'A Bribe, by any other name...' or, Sovereign 'Guns for Hire'

President Bush Seeks $400 Million Fund to Reward Allies in Iraq, Afghanistan

While I understand that some countries elected not to join the 'coalition of the willing', especially when doing so was perceived by them as not being in the interest of their country or their people, the idea that we (the U.S.) should be compensating other nations (regardless of their size or GNP) is somewhat revolting.

No, let me rephrase that. It's absolutely insulting. Paying these nations, like Poland or [insert name of your allied nation of your choice, except Britain], is tantamount to bribery. Or turning the armed forces of other sovereign nations into 'guns for hire'.

Nobody paid US to go in there. There was no payback in the form of Iraqi oil to cover OUR expenses as had been touted. Or are Bush and his cronies taking our particular cut of that $400MM pie for themselves (perhaps in the form of Halliburton shares)?

Noble as it sounds, we went in waving the banner of Democracy, for Democracies' sake. If democracy is as important to our allies as it is to us, then why do they need to be paid (off)?

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Long story, short: It's either a bribe, or the fact is, these other nations actually priced out their armed forces as mercenaries for hire. Given that some of these nations could pass for third world countries, I suppose I can't blame them. But you'd think Bush would be polite enough not to insult them publicly by buying them off openly. Rather, while shaking their hand with one, and handing them their payoff with the other, in the form of say, relief aid, economic stimulus packages, or some other equally transparent label.