More on the You Signed the Contract

In my previous post I mentioned another USMC acronym; U Signed the Mothefing Contract.

Well, back in 2002 I still had over 3 years to go on my active duty portion of my "contract" with the United States government. A realization overcame me when as I watched ESPN. Michael Strahan, of the Football Giants, was angry over his contract negotiations. Strahan declared he would holdout and was very critical of the proposed 56 million offered by the Giants because of the structure of the deal.

Now, I'm not criticizing Mr. Strahan for going for the most money he could but what stuck in my mind was how much attention was paid to the issue and how much sports people we willing to back Strahan if he decided to hold-out and not honor the final year of his contract in order to be cut loose and sign for millions with another team.

I used to joke, while I was in Iraq, I was going to demand the Corps trade me to the Air Force if they didn't renegiotate my contract. I pointed to the accomplishments of my previous "season" in 2003. I shot Expert on the rifle range, performed a 1st class PFT, and I earned a NAVCOM in Afghanistan for my intel work filling a SSgt billet while I was a Cpl. Sadly, we all know my "demands" for a trade if acted upon or voiced to the media would have resulted in brig time and the labeling of traitor from the likes of Uber-patriot Melanie Morgan. Listen to Melanie here declare all antiwar types fall under one big umbrella of traitor. (Originally from Spocko's Brain)

Why do the American people allow such latitude with sports heroes in ignoring their signed contracts (in every sport) eventhough they are being paid millions? While US service members are held to some Shylockian, Iron-clad, stamped into the very fabric of the universe law of THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN SIGNED?

I think it's very clear. The federal government is a crime cartel. Individuals are afraid because the government grants itself the power to imprison or kill enemies or it's own people. But, the government is an abstract comprised of individuals. The another issue is people who work for the establishment, the state don't consider themselves responsible. After all they're just a small cog in the machine. They don't personalize the evils which befall other members of the state, especially service members. No one who works for the state sees themselves as the enforcer as the Sammy the Bull Gravano.

And after all they volunteered.