Private Armies

Claire Wolfe seems to have a problem with outfits like Blackwater, who specialize in providing security in high-risk environments. I find this a bit odd, considering her libertarian bent, and I may well be guilty of reading a lot into a little text.

The authors of this article (link from Claire’s post) act like these guys are some sort of Neanderthal throwbacks. I can picture them during the interviews, looking around for signs that the diet during training consists of raw meat. I love the part where they breathlessly pant something along the lines of “And OMIGAWD, this is happening right down the road from us!” Yeah, you never know, these professionals, who are paying $20,000 for the privilege of attending this training (and only about 10% of applicants who apply are selected to attend, by the way), might just decide to visit Hampton Roads and practice what he’s learned in “Rape, Kill, Pillage and Burn” class. Sheesh.

Myself, I don’t have a problem with the existence of outfits like Blackwater. As a matter of fact, I like the idea that, assuming I had the coin, I can hire a security force on a par with the best in the world.

As I science fiction fan, I have to wonder if we’re seeing the prototype of Hammer’s Slammers. It wouldn’t be the first time an SF author was guilty of predicting the future.