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Warfare means business
- Text size
Gavin Mathis
The Evergreen Review
February 13, 2009
Blackwater Worldwide’s days of roaming Iraqi streets with impunity are over. The State Department decided against renewing the government’s contract with the notoriously trigger-happy mercenary force last month after the Iraqi government announced its revocation of Blackwater’s operating license. Considered the epitome of America’s reckless exploitation efforts in post-war Iraq, Blackwater’s infiltration into the war effort is symbolic of America’s rampant privatization efforts of the past quarter-century.
Before the current economic collapse, nearly every aspect of American life was placed under siege by privatization efforts – schools, social security, health care, prisons and even the military. Tasks inherent to a nation-state were outsourced to private firms that accumulated millions in taxpayer funds and turned Iraq into their own personal sandbox.
Once an obscure paramilitary company based in North Carolina, Blackwater became infamous when a handful of its employees allegedly opened fire on a congested Baghdad traffic intersection without provocation. The incident left the corpses of 17 Iraqi civilians bleeding in the streets and strained U.S. relations with Iraq.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Despite the best efforts of the Pentagon to create a legal loophole for defense contractors, five of the Blackwater employees involved in the bloody shootout were indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury last December. Each indicted member is facing 14 counts of voluntary manslaughter and 20 counts of attempted manslaughter.
Critiquing the recourse of the Blackwater guards will accomplish nothing. Iraq is a “shoot first and ask questions later” place. Instead, Americans should be alarmed by the menacing iron triangle – the policy-making apparatus consisting of the bureaucracy, legislative committees, and interest groups – that turned Blackwater into Bush’s Praetorian Guard.
In the eyes of the Bush administration, Iraq was an incredible success. They turned the American war machine into a profitable industry, and Blackwater was at the forefront of this capitalist nexus. Chronicles of America’s imperial folly in Iraq are as numerous as they are diverse, but Blackwater’s meteoric rise and fall in Iraq is the coup de grace. Like a parasite sucking blood from its host, Blackwater attached itself to America’s morbid fascination with greed and, as journalist Jeremy Scahill put it, made a killing off the killing in Iraq.
Blackwater’s forces are no longer relegated to the conflict-zones of the Middle East. Erik Prince, Blackwater’s founder, sent his armed militia to the hurricane-ruined streets of New Orleans to suppress looters in the wake of Katrina. Coursing up and down the streets of the French Quarter with loaded assault rifles, the scene was described by Scahill as “Baghdad on the Bayou.” The thought of an ultra-right wing executive protecting the wealthy elite of an American city with his personal paramilitary force sounds like a plot line ripped from the pages of Orwell or Kafka.
In the eyes of Prince, Katrina was an opportunity to diversify. Just like the Wall Street banks that continually find new ways to make money, Blackwater found a crisis and exploited it – disaster capitalism at its worst. President Dwight Eisenhower warned about the increased influence of the military-industrial complex in his farewell address, but not even Eisenhower could foresee the ominous encroachment of private military firms on domestic soil.
Many people find Blackwater to be an old story – a relic of Bush’s Iraq fiasco. However, as Blackwater’s final days in Iraq come to a close, the nation’s new president needs to be reminded that he is accountable to the people, not to the war profiteers of the military-industrial complex. The emergence of America’s mercenary army should serve as a cautionary tale of what happens when capitalist might collides with militant ideologues.
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February 13th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
More money in the pockets of the Military Industrial Complex, courtesy of YOUR TAX DOLLARS! Yeah, HALF of your annual income goes to pay for s--- like this. Haven’t you had enough?!
I’ve done my part. Will you do yours? The enemy uses BILLIONS of YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY every year in the agenda to keep us enslaved. Yes, HALF of your income and even MORE in the future will go to these CRIMINALS running the show in DC and the BANKS. How much more are we going to take before we join together and push back? I know there are at least 2 million Infowarriors out there who can contribute 5 bucks to the cause. That’s a $10 million injection into the Infowar which will help get the word out to more people!! It’s ONLY awareness by the masses that will stop this in it’s tracks! This is a war, people, and as we all know from Iraq, wars need funding–except I’m not lying to justify my case!!! The only difference is we’re not able to steal from the citizens to fund our war. It has to come from US! Please donate today! Thanks for your support…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uns4n_Rd1do
What’s 5 bucks today for a chance at freedom the rest of your lives…?
mrmakymkay Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
i also thought that pmc’s(private military companies) were illegal. that happened shortly after a pmc from south africa helped one of the african nations for sum dollars of course.
dont remember the hole story, so i have to go research.
mrmakymkay Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
try this too
http://www.globalpolicy.org/na.....debate.htm
mrmakymkay Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/.....tcomes.htm
this is the company i was talkin about in original post
mrmakymkay Reply:
February 13th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
i didnt have time to read this right now but looks interesting
http://www.conflits.org/index11502.html
February 13th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
No-bid contracts doled out by parasites in Washington D.C. is not privitization, its corporatism. Would you really expect anything else from government?
Social Viability Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Nope.
We can’t expect anything else from this political system. For a politician to enjoy a successful career, he needs funding. The “donors” that fund his election campaigns are, in fact, his employers. Politicians merely do what they’re instructed to do by their employers.
America is no democracy (not even close). Neither is it a republic.
It is a plutocracy. We are ruled by the central bankers that fund the political process.
The central bankers took over America in 1913. America was conquered when the Federal Reserve Act was passed.
It is time for revolution. And the only revolution that will be effective against the central bankers is a monetary revolution.
If you stop using the filthy money that they supply to you, their banking system will dissolve. When you switch to an alternative currency the bankers will no longer be able to steal from you through inflation and usury. You will not be dependent upon them for credit and you will no longer be dictated to by the politicians that the bankers employ.
Don’t fight the system:
Replace it
http://socialviability.com/
February 13th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
The next place for money to be made is here.
February 13th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
blackwater has a new name xe pronounced zee, its a occult term for higher order, do the math!
February 13th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Oh hey I just invested in this great new defense company called Darkliquid. Check it out!
February 13th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
NOT ALOWED TO WORK IN IRAGI ANYMORE BUT ON YOUR KNESS AND LOOK AT THE GROUND AS THEY PASS YOU U=IN THE U.S STREETS
February 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Well at lest the cops will have a big pool of killers to pick from comming to a town near you…
lock and load here comes the thugs…
/Bdubthug Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Blackwater winning or losing the contract means nothing. The WPPS contract has a finite amount of qualified people to fill it’s slot. Therefore the company leaves but the vast majority of its contractors stay in place.
BTW these are highly trained killers who have years of SOF experience. I know I am one. Getting them on our side is exactly what we need. They do what they do for money yes but they did it first in the military for Patriotism. Show them the truth and you will have no stronger friend in the days to come.
mrmakymkay Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 1:35 am
have you thought about doing training for those of us that might not be up to par?
/Bdubthug Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Violence is not the answer but being prepared never hurt. I have no problem training any sensible responsible person who wants to learn.
Jose Reply:
February 20th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Well i want to be trained because i apply to the army rotc program and probably join the SOF if they accept second lieutenant to training after 4 year of college at age of 20-23
Jose Reply:
February 20th, 2009 at 12:14 am
I want to learn on how to prepared and yes violence is never the answer and why did you join XE
February 13th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Humanity Will Win PRESENTS: STOP THE NEW WORLD ORDER!
Starring: YOU
A Save The Planet Production
Rated E for everyone!!!!!
http://WWW.WARNTHEPEOPLE.ORG
February 13th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
america needs war to employ americans. if americans were as smart as the arabs, chineese, indians, ect… who hold jobs in computer programming, medicine, and engineering, they would not need war.
mrmakymkay Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 1:36 am
biggest american production is weapons.
Five Fingers Freddy Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Maybe we should stop allowing them to come to this country to get educated at our universities. And trust me. You guys will be praying for Blackwater when the Messiah tries to throw together his Hitler Youth program early next year when it is obvious this spending bill has only made the country worse. There will be riots and the Hitler Youth will be employed…you’ll want the training and equipment of Blackwater on your side then.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
They’ll be back, or maybe they never went anywhere.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Blackwater no longer exists.
The company has been renamed Xe (pronounced “Zee”).
February 13th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
XE, Blackwater – they’re still going to be a bunch of ex-military thugs brandishing automatic weapons. The difference is that, if they try shooting civilians in America someday, they’ll find their sorry asses pumped full of lead by the Patriots that won’t put up with their murderous s---.
XE can go to hell, too.
Unemplyed Carpenter Reply:
February 15th, 2009 at 9:33 am
They already have in NO after katrina.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Come on Wall Street don’t be slow,
Man this is war a go go.
There’s plenty good money to be made,
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade.
Just hope and pray that when they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong…
AIPAC says go go
one of many Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
The ‘north american union’ rag?
February 14th, 2009 at 5:54 am
Nothing like a well placed .22 cal… In the event of our economy collapse you should have one. You can litterally carry about 2000 rounds on you.
February 14th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Yes, I love the much maligned .22. Run the same round through a rifle AND pistol. LOW recoil, accurate, light. Any man, woman or child can use it. And it WILL get’er done!
1EyE Reply:
February 14th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I have one. And the newly revered Remington 5MM Magnum. Higher velocity and flatter trajectory makes this little relic a great varmint sniper. And, Centurion Ordinance is manufacturing the bullet again! Let’s go get some varmints!
Unemplyed Carpenter Reply:
February 15th, 2009 at 9:38 am
AAAAAAAmen!! Call us critter getters. From NC
February 14th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Pretty harsh bro. If you could make 150k instead of 35k and provide for your family doing the exact same thing you would do it too. Those MERCs as you call them are the people your gonna want on your side when it all comes down. They have spent a lifetime defending this nation. Every group has its bad apples. But for the most part contractors are patriots who only pull the trigger when they have too.
HillbillyJihad&TheBubbaLiberationFront Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 1:44 am
That depends on the f---IN mission does it not???? Harsh…f--- that…you scrape the brains of babies off the streets of Baghdad boy!!! And you’re gonna’ tell me otherwise??? Punk-A ss overpaid Motherf---ers!!! f--- the dumb s---!!! Thermally Expand on that s--- bro’!!! Because Morals are non-existent!!! Would you kill your neighbor?? Would you??? I got your “Harsh” hangin!!! “All ‘HAIL’ Thermal Expansion!!!!”
February 14th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
The Houston Chronicle just reported in today’s paper that Blackwater worldwide has changed its name to Xe..pronunced Z.
February 15th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
i like daal and rice
February 15th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
This just in folks! NEWSFLASH! It has been proven that leaving posts on news clips does nothing to stop The New World Order!!
http://WWW.WARNTHEPEOPLE.ORG
February 16th, 2009 at 7:35 am
“…Blackwater’s infiltration into the war effort…”
Infiltration???!!! Ummm…they were HIRED by our government!
February 16th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Oh pleeeeease come protect us from the terrorists
February 16th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Just Killing for Fun the sick bastards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMdHKOUm7NM
February 18th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
they scratch my back ..i’ll scratch theirs…f--- iraq
February 19th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Make your own fliers and spread the word! Here is my flier and I put them on cars, in books, at college campuses, magazines, every!!!!!! It works!!!!!!!!!!
Care about the loss of your constitution and know what your government is up to!
Watch these videos (youtube) and spread the word
Eisenhower warns us of the military industrial complex
JFK Blows The Whistle on Secret Societies!
America freedom to fascism Clinton Chronicles Patriotism by Ron Paul
Loose change 9-11 Alex Jones / Dark Secret Inside the Bohemian Grove Part 1
Bilderberg exposed – Part 1/6 Blackwater: Shadow Army The Truth & Lies of 9/11
We Are Change Interviews 9/11 Whistleblower part 1 of 6
Exposing the Illuminati from Within Part 1
Those who gave their lives for these stories deserve to be heard!
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
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