The Student Room Group

Why should footballers be on a better salary than soldiers? I think its wrong

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Original post by TurboCretin
Players are not just paid some arbitrary amount. Supply and demand. It's the same as people who argue that lawyers are paid too much. Well, no. Someone, somewhere is willing to pay for the service.


OP, this is the only post to which you need pay attention.
Reply 21
Original post by 7~UP
Any normal people would agree with me on this one, it just is not fair


As a football fan, i've had this discussion many times, and haven't honestly read the topic aside from briefly scanning the main points of your original post. I'll only post once. As I say, i've has this debate a hell of a lot, this opinion of mine isn't ever going to change so I need not to debate it, other than to share a new point of view.

Firstly, it's baffling as to why people seem so desperate to cap wages for football and increase those for soldiers - They're mutually exclusive. They're from different aspects of life. They rarely, if ever, connect. Aside from this debate, who has ever actually discussed football and soldiers in the same context over a serious issue?

Football has risen from the ashes of a working class game to have a wealth of riches. It may be seen as dirt-ridden now, but that was created by those who worked in the mines and factories up and down the country. This phantom was started by the working class. It's the precedent indication of what any man can do. If the working class can bring this sort of economical, visual spectacle, with such magnitude, to the masses, why should it be looked against for current wealth? Football earnt it's wealth. Leave it be.

And lastly, and most important part in my eyes;

Consider we give soldiers big wages, not even to the extent world class footballers have it, but in comparison to what we give out now an incredible difference. Future soldiers will be in it for the money, pure and simple. What sort of motivation is that for a position such as a soldier? Not to fight for the pride of your country, but for the cash flowing in your pocket. That could create an ugly army.

Soliders have it tough, and probably deserve more than they get. This idea to compare their wages to footballers is bloody stupid though, and always has been.
Reply 22
Original post by honestly
well tell all those supporters who pay the over valued payments made to these 'men' who think running after a inflated rubber thing around a pitch..... they behave as if they are members of a noble profession....

many people say they have no money to pay the tax man blah blah blah,,,, if you have money for football matches then you have more than enough to pay for the over worked trainee clinicians (Gp's dentists nurses), lawyers, public servants and all the rest of them......


im not against football... but its getting abit silly these days.... at one time footballers were the members of the community who arranged teams and enjoyed the association. These days they leave their communities for the shires and are not role models for young men.....ah thats another thing, what on earth has it done for women,,,,,,,,, lets be honest,, most papers and news reports the immoral conduct of these 'men'

honestly


The women's game is more popular than it has been before. In the US, it compares closely to the men's game for fans. In the stands in Europe, more women go to games now than they have done for decades, proving that the impact to get females back into the game after the violence of the 80's is successfully being achieved.

As for role models, you do realise there are 92 football league clubs in England alone right, not just Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal? The vast majority of clubs work togetehr with their local communities and especially hospices to connect their communities together using their social status and pull. Football is taking steps against racism that no other sport or government-backed regime has in the last decade. Football brings families together, creates communities of it's own and offers jobs to hundreds of thousands of people in this country.

But hey, this industry does absolutely nothing, right?
Reply 23
Soldiers are paid from tax money, footballers are paid from spare cash after tax and bills. If you'd like to rebalance the pay, then you'd have to hugely increase tax, bills or both.
I think Footballers earn way too much money for what they do, but plenty of other people in other professions do. It isn't about how difficult or how important the job is, it's about who is paying and how much they are paying you. Soldiers are payed by the Government, Footballers are not.

Plenty of other people in different professions are grossly underpaid, ie. Architects.
Reply 25
Footballers are basically self-employed with a bunch of middle-men; their money comes out of the pockets of all the people who pay for tickets, merch, licensed products etc etc - if people are willing to pay, who are you to say they don't deserve it? And as to 'most people would love that job', well, to do that job you need to be exceptional, and most people, by definition, aren't; nobody would pay the money they do to watch people play football no better than they can.
TL;DR: you're not paying them, so why do you care?
Reply 26
3 Words, "Supply and Demand".
Reply 27
Original post by Domeface
Footballers are basically self-employed with a bunch of middle-men; their money comes out of the pockets of all the people who pay for tickets, merch, licensed products etc etc - if people are willing to pay, who are you to say they don't deserve it? And as to 'most people would love that job', well, to do that job you need to be exceptional, and most people, by definition, aren't; nobody would pay the money they do to watch people play football no better than they can.
TL;DR: you're not paying them, so why do you care?


Most of the money comes from TV rights (Sky / ESPN)
Hey, if you want to pay soldiers a weekly wage of £100,000 be my guest. Just don't expect me or any other taxpayer to pay for it. Soldiers are in the public sector, footballers work in an entirely private sector where their wages are voluntarily paid by customers.

Therefore you are an idiot.
Original post by ======
A lot of soldiers are uneducated chavs who did crap in school and made no effort, and can't get a job due to lack of qualifications and therefore end up ''joining the army''.


What a load of crap. This is the typical mindset of a wannabe liberal who actaully has no idea what they are talking about. Uneducated chavs either fail basic training, or buck up and transform themselves. Is that a bad thing?

Original post by BCUciaran
How to kill innocent women and children in an illegal war. Yeah I don't think I will or will want to learn that during my degree, thanks all the same though.


This is an even bigger load of crap. 'Kill innocent women and children'? Are you having a laugh?

Original post by ======
And yes I can imagine the officers and soldiers ****ting all over me, because they are aggresive bullies who think violence is the answer to everything.


No, they would **** all over you because you're a disgusting degenerate who thinks because he's a student that he knows everything and can vent his opinion on matters he knows nothing about.


Original post by ======
I feel sick when people call them ''heroes'' and are proud of them ''serving our country''. These people kill innocent civilians and rape young girls and women ... I wouldn't even spit on them, never mind call them heroes.


Provide some evidence to back up your claims, or withdraw them. Students commit more acts of rape than soldiers do. I have seen countless drunken students starting fights and assaulting people for no reason. By your logic, all students are drunken rapists and aggressive bullies? Yes?
You really need to understand that WE ARE AT WAR. Yes, civilians die. It's regretable. But you seem to think that is army doctrine to specifically go out of our way to kill and rape civilians. That's a disgusting insult. You should be ashamed of yourself. Ignorant fool.
Soldiers are nothing more than рабов. Sadly so.
Reply 31
Original post by pol pot noodles
What a load of crap. This is the typical mindset of a wannabe liberal who actaully has no idea what they are talking about. Uneducated chavs either fail basic training, or buck up and transform themselves. Is that a bad thing?



This is an even bigger load of crap. 'Kill innocent women and children'? Are you having a laugh?



No, they would **** all over you because you're a disgusting degenerate who thinks because he's a student that he knows everything and can vent his opinion on matters he knows nothing about.




Provide some evidence to back up your claims, or withdraw them. Students commit more acts of rape than soldiers do. I have seen countless drunken students starting fights and assaulting people for no reason. By your logic, all students are drunken rapists and aggressive bullies? Yes?
You really need to understand that WE ARE AT WAR. Yes, civilians die. It's regretable. But you seem to think that is army doctrine to specifically go out of our way to kill and rape civilians. That's a disgusting insult. You should be ashamed of yourself. Ignorant fool.


Here is the tip of the ice berg! Do not tell me "WE ARE AT WAR" wake up you [leaves to imagination]. THERE IS NO WAR IT IS A LIE!!!!!!!! God this has really p***** me off!

http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/10/24/brit-soldier-killed-iraq-girl-aged-eight-as-she-played-115875-22654792/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/8327447/90000-civilians-killed-in-Iraq-war-over-five-years.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/uk-troops-blamed-for-iraqi-civilian-death/story-e6frg6so-1226132651649

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=643&q=iraqi+civilian+deaths+by+uk&oq=iraqi+civilian+deaths+by+uk&aq=f&aqi=&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=552l9315l0l9630l21l19l5l4l4l0l190l968l7.3l10l0

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=573_1250716349

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3w2mGQ7V3Q

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/army-chief-warnings-over-iraqi-civilian-deaths-were-ignored-786550.html

http://couchtripper.com/rapedbysoldiers/?cat=4

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23957.htm

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47871

http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2010/04/12/a-deal-with-the-devil/

http://news.antiwar.com/2010/01/02/us-killed-700-civilians-in-pakistan-drone-strikes-in-2009/

http://childvictimsofwar.org.uk/the-weapons/drones/

http://www.iraqiorphanfoundation.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTVzxsvWJTw
Reply 32
Original post by ======
A lot of soldiers are uneducated chavs who did crap in school and made no effort, and can't get a job due to lack of qualifications and therefore end up ''joining the army''.

Soldiers don't deserve any special treatment.


Regardless of how you feel about soldiers, it seems misguided and disrespectful to discount what they're actually doing out there on the front lines. Simply put, they put their lives on the line so that you can maintain your current way of life. They deserve respect. Furthermore, I don't think very many individuals would argue with the fact that footballers and athletes in general make far too much money for what it is that they do...granted I understand that they spend a significant amount of time and effort perfecting their craft and they do in theory put their bodies and lives on the line every time that they step out on the pitch.
Original post by Stilo
Regardless of how you feel about soldiers, it seems misguided and disrespectful to discount what they're actually doing out there on the front lines. Simply put, they put their lives on the line so that you can maintain your current way of life. They deserve respect. Furthermore, I don't think very many individuals would argue with the fact that footballers and athletes in general make far too much money for what it is that they do...granted I understand that they spend a significant amount of time and effort perfecting their craft and they do in theory put their bodies and lives on the line every time that they step out on the pitch.


When it comes to wars like WW2 yes. Iraq though? I imagine my life would still be the same if we hadn't gone in there. Not trying to start a debate or anything but it's a slippery slope if we blindly support every war our soldiers are partaking in.
Original post by BCUciaran
How to kill innocent women and children in an illegal war. Yeah I don't think I will or will want to learn that during my degree, thanks all the same though.


Blame the politicians for the so called illegal war. Soldiers aren't there to be politics, they're there to do a job and that's what they do, regardless of their own feelings on the matter. There are civilian casualties in any war, and BOTH sides have been responsible. Funny how we always focus on American/British forces doing this though.


Original post by ======
The things you life in life (regardless of what job you are in) is worth a great deal more than a degree. And yes I can imagine the officers and soldiers ****ting all over me, because they are aggresive bullies who think violence is the answer to everything.

Becoming a soldier is similar to some who go into teaching. They don't really know what to do with their life and have the whole, ''I'll go into teaching'', ''I'll join the army'' attitude. They'll do it for the sake of it, but lack passion and enthusiasm for the career and don't really have any valid reasoning behind their decision.


I'm sure both soldiers and teachers would disagree with you there. The UK lacks the 'oorah' patriotism of the US but that does not mean that all soldiers join up 'for the sake of it.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 35
Original post by Stilo
Regardless of how you feel about soldiers, it seems misguided and disrespectful to discount what they're actually doing out there on the front lines. Simply put, they put their lives on the line so that you can maintain your current way of life. They deserve respect. Furthermore, I don't think very many individuals would argue with the fact that footballers and athletes in general make far too much money for what it is that they do...granted I understand that they spend a significant amount of time and effort perfecting their craft and they do in theory put their bodies and lives on the line every time that they step out on the pitch.


I know there are legitimate reasons to use military action but what happened in Iraq and still happens in Afghanistan is absolutely horrible, hell on earth. Countless civilians have lost their lives at the hands of the US/UK. I read one story recently how an 8 year old girl stepped out in front of a tank and was shot dead.. it is just not possible to justify this illegal ‘war’. The only comfort these people have is the fact that these ‘soldiers’ will have to meet their maker one day… how could they explain blasting children and women to death and the countless rapes? You then have the audacity to demand respect for these actions?
Reply 36
Original post by HarveyCanis
When it comes to wars like WW2 yes. Iraq though? I imagine my life would still be the same if we hadn't gone in there. Not trying to start a debate or anything but it's a slippery slope if we blindly support every war our soldiers are partaking in.


Yes, I agree. I was trying to avoid any type of political statement because I am an American who certainly opposes my nations involvement in most Middle Eastern affairs. No need for us to accrue more debt. My point more so was simply the fact that soldiers need to be respected and need to be backed by the citizenry, they fight and die for you supposedly, so it doesn't take much to reciprocate.
Reply 37
Original post by JohnC2211
Blame the politicians for the so called illegal war. Soldiers aren't there to be politics, they're there to do a job and that's what they do, regardless of their own feelings on the matter. There are civilian casualties in any war, and BOTH sides have been responsible. Funny how we always focus on American/British forces doing this though.




I'm sure both soldiers and teachers would disagree with you there. The UK lacks the 'oorah' patriotism of the US but that does not mean that all soldiers join up 'for the sake of it'.


With respect, did you even read my last posts? I amarguing that soldiers are raping, shooting dead women and children and robbing familes.. I blame the government for initiating the 'war' in the first place but now I am talking abou the actions of soldiers in Afg at this time..

Yes, some soldiers are doing their job and protecting people but the statistics are stark so many many soldiers appear to think this is some kind of console game out there...
Reply 38
Because we live in a capitalist society, and so we get both the pros and the cons that come with having such a system.
Reply 39
For the record I'm not discounting the fact that there are malicious, evil, soldiers out there who partake in horrendous crimes against middle eastern residents. I'm simply saying that on the whole, I would imagine, most of these soldiers are good people and are fighting for our countries sakes.

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