Privatizing Imperialist War

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by BBC
War privatisation talks in Warsaw

The increasing privatisation of war is being discussed at a Warsaw conference.

Specialists from around the world will discuss the growth of private military firms in conflict zones including Iraq.

The firms are increasingly taking over roles traditionally carried out by the military during war, in a booming industry worth $100bn a year.

Mercenaries are still the image in many people's minds of private warfare, but private companies now provide services ranging from personal security and weapons maintenance to the interrogation of prisoners.

In Iraq they are essential to the war effort, making up for troop shortages and doing the jobs the US military doesn't want to do.

Still largely unregulated, they have also been involved in some of the more controversial aspects of the war.

In the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, US army investigators discovered that contractors were involved in more than a third of the proven incidents.

None of them has been prosecuted.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/4950004.stm

Need to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity?

Let US do the dirty work for you.

Avoid those unpleasant appearances before the International War Crimes Tribunal.

Call us today!

Clearly another "growth industry" for late capitalism. :lol:

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Dyst]

The science fiction novel 'Market Forces' comes to mind. It's pretty good, more or less about this subject, how capitalism will profit on wars and conflicts in the near future.

[patrickbeverley]

Originally posted by [email protected] 27 2006, 05:08 PM
Need to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity?

Let US do the dirty work for you.

Avoid those unpleasant appearances before the International War Crimes Tribunal.

Call us today!
At times like this, all you can do is laugh ... ha...ha. :angry:

[overlord]

They should privatise warfare. Then it will be like the glorious Renaisance in terms of the heights of efficiency.

Do you know how costly warfare can be? Ammo is expensive and soldiers waste it like confetti.

Under privatised war, platoon commanders will be held accountable for every missile, bullet, etc, which will be docked from their pay. Do you know what this means? It means they will go after their ONLY targets in the most effecient cost effective way possible. Hence no My Lai massacres, etc. Only the real enemy dies.

Plus do you know how much tax $$$ will be saved? The taxes saved if wars are tendered out will ensure further capitalistic product development in terms of science and technology.

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by overlord
They should privatise warfare. Then it will be like the glorious Renaissance in terms of the heights of efficiency.

The "glory" of the Renaissance, like today, mostly depended on where you found yourself on the "social pyramid". Not so bad at the top; pretty awful at the bottom.

The problem with mercenary armies of that period is that they would freely "switch sides" if they got a better offer.

Also, they were seldom willing to "fight to the death"...preferring surrender to a "hopeless fight".

And plunder was an important part of a soldier's "paycheck"...looting of civilians was endemic.

We have already began to see a little of this with modern "professional" armies...and "privatized armies" would probably display even more of these symptoms.

An existing equivalent would be the rapidly growing "private security industry". The pay is low and the opportunities to steal are abundant.

How much merchandise is "lost in transit" is probably unknown and unknowable.

But a month or so ago, I read about a guy who ordered a whole fancy home entertainment system on line. When he opened the 200 lb. box, he found 200 pounds of sand! :o

"Privatized warfare" is not going to be a "walk in the park".

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Tungsten]

redstar2000

But a month or so ago, I read about a guy who ordered a whole fancy home entertainment system on line. When he opened the 200 lb. box, he found 200 pounds of sand! :oDid you send it back?

[Ariev]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2006, 08:21 AM
They should privatise warfare. Then it will be like the glorious Renaisance in terms of the heights of efficiency.

Do you know how costly warfare can be? Ammo is expensive and soldiers waste it like confetti.

Under privatised war, platoon commanders will be held accountable for every missile, bullet, etc, which will be docked from their pay. Do you know what this means? It means they will go after their ONLY targets in the most effecient cost effective way possible. Hence no My Lai massacres, etc. Only the real enemy dies.

Plus do you know how much tax $$$ will be saved? The taxes saved if wars are tendered out will ensure further capitalistic product development in terms of science and technology.
"Privatise"? Armies were created to defend the country, not to make business!

[Janus]

The privatization of war is quite apparent in Iraq right now where almost everything except actual military operations are handled by corporations. Now it seems that businesses have even moved into this section which had been previosuly dominated by the state. In the future, we may actually see corporations carry out major military operations or wars on a much larger scale than mercenary operations etc.

[Free Palestine]

I posted an article on this subject here (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=43517&view=findpost&p=1291982187) a while ago.

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by [email protected] 3 2006, 03:28 PM
redstar2000

But a month or so ago, I read about a guy who ordered a whole fancy home entertainment system on line. When he opened the 200 lb. box, he found 200 pounds of sand! :oDid you send it back?
Most amusing. :lol:

If I actually had the money for such an extravagance, I wouldn't spend it on that...since most "pop culture" fails to "entertain" me.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[overlord]

"Privatise"? Armies were created to defend the country, not to make business!

OH Reeeeeealllly? What do you think the Iraq war was all about? Haliburton stock has quadruped in three years! Cheney still has his options, so this war aint ending anytime soon!!!

[Lord Testicles]

Corporations with armies, next they'll have a seat at the UN.