I Huff And I Puff

Well, this one is totally unrelated to making money on the Net. But I had earlier been pondering the mercenary mind-munchkin mentality of boys with toys after being informed that as of July First the Taipei City Police Force would no longer be providing security at the gate (So that's what they have been doing! And I thought they were just, you know, kinda hanging out. Hmm . . . .), said task to be assumed by a "private security agency". Upon hearing this, in my head I was going full metal jacket on freaking Blackwater, but I asked from out of that cavity beneath my nostrils something like, "Are they gonna be wearing balaclava-like face masks or anything?" Apparently I am gonna have to get some kind of ID card. Otherwise they might shoot me.

But anyway, a little later I was casually reading over some comments posted on an article about a new John Cusack film entitled War, Inc. in "The Huffington Post" and found this stuff. It freaked me out a bit further, especially this part:

"What is Blackwater and the other private security armies real purpose. That we have yet to find out. One thing we can be sure of is that they are right wing in ideology and that they are ruthless and without conscience."

So, I wrote Bartcop about it, and then I felt better.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/iwar-inci-cusacks-savage_b_106837.html

Reply Posted 04:28 PM on 06/13/2008
- + Artos See Profile I'm a Fan of Artos

Hitler was able to form his own Private Army (the Brown Shirts), and with them was able to intimidate the German Government so that they hesitated to put a halt to his activities. We know the outcome. What is Blackwater and the other private security armies real purpose. That we have yet to find out. One thing we can be sure of is that they are right wing in ideology and that they are ruthless and without conscience. Can we afford to overlook them or allow them to exist? I think we do so at our own peril.
Reply Posted 04:17 PM on 06/13/2008
- + charon See Profile I'm a Fan of charon

Ruthless and without conscience=psychopathy. Interestingly, Eric Prinz, head of Blackwater, is a fundamentalist Christian.
Reply Posted 03:37 AM on 06/14/2008
- + koolwoman See Profile I'm a Fan of koolwoman

I ,too, am concerned about the Blackwater army and the lack of acccountability. Remember they were sent to New Orleans during Katrina and they shot people suspected of looting. I would guess that some of the citizens were just trying to find food. After all ,the citizens of New Orleans and the gulf coast were left to drown and to starve, while M r Bush and Mr McCain were partying in Arizona and California. If they are planning a terrorist attack or a scare, they could proclaim martial law, and guess who would enforce it, while our National Guard is tied up in Iraq. This way they might stop the elections and stay in power. Let us be alert and ever vigilant for more lies and trickery and be ready to protest .
Reply Posted 03:29 AM on 06/14/2008
- + eyesopenwide See Profile I'm a Fan of eyesopenwide

The People need to express strong opposition to the privatization of public services paid for by the taxpayers. This must be stopped before they steal all of our treasure for their own personal enrichment.

What the hell are we going to do, People, to put a stop to the raping and pillaging of our national treasure.

I just read that it looks like the dems are going to cave and give Bush what he wants once again--immunity from prosecution for the telecoms. I am extremely angry over this. According to the article I read, in 18 months, this was the only matter that the democrats didn't cave into Bush over, and now they've decided to go ahead and give it to me after all. So, the electing the democrats in 2006 has made absolutely no difference. They have given Bush pretty everything he has demanded with barely a struggle. It is becoming more and more apparent that the democrats and the repukes both violated their oaths of office and have betrayed and abandoned their people.

You know, maybe the problem lies in the fact that they're not afraid of us or what we might do. Since we seem to have no recourse--
Reply Posted 03:18 PM on 06/14/2008
- + realistic2008 See Profile I'm a Fan of realistic2008

Good points, just an observation, they are not armies, by a strict definition, they are mercenaries and war porfiteers, the neo-cons "new world order"
Reply Posted 09:42 AM on 06/14/2008
- + ATFIllinois See Profile I'm a Fan of ATFIllinois

Not protest, FIGHT!!!!
Reply Posted 08:35 AM on 06/14/2008
- + mheister See Profile I'm a Fan of mheister

I was clued in to this film by Democracy Now! a couple of weeks ago, when Amy Goodman interviewed John Cusack and Jeremy Scahill. Scahill gave his stamp of approval to the film, saying it accurately depicts the Green Zone. I knew from that recommendation I had to see it. I can't speak to the accuracy of it; I haven't been to Iraq, so I have to defer to Scahill and the soldiers cited above. I can say, however, the film is funny, rough, and feels oddly real. It's well-executed from an artistic standpoint.
Reply Posted 04:13 PM on 06/13/2008
- + demfriend See Profile I'm a Fan of demfriend

Blackwater is stil working on invading us in San Diego so they can "train" all the different people who might need the training they can provide. These are for example, border guards, police, military and oh yes the foreign countries that might need the "help". The fact that Balckwater is full of former military and mercenaries from all over the world should scare the hell out of us. This administration has made war big business as these big business owners are their friends. The information about all of this has been quietly, until War Inc, been lying under the paper work sent to Congress and has not gotten any attention by MSM unless forced on them too. This should be a must see for the Congress who has balnk checked Bush and Haliburtin (Cheney's former (?) company). The GOP who refuses to back the GI Bill should have, as any Congress person should have, every single voter who truly supports our troops on their butts with call emails and letters. We can do something if we act.
Reply Posted 04:04 PM on 06/13/2008
- + boomer1949 See Profile I'm a Fan of boomer1949

The KBR issue was exposed first hand and on tape in PBS's Bad Voodoo's War. Stranded the whole platoon returning from an escort assignment when it was 102 degrees at 10 in the morning. These guys waited 8.5 hours before they finally received assistance -- nope not KBR -- another convoy escort.

Talk about War, Inc. -- Bad Voodoo's War tells it like it was for them and is for the troops still over there. FFunny thing though, the platoon leader, Sfc. Toby Nunn? Has since been screwed by the Army, investigated, reprimanded, and is being drummed out. For what? Telling the truth. Go figure...

If you haven't seen this -- your really should -- it's an eye-opener.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/badvoodoo/
Reply Posted 03:59 PM on 06/13/2008
- + Tulka2 See Profile I'm a Fan of Tulka2

The review for War Inc. in "The Seattle Post Inteligencer" this morning was not good. You can read it on-line at the paper's website. I have been eagerly awaiting this movie, but was not surprised about the bad review because the movie reviews in this paper are often out of tune with the paper's left editorial page. (Bill O'Reilly called the Seattle Post Intellingencer the "worst paper in America". High praise indeed.) I know this movie will be grist for the left's mill. Can't wait to see it. It is playing in Seattle, but google Fandango to find a theater in your area.
Reply Posted 03:44 PM on 06/13/2008
- + Hare See Profile I'm a Fan of Hare

Thanks