What do you think the main reason recruiting numbers are down?

[Horse with no Name]

[ck4829]

1. "Nobody wants to die for oil". The closest answer to "Don't want to fight"

The People are starting to say NO to this war.

[acmejack]

2. Same as above

No one in their right mind wants to be their ass shot off.

[yardwork]

3. Actually "dying for oil" isn't right either

As we've seen and history proves, everytime the U.S. goes to war the price of oil goes higher.

Our men and women in the service aren't dying for oil. They're dying to line Dickless Chainsaw's pockets.

[libodem]

4. Bogus war

bogus reasons. If I thought we were doing anything humanitarian for those poor damned people, I'd go over there. I think some of the, National guard, units are rebuilding some of what we destroyed in the first place and perhaps built a relationship or two with some of the people whom might be grateful to have us there but for the most part the quality of life is a tragic situation. Only 54% have access to clean water. A quarter of the children suffer from malnutrition. US civilian authorities cannot account for $100 million promised for projects in south-central Iraq. 193 women out of 100,000 births die in labor. Unemployment is running at just over 18%, literacy at 65%. No wonder they are able to recruit for the Army and police. I believe most civilians believe they were better off under Saddam.. Plus, If the army and police cordoned off all the streets and lined them with military presence on election day and then knocked on your door and said go vote...would you refuse?

[Horse with no Name]

6. My brother told me that they don't form any alliance with the

Iraqi people.
They cook, do their laundry, work on the base, etc. but the soldiers keep their distance because early on in the war, they got friendly with some of the Iraqi's. The word got outside the camp and those Iraqi's who interacted with the soldiers were tortured and killed.
He said that it was in the Iraqi's best interests not to speak to US soldiers for that reason and the soldiers reciprocate.

[LynnTheDem]

8. Unemployment 18% in Iraq?

...public services barely exist and unemployment is between 60 and 70 percent.

Real unemployment is close to 70 ...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6384700/

Edit: I see your 18%, the Iraqi officials/UN report

Based on its survey results, the ILCS estimates the unemployment rate, including discouraged workers (those who have given up looking), at 18.4 percent.

But also:

The jobless figure among young people—in a country where 39 percent of the population is less than 15 years old—is 33.4 percent and “reaches an astonishing 37.2 percent” among men with secondary or higher education.

***

But real unemployment is still over 60%.

[fishnfla]

5. other: the economy offers so many better jobs!

:eyes:

[Geo55]

7. How much "flowers an' candy" can ya stand ? n/t

[minnesotaDFLer]

9. people are wising up