Phoenix Woman has a post up at FDL http://tinyurl.com/23gme8 to remind her readership that Blackwater is competing for federal dollars that might go through more traditional law enforcement channels stateside. She asks the question, Could it be that the groundwork is being laid for outfits like Blackwater to pre-emptively attack anyone who dares harsh the GOP’s collective mellow next summer in Saint Paul? Blackwater's role in Iraq, of course, is well known, and profoundly worrisome, as noted by anon above. Paul Krugman, had an editorial in yesterday's NY Times. He notes:

As far as I can tell, America has never fought a war in which mercenaries made up a large part of the armed force. But in Iraq, they are so central to the effort that, as Peter W. Singer of the Brookings Institution points out in a new report, “the private military industry has suffered more losses in Iraq than the rest of the coalition of allied nations combined.”

http://tinyurl.com/269hwv

Our vets returning with PTSD are a major concern. Albeit, not well served by Walter Reed/the VA in many respects, there are some resources available to them for recovery. These folks from Blackwater have no such resources. I find that real concerning. I also find concerning reports of military members resigning their military positions to earn the better $$ doing much of the same things they did before for Blackwater. And, it appears that Blackwater employees are subject neither to the our military code of justice, nor our civilian laws for some of the alleged atrocities performed in Iraq.

It very much feels as though we are becoming a rogue nation with an even more rogue private military.

H.L.M.'s name mentioned...Always, without fail, reminds me of my resting anti-war, my Granny.

Balto-2-Louie's lived there.

She loved Louie. The true journalist,

She disrespected the V.C. ship-tycoon,

Louie Dryfus. Shush. No, "LBJ"'s again.

No go to war. Especially, for Petraeus.

A desert vet responds to Rush Limbaugh.

From: http://tinyurl.com/26pbmv

Army of Dude

Reporting On Truth, Justice And The American Way Of War

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Real Deal

--Anonymous

THIS IS A CLASSIC BAIT AND SWITCH DESIGNED TO DRAW ATTENTION AWAY FROM BLACKWATER AND OTHER CONTRACTERS AS THE REASON THE COUNTERINSURGENCY IS FAILING, SHIFTING TO BLAME TO MIDLEVEL MILITARY COMMANDERS ON THE GROUND.

A desert vet responds to Rush Limbaugh.

From: http://tinyurl.com/26pbmv

That's some powerful stuff. I wish it had broader readership and, of course, every one of the Limbaughs and Hunts out there should have to read this before putting pen to page or opening their foul mouths ever again.

is that, unlike in conventional warfare, the purpose of guerrilla warfare is NOT to simply kill as many "bad guys" as possible! If you simply run around killing as many "bad guys" as you physically can, and the methods US snipers were using in Hunt's piece were clearly even more indiscriminate than the methods described by Hunt as having been used in Vietnam, the "fence-sitters" in Iraq, the people who might be persuaded to throw in their lot with the US, have absolutely no reason to join the US cause.

Who in their right mind would join up with a mad killing machine that was determined to simply obliterate as many lives as possible?

Because your gran loved Louis:

MoveOn hit a nerve and that's telling.
— Pedinska

Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice.
— H. L. Mencken

The farm truck rolled in and i gathered only a few buckets of 'matters.

Chaplain Owen!

Petition Petraeus!

Owen!

You remind me of a neocon "priest" sending the youth to slaughter (no, the exact opposite) and doing the Thorazine Shuffle.

I must go= TROUBLE!

Shotgun hits on some Thai Stick muthaf, and she gone love you long time, G.I., I lie I die, she love you too much, "My Din" G.I. too big for girl-san. Be up on the roof for mad minute, fourth of July every night. all that shit, long time gone bro.

We're gettin' old now and cranky as hell.

General Petraeus is a military man constantly at war with the facts. In 2004, just before the election, he said there was “tangible progress“ in Iraq and that “Iraqi leaders are stepping forward.”

And last week Petraeus, the architect of the escalation of troops in Iraq , said ”We say we have achieved progress, and we are obviously going to do everything we can to build on that progress.”

Every independent report on the ground situation in Iraq shows that the surge strategy has failed.

Yet the General claims a reduction in violence...

When Col. Hunt went on the attack at Fox, he was attacking the fact that there are Generals out there who still have enough honor and courage to prosecute military personnel who violate the UCMJ and the laws of engagement. He wants no limits on the means used to "defeat the enemy". Civilians? What civilians?

The MoveOn ad, as you can see above, in no way, shape or form descnds to this level, nor to any other level common among the bottom-feeding pundits and radio bomb-b(l)ast(er)s. MoveOn states the truth and then backs it up with citations.

Their outrage over the Petraeus/Betrayus header is a ridiculous attempt to distract from the content. They fear attacks on their veracity and that shows in their level of vehemence.

MoveOn hit a nerve and that's telling. I say do it more, but stay true to the tenor of exposing the lies and stay away from the more vile methods that distinguish their use of these tactics from ours. Was "Betrayus" too close to that line? Maybe, but I think there was enough truth in it to justify it.

There's an old saying that I think applies here well:

"Tough titty" said the kitty, "but the milk's still good."

From: http://tinyurl.com/26pbmv

Army of Dude

Reporting On Truth, Justice And The American Way Of War

Friday, September 28, 2007

The Real Deal