Why isn't anything being done about Blackwater? Why won't the media cover this?
Not being a lawyer, I might be mistaken about this, but isn’t Blackwater’s involvement with US wars a violation of the Constitution?
As I understand it, the President is the Commander-in-Chief, and thus directs the armed forces, but he needs approval from Congress to declare war. The US armed forces are answerable to the US government, and consequently, the American people. Blackwater, as a hired agency, is answerable to the president alone. Is the president allowed to have a personal fighting force? How is this different from the SS, Hitler’s personal army, separate from the armed forces of Nazi Germany?
This seems like a pretty big deal to me, but I don’t see this being discussed in the media. In fact, Bill Maher is the only one I’ve seen discussing it, and pretty much only when Jeremy Scahill is a guest.
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31 Answers
Blackwater is a contractor, not a militia, and though they are a foul, amoral, vicious company with their own ugly agenda, their activities are not unconstitutional.
One hopes that now the CEO is being investigated for murder, the Obama administration will reconsider their contracts.
BUT BUT BUT CAPITALISM AND CORPORATIONS ARE GOOD HURR DURR
Why isn’t the media covering the mercenary/contractor situation? Big corporations protect other big corporations. It’s that simple.
So the President is allowed to deploy a personal army that doesn’t answer to the people of the US?
@drdoombot According to GW Bush, yes.
I disagree with his choice personally.
The beautiful thing about Blackwater is you don’t have to report their deaths. 50K contractors can be killed and nobody knows about it.
I could tell you, but then you’d have to believe in conspiracy theories.
If you are interested, alt
media sites like rawstory.com cover Blackwater (although I don’t recall exactly a constitutional focus). You can also hear it straight from the horse’s mouth by viewing Charlie Rose’s interview with Erik Prince from a 6–12 months ago or so.
‘Bush = Hitler’ would have required less typing.
Sigh, how very original of you…
Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow are both covering the story, probably Chris Matthews as well, so it is being covered in at least part of the media, which is how these sorts of stories first enter the public arena. We wouldn’t know much about this at all if it wern’t for Jeremy Scahill, who I am seeing more and more on shows like Bill Mayher’s “Real Time.”
If you are upset about Blackwater (who are merely mercenaries), you should be really upset about the DEA, who are part of the permanent establishment. They are the Praetorian Guard of the Imperial Presidency. Like the CIA they have global reach, but unlike the FBI they are able to operate on American soil, and they are accountable to the president and the president only. There is no real oversight by Congress.
What Bush and Chaney did is not wise, and I suspect it is not constitutional. However, those two are no longer in office. In fact, Chaney is now upset because GW developed a mind of his own near the end of his second term and started “going soft.”
In fact, I suspect future historians will have a ball discussing the “Shadow Presidency” of Dick Chaney and how close we came to disaster.
Darwin said:
‘In fact, I suspect future historians will have a ball discussing the “Shadow Presidency” of Dick Chaney and how close we came to disaster.’
As long as they remember to appreciate Cheney’s efforts to preserve said future for said historians.
@Noel_S_Leitmotiv
yeah cheney is a saint and can do no wrong. can you see the halo above his head?
Here’s your Occam’s Razor: Cheney was CEO of Halliburton. Who got rich off of the war?
“Whats the most likely reason Bush and Cheney would do what they did”
Bush did what he did because he was relying on Cheney, just as he has relied upon others most of his life. But then Cheney, as @pdworkin says, was CEO of Halliburton and a bit of a sociopath.
@Darwin Don’t waste your breath arguing with @Noel_S_Leitmotiv, he is just a knee-jerk conservative who won’t explain or defend his ideas in any satisfying way.
@Noel_S_Leitmotiv
”‘Bush = Hitler’ would have required less typing.”
Actually, that is insulting.
Insulting to Hitler. Adolf was no puppet.
LOLs @ragingloli,
@MontyZuma: I withdrew the other day from the discussion under your liberal and conspiracy nut rant masquerading as a question because i (correctly) predicted it was going to degrade into two sides going around in circles. I also didn’t continue when i realized you weren’t going to keep to credible ideas (suggesting any significant number of individuals don’t want Obama as president because of his race).
Don’t use terms like ‘white supremacists’ in ‘questions’ regarding public healthcare if you want me to take you seriously.
Also, you have no evidence that im a knee-jerk conservative.
@Noel_S_Leitmotiv
”(suggesting any significant number of individuals don’t want Obama as president because of his race).”
You may have missed this
6 percent is a significant number. (and that’s only those who had the guts to admit it.)
@Noel_S_Leitmotiv ” you have no evidence that im a knee-jerk conservative.”
I don’t need to. Every time you post you provide plenty of evidence all on your own.
I wonder where you are looking? I have seen reports about it in various sources, especially since the latest law suit was filed against them for murder in this month.
@MontyZuma: Okay, not saying much..
That still doen’t explain how I’m a conservative of the knee- jerk type.
How about mentioning a conservative Flutherite that isn’t the knee- jerk kind in your view? That could help me understand you.
@Noel_S_Leitmotiv I was not insinuating Bush = Hitler at all.
Notice how I didn’t mention a current politician or political party. Obama, by continuing to use Blackwater’s services, is just as culpable as Bush for hiring them in the first place. If anything, my question could be construed as US Government = Fascist Dictatorship. Well, not equal to it yet, but maybe getting there.
Well thats what PMCs are for. Given a good fight to the highest bidder. Funny you should metion it because all of Tom Clancy’s new stuff is about a PMC and the trouble they’re causing the world.
@Knee Jerk Conservative
How are you a knee-jerk conservative? How about the fact that whenever any statement that doesn’t align with right-wing views is posted you’re the first person to publish a reaction——typically inflammatory, two lines long or less and without any links to relevant research? Is that enough of an explanation, or is the liberal bias of everyone else on Fluther just so overwhelming that we can’t see the truth of your words?
Note that I say this as an independent trying to reach conclusions based on the free exchange of ideas. Let’s just say you don’t typically sway me. Either grow up and back your statements up with more than raw ideology or go edit Conservapedia, for all the persuasion you’re doing here.
I don’t know about Corp media, but Democracy Now has been covering Blackwater since the begenning of the war! You can see them on the web, listen on radio, or see them on LinkTV (satalitte). one of the best TV channels around, bar none!
Jeremy Scahill is on the show just about every month!!!
Fuck Corp Media!
With them you get what you pay for… NADA, Zilch, Zip!
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