Blackwater contract renewed

I support our troops 10%.

jaidi1, Exactly right. People grab on to an idea and don't bother to check the facts, they just go with it. Support The Troops means nothing if you haven't any idea how they are being treated and what is happening. Blackwater is being paid much more without having the responsibility.

I support our troops %100 +

I can't believe people can support Blackwater and still boast "Support our Troops." Haven't we learned anything from mercenary warfare? If we really supported our armed forces, we wouldn't be wasting them away in an endless fight against an obscure ideology, squeezing the life out of a once-prosperous economy, and hoarding resources that only the wealthy can afford.

Next: Real Estate in Canada...

ghostbar, But they don't cost less. They are cost plus. If they pay their man ten thousand a month we pay that plus a percentage profit for them. If they have to buy a suburban we pay for it plus probably a profit. The more it costs the more profit they make. It's way more expensive than the regular army. Plus what menmykoko said.

Smorrisey --I believe you are mistaken. Blackwater can not be tried as either civilians or a military tribunal. Moreover, they have killed women, children, iraqis, and increased the hostilities in the Iraq war against the american soldiers. Also, lowered morale as they are paid considerably more and im sure get better healthcare.

No, I'll stick with the US troops any day.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071008/scahill092

Marilynn_Murray,

They spend less in development of new weapons or in bureaucracy, that's why they cost less. That's why the can throw the money in things like that.

FYI, I'm not defending them, I'm just saying why the cost less and why their troop get better paychecks.

ghostbar, You can't really believe they cost less, let alone for any of the reasons you named. Don't you remember when they used to set fire to whatever they were driving if it got a flat tire? Cost plus, why should they care? They are above the damned law, they kill and plunder at will, in our name. I''m ashamed of what they do.

smorrisey, you are wrong so much you walk backwards. Now straighten up and behave.

smorrisey , you are correct sir !

They're being payed more because there's a company behind that reduces costs, elevates efficiency and can pay more to their workers. Instead, the government doesn't work in the same way and there's always budget issues.

If they don't renew their contract, who is going to jail us when we start rioting because Bush bombs Iran and declares martial law as he refuses to leave office? Those new prison camps are just waiting for us. They can't trust our military to do it.

Why am I not surprised? Besides....how many American companies that peddle hired assasins with ties to this Administration are there anyway?

Obama want's troops in Iraq until when? Then the black water contract renews? Milk the cow before you make it into steak!

sometimes i wonder how sane anybody is anymore

This war is truly one of the biggest mistakes the United States of America has ever made...wait...I mean; the United States of George Bush, there, that sounds better.

i have a friend who , upon being discharged from the marines ( where he was a close combat instructor ) was immediately offered a job with several private security firms - and his salary sits at around 100k a year , and , as i recall , cannot be taxed . when guys can earn this kind of money being soldiers of fortune ( just about ) , and are even being hired on by the gov't itself , it makes me question how naive many in the US are to believe that the "war" will end when troops are simply brought home , or Bush is impeached .

oh my god. this guy is our president. He seems to be getting dumber by the day.

Reminds me of the show "Jericho". Corporate armies keeping illegitimate governments in power here and abroad. Do we really want to live like that? They may be the ones who will provide the "terrorist attack" in late summer or early fall that will allow W to declare a state of emergency and dissolve the Congress suspend the Constitution and the elections and stay in the White House... Stay alert people.

We need to somehow get all of these macho, trigger-happy killers in a room, have them psychoanalyzed and send them home with a joint and a John Lennon album. This hyper-violent organization gives America a real black eye.

The USA as we knew it is long gone. We're screwed! I fear for my granddaughters. Impeach Bush, now.

and why not? They did not do anything wrong. We never set any rules.

Blackwater can also be hired to kill US soldiers.

It's like a secret war within a war. Hey. Wait a minute...

Blackwater sucks and I shouldn't be paying for it with my tax dollars!!!!!!!

this is screwed up- it reminded me of the janjaweed hired by the sudan government.

Companies like Blackwater are very very dangerous to the world.
Having people earning profit from activities profiting only under war times just makes war lobbies more big and more influencing politics.
Money buys politics and war making money grow (for warlords) makes world a worse place.
Profits for such activities should be controlled.

This will surely send a message to the Iraqis that the USA really does care.

its like these guys are playing 'grand theft auto.' they run around killing and doing whatever they want, they get paid and then they can just turn it off and have no accountability or repercussions....

Scary part is if Blackwater (and all other private organizations working nationally and overseas for the US) are accused of anything who gets held accountable? The US can just place the blame on the hired men instead of the fact that they are in way over their head and have no idea how to fix it.

So seriously were gonna let them go over there and possibly kill more unarmed citizens. Awesome. Go Iraq War!! Mission Accomplished. Destroy the USA moral standing around the world. God please impeach these people!!!