Print

[tampachicken]

I will keep it short....Blackwater...no bid government contracts, yes privetizing american government services ...scares the bajeejees out of me!

[riar]

We haven't lost our rights, they were given away, by us, through ignorance/indifference/selfishness.

But, I know right were to find them. They're still right there in the Constitution, WE need to return them to their proper position of authority. By ending the rule by decree the President has under the War Powers Act.

There is nothing wrong with paid mercenaries at all. The French have used the Foreign Legion for decades. Mercenaries are nothing new.

Call them what you will, but those hired to provide security are there for specific purpose of fulling their contract, nothing more.
Those National Guard troops that confiscated weapons, and their officers in charge should have been Court Martialed. Again, it is not for the paid individuals to engage those troops unless directly in performance of their contract.

Regarding self regulation. I was referring to self(individual) regulation.

I agree with your starting points, but not with the French Foreign Legion analogy. This isn't the French Foreign legion at upwards of $200,000 plus a year salaries for many. And supplying security is one thing, there are 10,000 more contractors over there then soldiers. So everytime we have a military victory and see it as an accomplisment with only 170,000 troops it paints a false picture, like everything else over there. You have no problem with no accounting for 8.8 billion in tax payer's dollars? Who the heck sends cash money on pallets to a war zone? It went to  private contractors for what? They interfere with troops in a lot of instances. We have to worry about troop morale when we disclaim the war. How do you think they feel with guys running around with better arms, better vehicles, at 3 to 5 times the pay? You think the National Guard should have been court martialied, yet the contractors have immunity? See what I mean, absolutely no accountability or control over them. This isn't harmless when this much money is being sucked away with more contractors than soldiers. Who do we think we are Arab rich? The Roman Empire fell when they hired their army out.

[SMASH]

I agree with your starting points, but not with the French Foreign Legion analogy. This isn't the French Foreign legion at upwards of $200,000 plus a year salaries for many. And supplying security is one thing, there are 10,000 more contractors over there then soldiers. So everytime we have a military victory and see it as an accomplisment with only 170,000 troops it paints a false picture, like everything else over there. You have no problem with no accounting for 8.8 billion in tax payer's dollars? Who the heck sends cash money on pallets to a war zone? It went to  private contractors for what? They interfere with troops in a lot of instances. We have to worry about troop morale when we disclaim the war. How do you think they feel with guys running around with better arms, better vehicles, at 3 to 5 times the pay? You think the National Guard should have been court martialied, yet the contractors have immunity? See what I mean, absolutely no accountability or control over them. This isn't harmless when this much money is being sucked away with more contractors than soldiers. Who do we think we are Arab rich? The Roman Empire fell when they hired their army out.

They had to hire out for an army.
They were a democracy and the majority voted not to join the army to defend the empire.

I had an opportunity to do a CAX Op with some French Foreign Legion troops. Nice place to go if you need a new identity. After a five year enlistment you get French citizenship and a new passport, all with your new Legion name.

Oh, and no I really don't have a problem with 8.8 billion missing dollars. The government loses more than that in accounting errors and oversight every year. Beside if they really miss it, they'll just print more. Common practice.

[riar]

They had to hire out for an army.
They were a democracy and the majority voted not to join the army to defend the empire.

I had an opportunity to do a CAX Op with some French Foreign Legion troops. Nice place to go if you need a new identity. After a five year enlistment you get French citizenship and a new passport, all with your new Legion name.

Oh, and no I really don't have a problem with 8.8 billion missing dollars. The government loses more than that in accounting errors and oversight every year. Beside if they really miss it, they'll just print more. Common practice.

Quit being so blase' about the whole thing Smash. You ought to be mad. And maybe a little leerie that something worse than the usual political evil is going on.  Whisteblowers on Blackwater can find themselves outside of the safe zone in Iraq with no weapons. Oops another casualty of war. Does the French Foreign Legion have that action?There isn't any need to whistleblow when big money isn't involved. There is a lot to this over there. First the expose of Blackwater, and then a very brief segment on CBS morning news one morning by a Dr. David Warner who showed the same type of graft happening in Afghanistan. Money coming in for hospitals and new water lines to contractors. The money is gone and nothing happened. He was warned by the Pentagon not to expose that on TV. What's the Pentagon got to do with it? Then that female soldier was found shot in the head. Everyone would like to think it was because she was gay, but I caught that she had a desk job working with financial information. Maybe she was intended to be another oops, casualty of war because she was going to blow the whistle. Some people have ethics. I know somone whose daughter is working in Iraq as  as a receptionist for a contractor making $200,000 a year? My taxes are paying for it. Blackwater supports the religious far right. I don't like when my tax dollars channel over there from the Pentagon and State Depts. get into the hands of private corporations by the billions which they can then turn around and contribute to support the far religious right. My taxes get robbed from me. Without my consent, they get into the hands of private business, that vote for the side I oppose. There is something extremely unethical in that. It's just another freedom lost as far as you're concerned?

[marilyn.monroe]

I think the fact that we are using private security companies and calling up the National Guard Reserves shows that our military needs attention and/or we need to examine our priorities on world policy.

[SMASH]

Quit being so blase' about the whole thing Smash. You ought to be mad. And maybe a little leerie that something worse than the usual political evil is going on.  Whisteblowers on Blackwater can find themselves outside of the safe zone in Iraq with no weapons. Oops another casualty of war. Does the French Foreign Legion have that action?There isn't any need to whistleblow when big money isn't involved. There is a lot to this over there. First the expose of Blackwater, and then a very brief segment on CBS morning news one morning by a Dr. David Warner who showed the same type of graft happening in Afghanistan. Money coming in for hospitals and new water lines to contractors. The money is gone and nothing happened. He was warned by the Pentagon not to expose that on TV. What's the Pentagon got to do with it? Then that female soldier was found shot in the head. Everyone would like to think it was because she was gay, but I caught that she had a desk job working with financial information. Maybe she was intended to be another oops, casualty of war because she was going to blow the whistle. Some people have ethics. I know somone whose daughter is working in Iraq as  as a receptionist for a contractor making $200,000 a year? My taxes are paying for it. Blackwater supports the religious far right. I don't like when my tax dollars channel over there from the Pentagon and State Depts. get into the hands of private corporations by the billions which they can then turn around and contribute to support the far religious right. My taxes get robbed from me. Without my consent, they get into the hands of private business, that vote for the side I oppose. There is something extremely unethical in that. It's just another freedom lost as far as you're concerned?

Blase'?

Whistleblowers in Blackwater? In Iraq?
How about citizens rounded up by this government right here in the good ole' USA?
How about private property being siezed and people jailed during an armed inserection right here by the IRS, and the DEA, and the BATF?
How about the assult on our Constitution by the government through the Patriot Act?

Usual political evil? Why look to Iraq and Blackwater? Look in Washington DC, one leads to the other, follow the money.
Ask Ed and Elaine Brown about usual political evil. You will find a lot of answers there.
Well maybe not, they are just a couple of tax protesting whack jobs that have been fighting the government for years. Never mind that Constitution and law stuff. As we have for decades; just shut up, pay, and OBEY.

According to Catherine Austin Fitts, Asst. Sec. of Housing, in fiscal year 99 the DOD had 1.1 TRILLION in undocumentable adjustments.
In fiscal 2000 that number went to 2.3 TRILLION. Gee, wonder what it could be today?
Let's see "undocumentable adjustments", nice, they just don't know where it went.

So, in the grand scheme of things 8.8 billion is a blip on the radar.
It's OK they'll just print more, they always do. That's why we have a Federal Reserve System. Our official government counterfeiting operation.

Female soldier shot in the head? Goes to show, friendly fire really ain't! Murphy's Law of Combat, lookem up.
What was the final body count from that little government job in Waco, Texas? How about Ruby Ridge?

You don't like how the government gives away your money? I don't like how they steal it from me!!!
Ask a union member that votes Republican how they feel about unions giving millions to the Democrats without their consent. Is that how unions are supposed to spend members dues??

Wonder who came up with the idea to hire private contractors in Iraq?
Bush?
According to some he's not smart enough to tie his own shoes, so how could he come up with that one?
The Council on Foreign Relations? Maybe? HMMMMMMMMM?
I don't know, just a speculation on my part.
Who are the puppet masters?

If  the Constitution were truly the LAW of this nation, we would'nt be having this discussion.
The IRS would'nt exist and we would'nt be in Iraq.

Freedom is never lost!! It is either taken, or given away, by various means or efforts.
Right now in this nation we suffer from both. Now, you want to talk about being mad?

[sue lee]

8.8 billion a blip on the radar? If a few million is proposed to assist poor people, all of a sudden it is an outrage! Damn commies want to give my tax dollars to those dirty drug addicts. What a trip. Either all of it makes a difference or not.

[SMASH]

8.8 billion a blip on the radar? If a few million is proposed to assist poor people, all of a sudden it is an outrage! Damn commies want to give my tax dollars to those dirty drug addicts. What a trip. Either all of it makes a difference or not.

Need money for a program?
Fine, they can just print what you need. Unlike businesses that actually have to earn it by offering a product to sell.

A few digits in the ole computer, call over to the Treasury Dept., and poof!!!!!!!!
Money right out of thin air.

Ta Da.

[Greg Chamberlain]

I had an opportunity to do a CAX Op with some French Foreign Legion troops. Nice place to go if you need a new identity. After a five year enlistment you get French citizenship and a new passport, all with your new Legion name.

I think they did away with that practice. Although you can join the Legion under an assumed name, you have to normalize your military records in order to obtain French citizenship. By the way, I've always been impressed with the technical prowess of some of those Legionaries. The FAMAS is a tight little weapon for sure (although now I think the P90 is better).

[SMASH]

I think they did away with that practice. Although you can join the Legion under an assumed name, you have to normalize your military records in order to obtain French citizenship. By the way, I've always been impressed with the technical prowess of some of those Legionaries. The FAMAS is a tight little weapon for sure (although now I think the P90 is better).

If you are all about being in the field and engaged, join the Legion. They are the most deployed outfit in the world.
All war, all the time.

[marilyn.monroe]

Blackwater in the news today...Iraq votes them out of country.
State Dept. inspector-general bows out of Blackwater probe
CNN - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department's inspector-general announced Wednesday he would recuse himself from decisions involving security contractor Blackwater, after admitting his brother serves as an adviser to the company.
The Blackwater Gunner’s Account New York Times
Comment by Anne E. Tyrrell Spokeswoman, Blackwater
Washington Post - ABC News - NPR - Guardian Unlimited
all 516 news articles »
http://news.google.com/nwshp?tab=wn