Outlaws
People who function outside the law are, by definition, outlaws. Originally being declared an outlaw amounted to a near certain death sentence, because there was no protection for such people, anyone could kill them without fear of reprisal. It was the secular version of excommunication.
The Coalition Provisional Authority declared “military contractors” outlaws, i.e. they weren’t subject to anyone’s laws. The worst that could officially, legally happen to a “contract employee” was to be fired and sent home, if the corporation felt it was necessary.
When the four “military contract employees” were killed in Fallujah, hundreds of Iraqis were killed and the city was left in ruins. If the “contract employees” had gunned down 40 Iraqi women and children in the street, nothing would have happened to them. At the time, Markos correctly identified the men as mercenaries and was dismissive of their deaths. A lot of people were up in arms about his statements. I wonder how many more murders and rapes the mercenaries have to commit before people learn what life had already taught Markos – these people are outlaws and they are being paid with American tax dollars.
These are not security companies, they are Murder, Inc. They don’t provide protection, they provide terror.
When we get back to the serious business of rebuilding the US military after all of the abuse of the Hedgemony, it is my sincere hope that the US swears to never use mercenaries again in any capacity. People who work for the government of the United States must be subject to the laws of the United States. No more outlaws.
5 comments
Amen! We will make sure to do this…. if we survive this last year of Bush 43….
I hope so, I really do. My Swiss ancestors made a lot of money operating mercenary pike companies during the religious wars and the Italian wars, but they didn’t pretend they were anything other that mercenaries – it insured prompt payment.
I respect the men and women of our armed forces who serve our country with honor and distinction. They do not choose the mission, they make the sacrifices, and when they do the wrong thing they are answerable to courts martial.
Mercenaries, however, are just hired guns who have no loyalty to our constitution or system of government. They are not protecting America or American interests, but their own.
On one of the talking head shows the other day, someone did make mention of how profitable this war has been to these companies and how they are not going to let go of those profits. They will probably try to get “war time” profits here at home.
There was a time when people worked for a dollar a year when there was a war and war profiteers were thrown in jail, but not under our corporate masters.
The use of force is tied to “the king’s peace” and should be a function of government unless it is self-defense. There is too much “privatization” of government functions, and it always ends up costing too much, and is too badly done.