Is Blackwater a Black Hole?

Last updated on: May 9, 2013 at 6:09 am by Faithful Democrats

Is Blackwater a Black Hole? 2013-05-09T06:09:26-06:00 Faithful Democrats

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Blackwater is well-named: You cannot see beyond its surface. What lies beneath the surface, however, can be fatal.

As a private security force, Blackwater, breaks into the news with the recent killing of 11 Iraqi civilians and accusations of illegal arms smuggling, a little-anticipated feature of the War on Terror surfaces. Refer to this feature as "collateral damage" if you will, but the bottom line is that engagement in war produces effects that ripple down through the innocents for generations.

I believe that we will be tasting the stagnation of Blackwater long after our troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan. We are creating a revolutionary force in America, founded on the principles of patriotism but answering to no other authority than the Almighty Buck.

Blackwater exists today because we simply do not have enough troops to prosecute our engagement in the Middle East. It is beginning to appear in hot spots in America, such as Katrina-devastated New Orleans, under the guise of keeping order. It is the privatization movement run amok. It is perfectly legal.

The great irony is that while our nation is engrossed in a campaign to disband militias funded by Syria and Iran, it is doing so with our own private militias – some 180 or more of them operating in the Iraq theatre. Their strength in Iraq is estimated at from 20,000 to 50,000 contract soldiers, although the numbers and their mission are kept from the scrutiny of Congress. How many and what they are doing is a matter of guesswork for those whom we have elected to represent us.

It is not the hundreds of millions of dollars in cost that ought to concern us. We will spend the money either way – private or public militias. What ought to concern us is that we are creating a monster that will impact the lives and liberties of Americans for generations to come.

We are creating a well-trained, well-financed bootjack army available to the highest bidder. On the Blackwater web site, it is claimed that some 50,000 have gone through their training regimen and stand ready for the call. Those who insist that, "It is better to kill them over there than to have them kill us over here," will find that we will bring our killers back home, ready and eager for new assignments.

Spread that over the 180 or more "private security firms" already in operation, and it is easy to see how in the near future there will be at our beck and call here in the United States hundreds of thousands of well-trained killers available to squelch one of our most treasured rights – the right of free speech and peaceful protest. These contract killers are not restrained by such inconveniences as the Military Code of Justice or the constitutional limitations on search and seizure imposed on our public police forces. Their indiscretions can be quickly followed by a public apology.

These soldiers of fortune are hired, not by the Defense Department, but by our State Department, under an obscure program called Wordwide Personal Protective Service (WWPS), formed to provide protection to our diplomats. With 50,000 or more of these contract soldiers now engaged in Iraq, one has to wonder how many diplomats we have there who need protection. 5,000? 10,000? Diplomacy not appearing to play a significant role in the outcome, is it possible that these contract civilians are being hired for one mission but being assigned to another?

Blackwater's founder, reclusive Eric Prince, is no stranger to money. The brother-in-law to Rich DeVos, founder of AMWAY and recent gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, Prince is a multi-millionaire in his own right, having inherited a fortune from his entrepreneur-dad, automotive supply king, Edgar Prince. The family has a long history of heavy involvement in conservative Republican causes centering on privatization initiatives such as school vouchers, tuition tax credits and charter schools. Prince is a board member of Christian Freedom International, a non-profit group helping persecuted Christians around the world in 47 countries but curiously missing from one of the most oppressed regions – the West Bank of the Jordan River.

All of that is fine until it follows the natural progression of evolving into a power base that encroaches into the lives and liberties of Americans under the conviction that we as a nation must be wrenched back on course.

When patriotism and political ideology contract for government services, what is created is a monster for power and control, the antithesis of liberty.

Blackwater is well-named. You cannot see beyond its surface. What lies beneath the surface, however, can be fatal.

Featured Writers

Previous Post

September 17, 2007

All I want in health care

Next Post

September 29, 2007 It's My Privilege

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category About Us About Us Action Center Advertise Ask a Theologian Ask a Theologian Blogs Books Campaign Blog Candidate Spotlights Commentary Donate Facebook Featured Writers Fellows Fellows From the Pulpit General Information Hillary Clinton Interfaith Blog Latest Media Center Media Center Media Center MyBlog MyBlog News Newsflash Newsflashes Our Team Reader Blogs RSS Sermon of the Week Shop Social Networking Static Items Support Talking Points Test blogs The Basics Theology Uncategorized YouTube

Select a Month November 2020 October 2020 February 2020 August 2019 July 2018 July 2017 March 2017 February 2017 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 January 2006 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where did God tell Moses to remove his shoes because it was holy ground?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Red Sea At the burning bush Egyptian palace Mount Sinai