Fark U: /its YOUR war, not mine.

Don't pin this shiatfest on me brother.

I was told I was an America hating asshole for not supporting the "take down" of Saddam...

...kind of saw this military joke* coming before it happened


*with all the innocents dead now, its quite the extremely unfunny joke

Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

whidbey: Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

Ummm. We spent our National Guard on Iraq?

Otherwise we'd need a draft.

whidbey: Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

The leaders of the army can't significantly contribute to political campaigns. It's a lot easier to get kickbacks from a CEO that makes hundreds of millions.

doyner: whidbey: Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

The leaders of the army can't significantly contribute to political campaigns. It's a lot easier to get kickbacks from a CEO that makes hundreds of millions.

Big important parts.

/has no problem with military.
//has big problem with no accountability.

whidbey: Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

How do you milk any federal money for your cronies by using regular forces? When you hire mercenaries you can claim the scumbag title in one shot.

Remove all Republicans: You realize that this is the State department. The State hires outside contractors at 10X the regular costs, who then hire former Army officers at 2X their regular pay. These contractors then kill people over there at random, have immunity from the State department, and then watch as the regular Army guys get killed in retaliation.

This should be completely illegal, to the point of where State officials could be held personally liable for civilian deaths.

Man On Fire: has big problem with no accountability.

Which is why the military should be training its own if there's really a need for these services.

War profiteering should also be considered a capital crime.

But hey, there just isn't that kind of mindset in this country. Critical thinking of any kind gets you branded an "American hater."

Hey look, it's amnesty for an illegal company.

probably a no bid contract, too.

and i would stay away from their complaint department.

LocalCynic: Hey look, it's amnesty for an illegal company.

"Amnesty Intermulticorporational" doesn't have the same ring.

Why didn't they just give them the "franchise" tag too?

Supposedly, the State Department now contracts out tons of things the regular military used to do (cleaning, cooking, etc.) but now can be done at many times the cost by contractors.

Of course, I could be completely wrong


/citation needed

I submitted this with a better title.

So, wait, is Isaiah Thomas running the State Department now?

/Seriously, this stuff is too sad to be making jokes about.
//But still, a priest and a rabbi walk into a bar, and . . .

Sharkface217: Supposedly, the State Department now contracts out tons of things the regular military used to do (cleaning, cooking, etc.) but now can be done at many times the cost by contractors.

Of course, I could be completely wrong


/citation needed

You're not wrong. It's one big free-market^TM shell game.

Sharkface217: Supposedly, the State Department now contracts out tons of things the regular military used to do (cleaning, cooking, etc.) but now can be done at many times the cost by contractors.

Of course, I could be completely wrong


/citation needed

Actually, it's quite a coincidence. Go back to the early 90's when Bush 41 withdrew from Iraq. Cheney excused this withdrawal as required to ensure a 'quagmire' did not ensue.

Enter Clinton. In those years Cheney worked in the pentagon. While he was there, the rules were changed which now allow outside agencies to provide 'services' the Armed Services supplied all on their own.

And then, opportunity presented itself. Now companies like Blackwater are flourishing.

The First: I submitted this with a better title.

I posted that with better content.

whidbey: Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

Because government doesn't work! That's why George Washington hired Hessians to fight the French Revolution!

That is the worst headline I've seen in the last 26 minutes.

whidbey: Seriously. Why the hell do we have to "contract" with anyone?

Why can't the Army do the job? Show me some law or statute that says we can't train them to do what Blackwater was paid to do?

My old co worker who was still in the army reserves after a tour in Iraq said he did not understand this either. THey do not fallow the same laws as the milliry, for better or for worse they are less lenient which means alot less of them are killed and alot more of the innocent civilans are killed.

It's really sad that I thought the stipulations put in the tag might have been real.

Sorry boys...I'm a "contract" employee in Iraq..the money I make is ridiculous for the job I do...granted it's dangerous, but I have already paid off my house in Dallas and am looking at substantial profits in my home equity..I am LOVING the contract world. I hope I don't get killed in my last few days. I have been close to death..but I have cheated it so far. I will continue my quest for 3 more weeks then I will go home in a very healthy position.

Why Blackwater?

Simply put, because there are various people in Iraq and other countries who need military protection (i.e., State Department personnel, as you might guess from the contract), but who for various reasons, mainly bureaucratic, can't be protected by US military personnel and equipment without lots of paperwork, extra costs, extra headaches, etc. It is easier, although more expensive, to pay private contractors to do the work, and keep the Army guys under Army command.

It's an end-run around a lot of bookkeeping, mainly. Blackwater provides all its own men, equipment and transportation and bills the government when they're done; rather than the Army having to requisition same in triplicate and get it approved through chain of command. Blackwater's mercs are not just a bunch of thugs; their recruitment and training standards are actually quite high (check out their website), but of course, they're civilians with no oversight and no accountability to the government, so there are bound to be abuses. Not unlike the military.

Corporations are regulated by an entirely different set of laws than the military. I don't view this as anything but an end run around those laws.