"...the Blackwater guards disarmed the U.S. Army soldiers and made them lie on the ground at gunpoint..."

Pretty weak showing by the U.S. Army. But it's not surprising that a bunch of thugs from a crony, fundamentalist (free market/evangelical) company would be contemptuous, especially of U.S. government workers.

Sad and sick all around.

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Who's in charge? Does anbody know? Anna

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The purse is more right than the military. When you make 5 times the salary of a soldier in the Army, you can subjugate them and treat them like shit. Why don't we pull our troops out and let the mercenaries fight this war. Illegal fighters for an illegal war.

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This incident is wrong in so many ways and makes me think that failing desperate empires have to call in foreign mercenaries to protect themselves from their own populace. For more on this I urge everyone who hasn't to read "End of America" by Naomi Wolf and "Blackwater" by Jeremy Scahill.

But after looking at that picture all I really find myself wondering is what's up with the guy with the scissors. When everyone was picking out their weapons of choice he decided the scissors would be the most effective? Are they throwing scissors? Less bullets more haircuts? Did he get their late and they were out of guns?

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well with the US military being used as corporate hired guns in the illegal invasion/occupation of iraq and guilty of illegal rendition and torture and targeting civilians with illegal ordinance not to mention soldiers targeting a pretty iraq girl and killing her family so they can gang rape her-which they did with only a slap on the wrist as punishment. It is truly a joke to start splitting hairs regarding which is more good or less evil. etc. I guess yeah, it must suck to be getting less money BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLACKWATER AND THE US MILITARY. Well there is in that some of the uninformed public still would rather see non white far away people killed butchered than lose their comfort and privilage.

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What will the thousands of home-grown, overpaid "expertly-trained" private thugs do when they return to the U.S. and the Iraq battle pay stops? If they are willing to draw weapons on their fellow forces in Iraq, just what will they be willing to do here at home to keep receiving their government mercenary welfare checks?

Become worried if they get great government housing deals on the grounds of the detention centers that Halliburton is quietly building around the country. . .

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This old sailor would have defended himself and his fellow REAL military.

There is NO OTHER WAY to handle having weapons pointed at you than to defend yourself.

These criminals would have been taken DOWN!!

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I am a U.S. contractor. I look out for myself, the operators to my left and right, and no one else.
I will always take advantage of the fact that I can finally tell military officers to pound sand,
and will do so at every opportunity.
I am my country's scapegoat, the "plausible deniability" warrior, and I love it.
Less than $700 dollars a day is unacceptable.
I am trained to eat things the would make a billy goat puke,
but will refuse anything less than 60 dollars per diem because
I am greedy.
I care not for ribbons and awards for valor.
I do this job for the opportunity to kill the enemies of my country,
and to finally get that boat I've always wanted.
I will be in better shape than 99% of the active duty personnel,
although this is not hard.
I will equip myself with the latest high speed gear,
and will trick out my M4 until it weighs more than 24 lbs, not
because it works better, but because it looks cool in the photographs.
I will carry more weapons, ammunition, and implements of death on my person than an infantry fire team, and when engaged I will lay waste to everything around me.
In any combat zone, I will always locate the swimming pool, beer, and women, because I can.
I will deploy on my terms, and if it ever gets too stupid,
I will simply find another company that pays me more.
- FROM AN EMAIL CIRCULATED ON CONTRACTOR CHANNELS-
From the book LICENSED TO KILL, HIRED GUNS IN THE WAR ON TERROR by Robert Young Pelton.

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remember when the right jumped down kos's throat for that one?

doesn't seem so unreasonable now, does it...

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"Blackwater" is an apt name to people who know the difference between black water and grey water.

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The Bush/Cheney regime loves privatization.
Bring our troops home NOW!
Let Blackwater and the rest of the contractors take care of the Iraq occupation!

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I really don't know what's the problem with most Americans, specialy when it comes down to recognising the dangers and evils mercenary military poses upon themselves.
It is no accident, that earlier such military efforts were frowned upon by many nationalities, and indeed, even made illegal for their people to involve themselves within.
One really has to look at the Moral standards of nations that are willingly implimenting such forces purely on the basis if financial greed, throwing International Law and Morality on the dust heap.
It is also common knowledge, we usually reap what we sow, therefore it's only a matter of time, before this evil that has been allowed to spawn, will come back to haunt us all.
Don't say you were'nt warned.

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