How much are English troops' lives worth in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Apparently a bit over £500,000 annually

"Tony Blair is to take a job with JPMorgan Chase, the international financial services and investment banking group, The Times learnt last night.
(...)
Sources said last night that Mr Blair would advise the bank on global political issues. His salary is unknown but is likely to be more than £500,000."

Ah-huh.

"Mr Blair said that he expected to agree to “a small handful” of similar appointments with other companies in different sectors. He is believed to have held talks with other banks, such as HSBC and Citigroup, about such roles and there was speculation at the end of last year that he would take a position at Credit Suisse because of his close friendship with Russell Chambers, one of the bank’s senior executives."

So perhaps he will be on many companies in different positions. Paid positions.

Isn't this great - the UK squaddies in Iraq and Afghanistan must be feeling great knowing that they are there so that great demagogue Tony Blair will be laughing all the way to the bank.

It is the American way actually - to work full time as an employee for the corporations that you worked for (by voting for laws that benefit them) when you were a politician. It works like this - as a politician, you pass laws these firms like, and right after you "retire" from the stressful political world, you are hired by those firms to lobby for them or be on some kind of a 'decorative' position (VP for the department of doing nothing, for example), while getting paid. It is a reward for a politician for voting 'correctly' i.e. voting for the benefit of a corporation or an industry. Thanks for voting against those safety regulations in the coal mines, senator, and now for your retirement welcome to the Coal Mine Industry Lobby - uh, and here's your first monthly check of $150,000...

Kids, can you spell C O R R U P T I O N ?

Now Tony, it seems, will not work for one company like normal US congress critters, but work for several. At once.

And why not?

The payoff for a US congress critter is infinitely smaller than for an ex UK Prime Minister. It's the free market in action folks!

"Mr Blair told the Financial Times: “I have always been interested in commerce and the impact of globalisation. Nowadays, the intersection between politics and the economy in different parts of the world, including the emerging markets, is very strong.”"

Yes, the intersection between politics and commerce is very strong.

For example, one particular country comes to mind.

It's name starts with the letter 'I'.



Still.... £500,000+?
British troops lives seem like a bargain to me...