Obama is hiring military contractors at a rate that would make Bush blush.

[lib2DaBone]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-12-15/counterinsurgency-outsourcing-americas-new-mercenaries-in-afghanistan-middle-east-africa/?cid=hp:mainpromo2


Both wars have been fought with the help of private military and intelligence contractors. But despite the troubles of Blackwater in particular – charges of corruption and killing of civilians—and continuing controversy over military outsourcing in general, private sector armies are as involved as ever.

Without much notice or debate, the Obama administration has greatly expanded the outsourcing of key parts of the U.S.-led counterinsurgency wars in the Middle East and Africa, and as a result, for its secretive air war and special operations missions around the world, the U.S. has become increasingly reliant on a new breed of specialized companies that are virtually unknown to the American public, yet carry out vital U.S. missions abroad.

[indepat]

1. The overwhelming theme of this administration seems to be ratification of almost every thing ruinous

and rotten junior foisted upon this nation. :shrug:

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. That's the feeling I'm getting.

Change? When?

[Bluebear]

5. You said it.

[WinkyDink]

16. And Dubya was in office 8 years. Making sense now?

[madrchsod]

3. just think when they start being used-hired in the usa....

[Swede]

4. The hiring of mercenaries was one of the 1st steps in the fall of Rome.

Round and round history goes.

[loudsue]

10. You nailed it. And these armies are EXPENSIVE and dangerous.

The people who are hired are not necessarily concerned about the constitution of the U.S.A., as a soldier more likely would be. In fact, they aren't always hiring Americans for the work. These mercenary armies are just paid people who are gaining more & more power over our government, as all corporations are being allowed to do.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. This also alows them to hide the real numbers -

The true financial cost.
The true force numbers.
The true body count.

[w8liftinglady]

12. exactly-about 150K private contractors in Iraq...at least 50K in afghanistan

you never hear about them(my kid is one of them)

[me b zola]

7. K&R

Hated it when bush* did it, hate it under Obama.

[nc4bo]

8. Oh we've been watching and have named many of them here on DU. nt

[Rex]

15. For years!

AND the republicans BEHIND the companies!

[Horse with no Name]

9. Disgusting.

I don't even think another election can fix this. The ROT in Washington is through and through.
It is going to take even stronger means as laid out in our Constitution.

[glinda]

11. Conservatives are quickly attempting to dismantle the Constitution so,

that they will not be as on the hook when they are outed and found guilty of crimes. Easier to control crowds also.

[dreamnightwind]

13. very sad

If you had told me a Dem administration would expand the use of these contractors, I would not have believed you. And our tax dollars support this.

[WinkyDink]

14. AKA: The U.S. employs mercenaries in illegal occupations and slaughters.