zeemike
Private armies - or "protectors" is never of the good - every country who have accepted mercenaries to build itself up as Black water - or whatever they call them self now have doing - will se that one day they will turn against the country who accepted it - and they would be a danger to everyone they encounter...
This was sure when Rome was an empire in decline - and had more or less mercenaries to fill up her ranks of soldiers - after a while they was indispensable and impossible to get rid of - and in the end, they ruled and killed emperors who they was thinking about as to powerfully, or not thankfully enough for their services...
And even after - in the middle ages and up to our own time - mercenaries have always been a danger to the ones they should protect - rather for the ones they was suppose to defend against - and as fast as any country was stable to control its own army - mercenaries was forcefully cut of, killed or retired in peace with the money they had earned... And the ones who did not understood the new terms - killed off...
Today US are on a crossroad - or they might even have crossed that crossroad -when it come to use mercenaries who do not answer to any legal authority other than the owners - you can force them to stand down and give up their weapons - or if needed - force the issue.... But as long as the republicans is in control of the House I doubt it would be possible to de-arm this groups - or to disband its forces - and again have just one authority - the military who is under control of the rightfully government and is answering to them in all matters
Diclotican