Blackwater.

[The Man]

Sadly, they're still getting lots of contracts in the Obama administration.

Blackwater has spent heavily on Democratic lobbyists in 2010 and clearly it has paid off. Despite the investigations, the indictments, the trail of dead bodies, George W Bush's favorite mercenary company is thriving under the Obama Administration. After its original sugar daddy left town, Blackwater has happily remarried. Over the past two weeks, the Administration has awarded nearly a quarter billion dollars in new US government contracts to Blackwater to work for the State Department and CIA in Afghanistan and other hot zones globally.

In an interview Sunday on ABC's "This Week," CIA Director Leon Panetta made it clear that the Agency is dependent upon private security companies to operate globally. But, not just any private security companies. Specifically, Panetta said, the CIA needs Blackwater.

"I have to tell you that in the war zone, we continue to have needs for security. You've got a lot of forward bases. We've got a lot of attacks on some of these bases. We've got to have security. Unfortunately, there are a few companies that provide that kind of security," Panetta told Jake Tapper. "So we bid out some of those contracts. [Blackwater] provided a bid that was underbid everyone else by about $26 million. And a panel that we had said that they can do the job, that they have shaped up their act. So there really was not much choice but to accept that contract." While Tapper specifically asked Panetta about Blackwater's work in Afghanistan, the CIA contract is not limited to Afghanistan--it is a global contract.

[article continues]

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone at this point, btw. As long as the U.S. has a drastically expansionist foreign policy it’s pretty likely that the government is going to continue to hire mercenaries, and it’s also growing increasingly apparent that the Obama administration’s lip service to human rights is just that - lip service.

[ZEZOZE]

mercenaries allow you free time on the internet to talk about mercenaries.

[Waluigi]

I'm not opposed to private security firms in principle, if they're only to augment, not replace, government personnel. The problem with Blackwater was poor government oversight. They delegated the entire task of security to private firms, and didn't ensure those firms were acting appropriately. "Trust but verify" and all that.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Waluigi

I'm not opposed to private security firms in principle, if they're only to augment, not replace, government personnel.

Personally, I'd add the caveat that they have to operate under the same rules as government personnel.

[Zehava]

And be subject to the laws of the country in which they are working. No more blanket immunity for their actions.

I don't have a problem with private security firms providing body guard services to government officials or dignitaries. I do have a problem with them taking part in military style operations (house-to-house raids, searching out insurgents, etc.)

[Crumb]

Originally Posted by ITSOZAZ

mercenaries allow you free time on the internet to talk about mercenaries.

So does not invading other countries, though it sadly leaves you with no mercenaries to talk about...

[ZEZOZE]

the internet is an oil based industry. our whole western way of life is oil based. we need to invade countries to have what we have. we need all the oil in the world if we want to talk about the whole world like its ours...which i suppose it is. because of oil. and all that worrying about the state of the world (that is actually a concern for running out of resources and therefore time on the internet) is hard on our minds and so we invade other countries to take our pain away...and when they have both pain relievers AND oil, well...you just never go away.

of course we have to invade countries to be free on the internet.

[Crumb]

I respectfully disagree. The way it is, is not the way it has to be.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by ITSOZAZ

the internet is an oil based industry.

How so?

[Dingfod]

Originally Posted by ITSOZAZ

the internet is an oil based industry. our whole western way of life is oil based. we need to invade countries to have what we have. we need all the oil in the world if we want to talk about the whole world like its ours...which i suppose it is. because of oil. and all that worrying about the state of the world (that is actually a concern for running out of resources and therefore time on the internet) is hard on our minds and so we invade other countries to take our pain away...and when they have both pain relievers AND oil, well...you just never go away.

of course we have to invade countries to be free on the internet.

Of course, if Canada knows if it doesn't toe the line, it's next.

[Dingfod]

Originally Posted by Adamus Prime

How so?

Plastics, man, plastics. They're the future, and they're made out of oil, cheap oil.

[ZEZOZE]

Originally Posted by Crumb

I respectfully disagree. The way it is, is not the way it has to be.

i missed this reply. you aren't disagreeing with me. i'm just saying how things are...daddy-o

[ChuckF]

Originally Posted by ITSOZAZ

the internet is an oil based industry. our whole western way of life is oil based. we need to invade countries to have what we have. we need all the oil in the world if we want to talk about the whole world like its ours...which i suppose it is. because of oil. and all that worrying about the state of the world (that is actually a concern for running out of resources and therefore time on the internet) is hard on our minds and so we invade other countries to take our pain away...and when they have both pain relievers AND oil, well...you just never go away.

of course we have to invade countries to be free on the internet.

Excepting your usual idiot pablum (i.e. "and all that worrying about the state of the world etc. etc.") I pretty much agree with you and Lenin re: imperialism as an advanced stage of capitalism, or maybe vice versa.

[ZEZOZE]

Originally Posted by ChuckF

I pretty much agree with you

as i've been saying: the end of the world.