Still find it amazing that one mid-level guy can steal so much highly classified information.

[RainDog]

83. well, it's also a specialty

that not too many people would learn the craft of, if not for their former military experience.

Nevertheless, I oppose the entire idea of private intel contractors for the same reason that I oppose the use of mercenaries like Blackwater.

I'm not, by saying this, implying anything about you, fwiw. I am talking about the systemic problem of having people above the law who answer to a very few and not the American people.

That's a fascist's dreamscape.

Again, I don't think everyone involved in such enterprises qualifies for that term - what I am saying is the condition of existence creates the opportunity for just such governmental abuse. Private armies, etc. are not democratic by their very nature.

I think we should have the draft, again, because I don't think we'd have been involved in all these micro-wars against weak powers otherwise. It's a real temptation for a President to start a war to win an election - George W. admitted the same to Mickey Hershkowitz, that Sr. lost his election for that reason.

anyway - the Bush years, and what Cheney and Rumsfeld did vis a vis intel makes me very, very, very unwilling to grant power to private individuals concerning issues as important as national security.

It's the lack of accountability that's the problem.

But, as Oliver North demonstrated, you can wear a uniform and still be a traitor to this nation.