If the Mussolini Blackshirt analogy is too over-the-top for you, how about this question: how is it possible that we have these thugs doing the jobs that traditionally belong to our soldiers, who are both law-abiding and way cheaper?
Well, blame privatizing guru Milton Friedman for that. His Chicago School economists wrecked Latin America with their "economic shock therapy," but now Latin America has seen the light, reversed these policies, and is gaining wealth under their own homegrown therapies, like those of Hugo Chavez (the guy Pat Robertson wanted to assassinate).
But Milton Friedman's fundamentalism has stuck to our GOP like flies to dog poop. Bush/Cheney tried to privatize Social Security, and failed, but they've successfully privatized war, with Halliburton and Blackwater. There are more private contractors in Iraq than US soldiers. Murder itself has been privatized. As long as you have a government contract, you can kill at will. You can also "rebuild" Iraq's infrastructure with electrical and water systems that don't deliver if you're Halliburton. You can overcharge the government for shoddy work and get away with it. Work for which a contractor in the US would get sued, gets paid for out of your taxes. Deeds for which a US soldier would end up in the brig, a Blackwater employee at worst loses his job.
In the name of our Constitution, in the name of justice, in the name of good governance, in the name of all we hold dear — what next, America?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - troll
...companies wishing to do business in Iraq should pay for the mercenaries not the US government - the occupation could then be financed through a moderate inflation of prices
really privatize it
2 - Colin
This article by Naomi Wolf includes Blackwater as part of her 10 steps to a Facist America - I'm surprised actually that no-one here has written about the piece, it seems fairly contentious to say the least and I'd be interested to see some opinions on it.
From what I have heard and read of Blackwater they do amount to a very large and very, very, very well-armed private army out there somewhere in the woods, owing much of their current prosperity, to the current War on Terror.
Is that legal in the USA? I guess it must be, but if someone on the right did wanted to attempt a military coup (not that I believe that to be likely) they already have their troops in place.
3 - moonraven
Folks on this site are almost all right wing rednecks--they aren't going to have anything to say about Naomi Klein. They do not read anyone on the Left--ever.
Blackwater: Murder, Inc.
YOUR tax dollars at work.
All the perfumes of Arabia....
4 - Colin
Wrong Naomi Moonraven.
I thought the idea might infuriate conservatives so much that they would wish to debunk it - but then I don't know if it's even had much exposure in the USA.
My tax dollar is a tax pound, so it's only British violence I pay for.
5 - moonraven
On progressive sites such as Common Dreams Klein is always reprinted.
She is also reprinted here in Mexico--in Spanish--in La Jornada.
The folks on this site are not conservatives--they are redneck rubes. They wouldn't be able to spot an actual ideology if it hit them right between the butt cheeks.
6 - Lumpy
Wow. Offensive, ill-informed and mindlessly anti-capitalist all at the same time. A new low for Ash and that's really saying something.
7 - moonraven
Mindlessly anti-capitalist is an oxymoron--only capitalists are mindless.
[Personal attack deleted by Comments Editor]
8 - Baritone
Colin, Moon,
Don't fall over Moon, but I read Wolf's article. I found it excellent and revealing.
B-tone
9 - Lumpy
We offer mexican immigrants citizenship and salary to join the military. Doesn't that make them Mercenaries too? For that matter we pay most of the expenses of the Polish army forces in Iraq so they are mercenaries too, right?
And i'm still not getting the murder claim. They shot some terrorists and were cleared by a review board.. This is another bogus smear campaign. It gets dull.
10 - bliffle
From the accounts I've read so far it sounds like the Blackwater guys started shooting with no provocation and then continued shooting until they had killed some more citizens.
11 - Baritone
Yes, the review report was titled "A Whitewash for Blackwater."
Totally balanced and objective.
B-tone
12 - Doug Hunter
What is there to comment on? It's lame left wing propaganda put out by bitter idiots who attack the US system because in a competitive environment they're complete and utter failures. Welcome to their pity party; misery loves company.
13 - Cindy D
Doug, what are you the spokesman for the the most privileged class ever to exist in the entire fucking world?
Doug Hunter, what you--white, male, protestant?
95% of corporate wealth, 80% of political offices held by white, male, protestants.
Coincidence?
You had no help at all getting where you are Doug. History wasn't kind to you. Fucking competitive environment.
14 - Dave Nalle
I believe Doug is the spokesman for an even rarer group, people with half a brain whose minds aren't bizarrely warped by partisan propaganda.
I do love Blackwater, though. Wish it was publicly traded. I'd upgrade my KBR stock for Blackwater in an instant.
Dave
15 - Cindy D
I agree with the half a brain part.
16 - Dave Nalle
Half a brain being better than none.
Dave
17 - Asymptote
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
This war thus far, has extruded 2.2 million Iraqis as refugees to neighboring states, mainly in Syria and Jordan causing double digit raises in their population; 2.5 million Iraqis are displaced internally in Iraq ; millions are reduced to penury, stripped of basic amenities and left to fend off militias(extremist and Blackwater kinds). Sure, Saddam is no more. Try taking that to the market and see how many eggs you can buy with that. Many of those embittered refugees will end up embracing Binladen & co. Right, left or center, if any of us American morons believe this war is good in the long run, we are so mistaken. On the positive side of things, maybe it will be a good enough reason for Jenna to start another Gulf War when these refugee kids are contemplating a strike years down the line.
Blackwater's behavior is a natural progression of the Bush-Cheney ideologue : Have no brains, am trigger happy, will shoot before my iota of grey matter can fathom, sometimes even at friends (Iraqis and hunting partners alike :) )
18 - Cindy D
"...2.5 million Iraqis are displaced internally in Iraq ; millions are reduced to penury, stripped of basic amenities and left to fend off militias..."
This is of zero interest to the powers that be.
"Many of those embittered refugees will end up embracing Binladen & co. Right, left or center..."
This is of more interest. Who knows, it might even serve as a useful circumstance in the future.
Obviously, Iraq (read practice for Iran) wasn't easy as was planned.
The point is to control the oil in the middle east. Fungibility is not going to be as relevant as the ability to both control the reserves and reap the profit. When you have China and India whose demand will become huge, you can't have countries like Iran (who will be in a position to lock us out--making deals with China and India and controlling the oil production) sitting on oil that you need.
We can't have Iran acquire nuclear capabilities for the simple reason that once it does, we will have no say. We won't have the ability to just barge in on a manufactured pretext and take over.
All the money we spent and are spending could have gone to make other forms of energy more affordable. And we wouldn't have to kill people, and piss off not only Muslims, but the entire world.
19 - RJ
"mercenary organizations like Blackwater whose soldiers, recruited from the scum of the earth " the Stormtrooper thugs of former shady regimes in South Africa, Russia, Chile and elsewhere"
Disgusting. And dishonest.
Blackwater doesn't employ "mercenaries" or "soldiers" - they are civilians who provide security for diplomats, government officials, and others. Believe it or not, there's a difference. The security guard at your local bank isn't a "mercenary" or a "soldier" - he's a security guard. Sure, he might carry a gun, but so do police officers. Are cops "mercenaries" in your opinion?
Second, they aren't recruited from the "scum of the earth" - they are mostly retired American soldiers and Marines. Of course, as a Leftist, you probably view most American soldiers and Marines as "scum," but that doesn't make it so.
"Are Bush/Cheney raising their own private army of Mussolini-type Blackshirts or Hitler-type SS Stormtroopers?"
ROTFL! I thought the whole "Bush is Hitler" thing went out of style a few years ago...
"Bush/Cheney tried to privatize Social Security"
A lie. But then, since this is coming from someone who seems rather fond of Hugo Chávez Frías and his communist economic policies, as well as his clampdown on free speech, I probably shouldn't have expected much honesty...
"It's never too late to get fucked up on sex, drugs and rock 'n roll."
Apparently it's too late for you...
20 - RJ
"if someone on the right did wanted to attempt a military coup"
If they "did wanted to," they would be turned back by the millions of Americans who own firearms. You know, the whole Second Amendment thing that the Left wants to essentially repeal...
21 - RJ
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
Tell me, how many Jews would have been "left" in Europe had the United States not gone to "war" with Germany in WWII?
All Leftist slogans are easily refutable by actual real world evidence and common sense.
22 - Colin
"If they did wanted to"
Whoops, sorry, bad typage! I don't believe it would be right for me to have a view on American gun ownership laws, I don't live there. I just thought the article might be of interest, that's all.
You may not be able to buy stock Dave, but you can buy the clothes at their online store
23 - gator80
Your weaving of Milton Friedman references into your critique of the Blackwater situation indicates that you have never read a single word written by Friedman, let alone understand what he truly stood for.
24 - REMF
"Of course, as a Leftist, you probably view most American soldiers and Marines as "scum," but that doesn't make it so."
So as a Rightist who prefers to stay home while sending American soldiers and Marines over to fight your battles for you, and then compares being killed in combat to traffic fatalities, you think you're better...?
25 - Colin
It seems to be part of the Naomi Klein argument of Shock Capitalism Gator.
What did Friedman stand for? From what I have read (very little) it's basically free markets and privatisation with as small a state as is possible.