The country with the largest military spending in the history of our culture outsources to a private security firm? Immediately that statement has people all over the planet raising their eyebrows and making the "what???" face...
Teenagers can spot what is wrong with this scenario!
This post is about Blackwater but I am not going to focus on the specific cases of their myriad misdeeds rather I wish to discuss the flawed logic and the obvious channels of corruption Blackwater presents us with.
For more information I suggest reading Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill where most of the quotes we will be examining have been taken from. There is also lots of good stuff online. Any avenues for further investigation the community can point me in will be greatly appreciated. 😄 🐴
Flawed Logic Begins With A Fawlty Perspective...
I'm naturally skeptical of any "official" figures but I am sure we all agree that the annual US spending on the military industrial complex is enormous. The most any group of people has ever spent on war. Trillions of dollars!
Some of the clear results of this spending are:
- Billions of US dollars spent on the military industrial complex every year!
- This represents a significant proportion of the US GDP.
- Produces billions of profit for the military industrial complex leading to further digital control of our societies.
- This money could feed, house and clothe the needy in the US - let alone the world!
If you think my reasoning is flawed or illogical please tell me. 🤓
Blackwater - The Murkiest Part Of The Swamp!
Blackwater started in 1997, is a security company that has changed its name twice to become Xe Services and now morphing into Acedemi. I'm going to call them Blackwater because sometimes names are just too fitting!
Blackwater staff were finally convicted of killing 17 and injuring 20 in the 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad. Those convictions were conveniently overturned on appeal recently, making a mockery of the entire US legal process.
I always thought murder was murder no matter what color the person's skin. It seems that brown Iraqi's don't count so much in the US justice system. 😢
Blackwater have had so many allegations of misconduct that to go into it all would take too long. They were founded by a super shady man called Erik Prince who I suspect is a front man for larger players. The group is currently owned by a group of private investors". That sounds right.... 🙄
We are not here to discuss the operations of Blackwater as such but lets look at why they exist in the first place.
Why Does Blackwater Exist?
Ostensibly Blackwater exists to provide security services to the US government most notably the CIA to the tune of hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. What? The nation with the largest military spending in our history still needs to outsource it's security services to a private group of mercenaries, paying them hundreds of millions in the process?
Obviously this is insane to 99% of us but generates huge profits for Blackwater. Why is the US tax payer spending this money on Blackwater when they already have the most expensive military spending program in history? Are they saying that their own elite soldiers are not up to the task of protecting their own rank of command?
Some figures put the number of enlisted US army personal at third in the world after China (1st) and India (2nd) - the US is not invading these countries - yet!
Why the need for Blackwater? Is the US army so incompetent that they need to outsource their security to a private company? Pure lunacy! However when we listen to the top US politicians whose security was provided by Blackwater in Iraq we get a totally different story.
Here are a few choice quotes that give you a flavor of the political perspective:
- "Those guys guard my back, and I have to say they do it extremely well. I continue to have high regard for the individuals who work for Blackwater" - Ambassador Ryan Crocker
- Referring to Blackwater having a perfect record for protecting clients (obviously not Iraqi people) Connecticut Republican Chris Shays said: "That's a perfect record." and Blackwater didn't "get any credit for it for some reason."
- "I have a great deal of respect for their work. Kept me safe - to get my job done." Without Blackwater "the civilians of the Department of State would not be able to carry out our critical responsibilities in places like Iraq and Afghanistan." - Deputy Secretary of State John Negropnte
- "We have lots of people in Baghdad, it's our largest embassy in the world, and they have to be well protected." - Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Well it's just great to see that Blackwater has such political support and I weep with joy knowing that these diplomats can sleep safe at night in Iraq - knowing they have Blackwater watching their backs!
Why aren't these politicians asking why their own expensive military can't do a good enough job to protect their key assets that they need to outsource to Blackwater? Blackwater employees murdered civilians in Iraq.
Why is the US even in Iraq? These poor people had nothing to do with 9/11 and the weapons of mass destruction were never there!
There is a lot of murder and blood in this story. Who is pushing it and why? Why are convictions being overturned on appeal?
What Is Driving This Insanity & Growing Blackwater?
The group of private investors who now own Blackwater obviously wish to stay anonymous. Blackwater clearly has amazing political support but what are the driving factors and opportunities that owning Blackwater presents to these "private investors?"
- Huge profits syphoned from the US taxpayer!
- The chance to own a private, well trained, well paid (thanks to the US taxpayer) private army!
- The opportunity to pick up lots of intelligence on US diplomats - outsourcing like this must surely lead to blackmail opportunities for Blackwater's masters!
- Political leverage to get their guys out of trouble even if they commit murder. I can just imagine them saying: "just keep quite, do some time and we will get you out with a golden handshake." This ability to kill with impunity must surely act as a point of leverage for Blackwater!
The fact that Blackwater came out of nowhere with a very young boss and was immediately given no-bid contracts for tens of millions of dollars reeks of corruption. The real questions here are who really owns and wields the power of Blackwater and what are they going to do with it next?
I'm sure whatever happens it will be drenched in the blood of the poor!
As a chilling closing I leave you with the image for the XBox Blackwater Video Gamethat was stopped being produced after all the bad press from the murders. Perhaps we will see it coming back?
Disgraceful! 😢
Jockey loves you All & Plants as Medicine! 😉
Jockey votes 4: 
