How RDA Conducts Business (cont. from Parkers office on pandora)

[Tsu'roen]

They may have to wait for a looong time as all ships that are already on the way are fully loaded with replacement crew. And I doubt Jake and the Na'vi cared too much about the human's internal problems for the trip home.

As for the legal slavery - that's called Raw Capitalism! -  And yeah - you don't need to leave Earth for that.

Like Janis said "... Freedom's just another word for nothing left to loose ..."

But I doubt the RDA would get trough with that on a large scale. Their facilities are far away from control trough the upper management and they can't afford any revolts on far away planets. Also motivated workers do much better work than unmotivated or pressed. Further since the RDA has a total monopoly on all space trade they will fare way better by squeezing out their customers than having unhappy workers. I rather think working for the RDA is like working on today's offshore oilrigs - hard, dangerous and far away from civilization but very well paid. Also they need highly qualified specialists and not just some low qualified hacks.

And most of their crew will most likely be singles like Jake - family men don't go lightly on a 20 year work gig (unless they want to run away) as their wives won't likely be waiting all that time.

But that brings up another point - the RDA will want to make sure that they have a nearly 1:1 proportion of men and women on a far outpost like Pandora - or provide a company brothel. Otherwise things may get out of control. In that light it also had made sense that in the original script Norm and Trudy had an affair. 

[Zefanaya]

i have never heard that they make anti matter but if that stuff touches matter you can say good bye to something about the size of the state of Maine, and I think that the Na'vi would offer them the same chance to transfer into their avatar bodies like Jake, assuming not that many stayed behind and when the other ships get their (assuming they have more military people aboard) what will they do just turn around or will the Na'vi have to threaten to kick their butts again I think AVTR 2 will deal with that and show more of Pandora.

Eywa ngahu

[kintìomum]

But I doubt the RDA would get trough with that on a large scale. Their facilities are far away from control trough the upper management and they can't afford any revolts on far away planets. Also motivated workers do much better work than unmotivated or pressed. Further since the RDA has a total monopoly on all space trade they will fare way better by squeezing out their customers than having unhappy workers. I rather think working for the RDA is like working on today's offshore oilrigs - hard, dangerous and far away from civilization but very well paid. Also they need highly qualified specialists and not just some low qualified hacks.

I think there's two types of "off-earth-workers" to be distinguished.
On the one hand we got those beyond orbit but in our solar system. For these there is no big hurdle in coming back. Pay the trip, go on board the next in-system-craft and have a nice time with your money earned.
The other kind are these on Pandora. The transport there is terribly expensive and I guess no one can afford it if it isn't paid for by the RDA. Either full for important folks that need some special treatment (medical, psych, whatever) back on Earth or partwise for not-so-important fellows that give their 4-year-payment to get back.

And payment could indeed be generous:
The RDA controls all interstellar craft and I guess almost every single one that's able to travel farther than Earth-Moon. This gives them the great advantage of being able to pay high monthly salaries while at the same time defining the time a worker has to stay before he/she's even able to pay for the flight back. And since no one goes out there just to come back a few years older and with nothing else earned it's a "fair" deal for both sides.

And an even mix of men/women makes much sense. There's jobs a man is "made for" and other's were women are simply better, no matter what the reasons are. It will surely help to improve the work climate if the numbers are more or less even.

[Zefanaya]

I agree, no matter where you go you need a good work environment (i am an explorer so going to work or do research on Pandora would be my dream job and i would just sign like a 12 year contract with RDA and stay on Pandora as long as I could) the need for a good work environment is strained even greater when you are almost 5 light years from earth.

Eywa ngahu

[dky.tehkingd.u]

I kind of equate the RDA to the Trading Companies that existed back when colonies were all the rage among all the big nations.

One thing that doesn't perfectly equate though is the lack of coercing the Colonized (Na'vi in this case) to work for the Colonists.

[kintìomum]

Oh, they tried that.
It's clearly stated that the Avatars where meant to be workers in the Pit as long as the locals aren't properly trained or willing to work there.
But then someone (Neytiris sister) decided to take actions and set a bulldozer on fire and got shot while they tried to hide in Grace's school.
Sure, this isn't shown in the film but you can get a glimpse of it through Grace's comment towards Parker: "...and suddenly relations go bad." - "That happens when you are shooting them with machine guns!"

[dky.tehkingd.u]

Ahh yes I forgot about that particular part of the backstory.

[Zefanaya]

Oh, they tried that.
It's clearly stated that the Avatars where meant to be workers in the Pit as long as the locals aren't properly trained or willing to work there.
But then someone (Neytiris sister) decided to take actions and set a bulldozer on fire and got shot while they tried to hide in Grace's school.
Sure, this isn't shown in the film but you can get a glimpse of it through Grace's comment towards Parker: "...and suddenly relations go bad." - "That happens when you are shooting them with machine guns!"

well that really clears some things up Irayo.

Eywa ngahu