Blackwater is that point in the ocean or any deep body of water where light no longer penetrates. Lacking illumination, the activities taking place at those depths remain mysterious, unknown, and unverifiable. Thus, by accident or design Blackwater Worldwide, the “privately owned security” organization is aptly named.
Transparency is a fundamental precept in the American Democratic system that is of paramount importance. Organizations such as Blackwater Worldwide exist in a style that is counter to transparency. That makes them very scary. Much evil intent can masquerade as national security interests, and Blackwater markets itself as a righteous effort whose only function is to protect American interests. “Guided by integrity, innovation, accountability, and a desire for a safer world, Blackwater Worldwide leverages state-of-the-art training facilities, professional program management teams, and innovative manufacturing and production capabilities to deliver world-class, customer-driven solutions.”
This kind of hyperbole is the common marketing language found on the Blackwater Worldwide website. Within the mission statement is a single revealing word, and I believe that single word defines their mindset. Possibly it was a Freudian slip, but why use the word “leverages”, as opposed to blends, or combines, or tailors? Leverage is a power word, a word of force.
Make no mistake; Blackwater Worldwide is about leveraged force, power, and control.
While being critical of Blackwater, I will freely confess to having a Special Forces background; a very modest experience during another lifetime forty years ago. But, it was my exposure to the special operations mindset that provides me with at least an inkling of understanding about what we are facing with the birth and growth of a “privately owned” domestically based special operations force. Trust me, it takes one to know one, these fella’s are nothing more than boys with huge egos and a love of pyrotechnic toys. They like blowing stuff up. They like surveillance. They like playing 007. More than like it, they LOVE it. And to get paid more than our military pays and to have greater latitude and more flexible rules of engagement than our military permits, is their collective and individual nirvana.
As a domestic paramilitary entity with a growth rate similar to that of Islam, Blackwater threatens to be yet another nightmarish organization that will have the methodologies and operators to become a formidable domestic surveillance organization. All while providing a veil of plausible deniability to those employing them. And make no mistake again, they ARE mercenaries and will allow themselves great latitude when choosing for whom they will work.
The very fact that Blackwater exists is a barometer of our times. They are not the stylized Pinkertons, or Wells Fargo of the 19th century where those private security contractors actually provided quantifiable and measurable service. Rather, Blackwater is more akin to the renegade Quantrills Raiders that wrecked havoc during Americas Civil War guided only by anger and bigotry. Blackwater's existence is anathema to America’s long term interests and is the kind of agency which has the potential to become a black hole into which many American freedoms can be twisted, subverted, and maybe even forever disappear.
This can happen because while Blackwater is technically a privately owned corporation, their cash flow in large part comes from the US government. Blackwater wants to become a privately owned hybrid CIA/NSA/ONI/NRO/KFC, and in today’s climate they may succeed.
And here is the damnable irony of it all. We need the kind of talent and skills employed and deployed by Blackwater Worldwide. In today’s world abstraction is a luxury that we can indulge only as we do in parallel whatever it takes to remain free to abstract. (Thus, opening the discussion as to just where ARE our American military volunteers during Americas time of need? Like it or not, I will remind that we ARE involved in a modern Hundred Years War. I am ohhhh soooo glad that the greatest generation, those that dealt with Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany did not become emasculated by political abstraction. Not knowing or understanding specifics about where the guilt fell, that generation simply buckled up their bootstraps, volunteered by the millions, died by the many tens of thousands, and gave us a future.)
However…..an organization like Blackwater Worldwide would not have been their motivation! There is something about Blackwater that makes my skin crawl. . The thought of an organization such as Blackwater Worldwide actually having worldwide/domestic influence is as scary as the black plague.
Host of "American Voices" radio-Wednesdays 7-8PM Eastern & Co-Host of popular "Strait & Kall"radio programming- Thursdays 8-9PM Eastern, airing on WNJC1360 in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania radio market(live internet stream www.wnjc1360.com);
Frequent guest/co-host on "Voice of the Voters" radio.
Most importantly, a concerned and involved American.
Terminology is the key here. If you call a shoplifter or burglar a redistribution facilitator it sound so harmless. Here too, lets call a gun for hire or trained assassin, a private security contractor ,it sounds so mundane. They are loyal to whoever signs the paycheck. Many of them were initially trained on our tax dollars to defend and protect the interests of this country and now they need something to do. In no other profession, can they earn the money they can earn as a Blackwater employee, so what is a trained killing machine supposed to do? Many of them had civilian jobs that were going no where fast ,so they are willing to risk life and limb to make a living on the fast track. Blackwater is the answer for many who have no where else to go to . With the shadow government, inside our government, they have been waiting a long time to get their own private army. Congress should act fast to shut them down, by cancelling all contracts or they may redeploy and take over Congress.
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cluelessfl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 184 comments)
on Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 11:50:17 PM
Even if the government cancelled most or all contracts with Blackwater, they would still have plenty of big global corporations to work for. The same corporations that are busy buying governments, at least our government, as fast as they can.
Blackwater sees its future as being the instrument and enforcer of global corporate rule.
And let's don't even talk about the professed "Christianity" of their founders and of their "mission."
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B York (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments)
on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 8:13:56 AM
Alan Shepard was the first free man in space. As he was about to blast off, a reporter asked him what would be going through his mind as he sat on the launchpad. Astronaut Shepard pointed to his spacecraft and said "this rocketship was built by the low bidder'.
We see the humor, and we see how life has changed. No longer do government contractors go to low bidder, they are not bidded on at all.
Federal campaign filings show that scientist James D. Watson has donated more than $70,000 to candidates and their political causes, including a total of $3,000 to Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign on May 17 and June 25. Two days later, a Senate committee report showed that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Schumer earmarked $900,000 for Watson's research facility.
So we see how contractors make money. Anybody can grease the wheel for a little payola and reap hugh rewards.
It is up to us to stop this! I voted Democrat for congress Nov. 7, and Madame Speaker and Dingy Harry have done nothing. We need Cindy Sheehan, Al Gore, Ron Paul, Alan Keyes, Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinich to clean up Washington.
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Barker (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 109 comments)
on Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 6:38:40 PM
