February 23, 2008

Obama on out-off-control private military

Sen. Obama has made his views known on rogue, secretive, private military for profit companies. These outfits are paid a staggering amount, hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars, amassing literally an armed force that outnumbers uniformed military in Iraq. They own and operate so many aircraft that they're literally amassing their own air force.

Obama realizes the implications of allowing corporations such as Blackwater to get so large they're out of control, and the dire prospects that they'll be used in the future within the U.S., as they were during Hurricane Katrina where armed Blackwater patrols roamed the streets accountable to no one and under no one's command.

Local politicians are utterly clueless and/or willfully blinded by getting some benefit out of allowing this to happen under our noses.

It doesn't take a lot of brainpower to see the potential for real problems with this situation, conflicts with regular military, local law enforcement, etc.

Do we really want a bunch of highly armed professional thugs employed to keep order, with the perceived authority to shoot to kill, detain or arrest citizens, etc.?

Local pols have been quiet about this issue, with the exception of one peculiar commenter who thinks Blackwater is needed because our military just can't handle doing what Blackwater does, (nonsense) and since there's large sums of money involved and flying around, this person likely sees a lot of it coming his way and couldn't care less about what it may lead to or whether the very concept of military for profit, accountable to no one but stockholders, is a good idea.

They couldn't care less about the large Blackwater operation expanding nearby, and won't say a word about it, UNLESS someone in the local press pursues the matter and makes a point to do their research and press these politicians about it.

I don't recall the American people being asked whether they wanted to fund such private armies, do you? As a matter of fact, they've become billion dollar behemouths without your government saying a word about it. It's only when they got murdered, mutilated, and hung from a bridge (the relatives of these mercenaries are sueing allegeing a total cover-up by the company and horribly callous treatment of family members, including lying and denying information.) or when they stage murders of innocent Iraqi civilians that they get into the news at all. Otherwise, they'd be reaping their millions without the public even being aware of what's happening.

Contracting out laundry or mess services is one thing, hiring a for-profit company to create a shadow military is another entirely.

The people have a right to know what stance our representatives are taking with regard to having a multi-million dollar armed camp in our midst.

I'd humbly suggest that this is a ripe topic for a local media outlet to pursue. I'd be happy to point them to resources to bring them up to speed with the huge Blackwater base expanding just north of the Quads.

10 Comments:

At 2/24/2008 4:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this. Obama has introduced a Senate bill that would call for more accountability. He has not supported Rep. Schkowsky's S.O.S. bill introduced in November and the companion bill in the Senate of the same name that would call for the phasing out of our dependency and use of private military and security over the next five years.

I invite locals who care about the threat to democracy these private military firms pose to visit http://www.noprivatearmies.org.

There is a group of citizens across northern Illinois working to bring these military firms under control. The group is called Clearwater Project To Stop Blackwater. You can join by sending me an email and learn how you can get involved in stopping the outsourcing of our security.
dan@noprivatearmies.org

 
At 2/24/2008 4:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'VE BEEN BLOGGIN' ABOUT THIS FOR AWHILE NOW - WHO IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE THESE GUYS THE STANDDOWN ORDER, OR, IF THEY DECIDED THAT THEIR JOB IS OVER WHEN THEY SAY IT IS - WHAT ARE THE REPERCUSSIONS

 
At 2/24/2008 6:39 PM, Blogger The Inside Dope said...

Anon 4:42,

JUDGING FROM YOUR ANNOYING USE OF ALL CAPS, I'M NOT SURE YOU KNOW WHAT BLOGGING MEANS. IF YOU BLOG IN ALL CAPS, I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE WILL READ YOU, BEING THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T LIKE BEING SHOUTED AT IN PRINT AND THAT ANYONE WHO'S BEEN ONLINE FOR MORE THAN A WEEK REALIZES THAT POSTING IN ALL CAPS IS ABOUT AS ANNOYING AS IT GETS.

 
At 2/25/2008 11:01 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

With the Terrorist bombing our buildings you would think you would be comforted by having Blackwater so close to the RI Arsenal. Are you a self-proclaimed pacifist or just that naive?

 
At 2/25/2008 5:28 PM, Blogger The Inside Dope said...

Lamebrain 11:01,

Blowing up buildings? You mean like the Federal Building in Oklahoma City?

Just how, in your little world, do you imagine a bunch of guys playing army in the woods are going to prevent anyone from attacking anything?

And "pacifist"??!!! What the hell does pacifism have to do with opposing a corporate army?

You're a very, very cynical and unserious individual trying your best to distort this issue because you stand squarely against your supposed buddy Barack Obama on this as well as against a bill that would have broad support among people of the area.

Are you really that incredibly dishonest, a bald-faced liar, trying to deceive people, a hack in the pocket of any large company, a local senator, just plain ignorant, or all of the above?

 
At 2/25/2008 9:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

These are the finest soldiers in the world. Are you insane Dope? For you to try and say that these Blackwater heros are anything but honorable shows your ignorance.
Blackwater is a significant piece of the United States military.
The USA has these boys to do the job that we can not do ourself as a conventional military. We will win the war because of the working relationship between Blackwater and the conventional military.
I am proud and feel more secure with a fine fighting force like Blackwater in the area.

 
At 2/26/2008 2:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Like President Bush is going to let this bill out of rules!

 
At 2/27/2008 3:40 PM, Blogger Saul said...

Since when did George Bush control the Illinois State Legislature?

Bush's time is drawing to a close. He's one of the least popular presidents in history. He is a human disaster. I hope that the Illinois legislature will have the courage to take a stand and do the right thing. The state of Illinois should not fund a private for-profit corporation to take up the functions of the military and police. Period.

 
At 7/22/2009 1:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let remember the same guys who work for Blackwater also had at one time worked for the U.S Military

 
At 7/23/2009 10:05 PM, Blogger The Inside Dope said...

Anon 1:41.
And that makes murder and corruption OK?

What are you saying? That ex-military can do no wrong?

I disagree, as I'm sure do many ex-military.

 

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