9/11 PAYOUTS COULD REACH $6 BILLION...developing

Drudge Report ^ | September 1, 2002

[Dante3]

You raise a good point. I have no problem is large sums are given to the families of our soldiers killed in Afghanistan or to the police protecting our lives. But not to the wealthy stock brokers of WTC who splurged on luxuries. But it's again the rich protecting the rich. I feel betrayed once again. If enough of us protest it might make some difference as was illustrated by O'Reilly and the Pepsi scandal.

[Asclepius]

Enlighten me and I'll discover if I feel differently.

To do so would be inconsistent with my own self interest. Consider a rule of general systems theory: the element of any system with the most options at its disposal, i.e. with the richest repertoire of responses, will dominate that system.

Ergo, binary, toggle-switch thinkers like yourself--good/evil, darkness/light, socialist/capitalist--are a positive asset for those of us who see the world more neutrally, in finer shades and subtle grades of gray. You can never be too thin, too rich, or have too many sheep wandering about in case you ever get hungry or you simply enjoy provoking sheep.

You just stay exactly the way you are, at precisely your level of development.

But I digress.

[caltrop]

As far as I know, military personnel are limited to the standard military death benefit. My view is that they're the only ones who should be getting anything. If the families of civilians killed on 9/11 wish to got to court they should be allowed to do so. I realize the horse has already left the barn on this but, should this happen again, we're setting a terrible precedent that's just plain wrong.

[WellsFargo94]

Our military do not get a death benefit. They pay for the government life insurance. A GI gets $18/mo. deducted from their pay for life insurance.

I also believe that when one gets out of the military, through seperation or retirement, they no longer qualify for SGLI.

Recently, they have offered SGLI coverage for spouses $100,000 (?). My feeling is that they had to start offering coverage for spouses because when a spouse dies there is usually a need for a hat to be passed around the unit to help defray costs, same thing for a child.

[WellsFargo94]

I am surprised that military personnel were not eligible for the Federal Thrift Savings Plan 401k until recently. Are they eligible now?

They are now, but it is poorly advertised.

[NMC EXP]

Ergo, binary, toggle-switch thinkers like yourself--good/evil, darkness/light, socialist/capitalist...

Not a bad description of an engineer like myself. Critical thinking and the objective analysis of data are the cornerstone of the profession.

...for those of us who see the world more neutrally, in finer shades and subtle grades of gray.

Not a bad description of an academic such as yourself.

Next time you prepare to board an aircraft compare your chances of arriving intact at your destination if:
1) a "black/white thinker" such as myself designed and built that machine.
2) a "subtle shades of gray" thinker like you designed and built that machine.

You just stay exactly the way you are, at precisely your level of development.

And you are welcome to your condition....assuming of course that you are not at least partially funded via the public teat. But I doubt that is the case.

Regards

J.R.