As if,

  Business Development Specialists, Banking Advisors, Economists, Microfinance Specialists, Budget and Fiscal Specialists, and Public Administrators.

  Meaning, in Bush world, "hard righters, bible thumping, Bush ass kissers only need apply".

  Competance in this regime means believing in the rapture and that you will get a chance to kill the "non-believers".

  Hey, Monica Goodling, looking for a new job?

  by rage on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:22:33 PM PDT

  •  Good one.

    As long as Monica's in Anbar, I doubt she'll be available to testify under oath.  She's already gotten the "duck and cover" routine mastered.

    by willb48 on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:48:07 PM PDT

    •  Saaay!

      That's be a swell way to get rid of the Regents
      grads: trick `em into going!

      by JeffW on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:02:30 PM PDT

      •  Good idea!

        "Hey, Regent U grads, want to get in on front row seats to the rapture?  Have we got a job for you!  Free guns for all who apply."

        by rage on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:20:41 PM PDT

        •  Haven't we already done enough to Iraq?

          Sheesh, anything but that...

          by highacidity on Fri May 04, 2007 at 07:05:10 PM PDT

•  Civilians Granted Iraq No-Bid Contracts

  might have been a catchier title, no?

  by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:30:37 PM PDT

•  "May be eligible"

  This is standard phrasing... Since there might be cases where the person won't be eligible for additional hazard pay (e.g. they are assigned somewhere out-of-theater) it is better to be vague than say something that could be construed as a promise if you get sued.

  by baahl on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:52:55 PM PDT

  •  We can be vague, we're the government

    like that?

    by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:30:23 PM PDT

  •  R U the one who writes this stuff? n/t

    by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:30:51 PM PDT

•  This is normal for government

  Those who go abroad receive hazard pay and benefits for volunteering. This isn't new. It's always been this way. There have always been civilian employees supporting the military and other government agencies overseas. I don't see the big deal.

  by jiacinto on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:43:54 PM PDT

  •  If you think it's not a big deal, then I guess

    it's not a big deal.  Others think there is some statement here regarding the way the war has, or has not,been run, and as some have commented above, some find it incongruous at best to send budget and business to a place whose entire infrastructure has been destroyed due to the invasion of those now sending people to "fix it."  You know what, jiacinto, there have always been wars, there have always been innocent civilian casualties....what the hell's the big deal people are making about Iraq?  Right?

    by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:38:00 PM PDT

    •  You miss the point

      This is normal for most government agencies. There are more than just military personnel in Iraq. There are personnel from other agencies, and they receive extra compensation for going. For previous wars it was the same as well. Again I don't know why you are so shocked about a practice that has been going forever.

      by jiacinto on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:41:57 PM PDT

      •  None of us are shocked, but can you not see why

        some are concerned about it, and what it might represent?  Now I haven't followed your posts, so it may not apply, but there are certain Kossacks who seem to take great joy in commenting things like "oh, Joe posted that story 10 days ago...." or, "that hardly rates a diary" or "that's just silly" etc etc...you know, "The Joy of Denigration," by Joseph Killjoy.  I can tell you that the email caused quite a stir at our agency, it was not looked upon as an everyday occurrence.  I do recall they did exactly the same thing during Katrina, and for that, I thought it was noble and useful.  Most of us here do not believe the same applies for this.  

        by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:53:20 PM PDT

    •  Point is that

      PRTs should have been set up, ready to act, prior to going into Afghanistan / Iraq / elsewhere.

      One of the key lessons of the 1990s, basically blown off by Cheney-Bush regime, is the critical importance of interagency action in post-conflict environments.

      PRTs are exactly what we want to be happening, even if they are years late on the scene and aren't working as well as they should.

      You want this to become an ever-less military presence and less military operation, PRTs are one way to lower the military footprint.

      by besieged by bush on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:59:20 PM PDT

      •  Of course. Too little, and much too late,

        and not sure if it qualifies as "better late than never."  With so much "destruction," the task of "post reconstruction" will be daunting, to say the least.  As to having an ever-less military presence, that's easy....LEAVE.  And why should the U.S. bear sole responbility for reconstruction (ok, well, maybe we were the primary cause of the destruction), but on this one, if the international community doesn't want to pitch in, then I don't see why civilians should be at such great risk, and why, frankly, we should care all that much.  The hurricane season is less than a month away....if you had to choose between having the National Guard ready to assist in another Katrina in the U.S., or assist in rebuilding a bank, which would you choose?

        by hcc in VA on Sat May 05, 2007 at 11:32:37 AM PDT

•  Can you make a copy for this post?

  I wouldn't mind seeing the whole
  letter or email. Of course, white-out
  your name/title/dept.

  I find this idea rather creepy,
  sneaky -- why not just announce to the
  press that government employees are
  welcome in the service?

  Well, maybe not the press -- but
  anyway, let's see the copy??

  by Bernie68 on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:50:05 PM PDT

  •  What I posted was pretty much the whole email n/t

    by hcc in VA on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:39:06 PM PDT