Its not a coincidence and neither is KBR/Halliburton stock with was a sub 10.00 stock to now over 40.00 from war profiteering and its connections with the VP who was its CEO and completely against any Iraq occupation when serving for BUsh Sr.

mz the pussy some of the ex U.S. soldiers are off the reservation as with any group of people you have your idiots and loons. Remember Blackwater and other private contracting groups Hire ex military from multiple countries, African nations are cheaper than say French or British.

There are some really decent guys who get paid for skills sets they have. Do I think we need private contractors to do the same things that taxpayers train citizens to do? NO and having them in the same combat arena as our soldiers is demoralizing because of the monetary incentive factor. These contractors are paid 4 to 10 times what our soldiers get paid to do the exact same job without any accontability.

The companies are well known for cutting corners in order to increase profit margin so a lot of these private contractors are not as well provided for logistically or materially as regular military.

are no threat to mess this country up, as far as I can see -

I have tried to point out that Obama may very well become a centrist pres, despite his radical catapulting to fame.

I have admitted that the last 3 years of Bush has been very, very disappointing.

go look it up, it's true.

Steve is right, as usual - there are others who still are sensationally cherrypicking stuff that

is so far right that it doesn't necessarily get a good intelligent conversation going.

I've done it in the past, imho, in self-defense to prove a point.

Once again, we have two mods now, with Stan around also, and all of us would like

to have fun on this forum.

No trouble makers on EITHER side will be helping us do that.

mz the pussy, you don't know my communications with anyone outside of the forum.

They didn't leave, and they didn't try to get dissenters banned.

You have done both, and the first time you have come back, it's disaster all over again

from the git go, unprovoked.

Either be a part of the solution or don't be part of the problem. It isn't only you, but you

the main problem right now.

Have you ever considered posting any kind of post that is neutral enough to garner some respect

and could initiate some great conversation?

Just try it out, mz the pussy. The poloarization and sensationalism is a fine line sometimes, but the personal

attacks have long since made this forum a trash heap.

Everybody just needs to adhere to the new board function - having fun with some genuine conversations,

and trying to understand a little of issues on both sides.

And, imho, puuuullllleeeeezzzze, stop with the grotesque generalizations based on one incident, or a few people -

that kicks reasonable discussion right out the door.

mz. said:

Wasn't aware that discussing the top story on the New York Times' site was "cherry-picking," cal. Guess dissenting opinions really aren't welcome here. You have a very nice homogeneous group here (that means "similar in kind", Die Hard, not a gay slur), and looks like it'll stay that way.

I don't know what you want actually.

Cal hasn't been insulting and you insist on engaging idiots.

You know it makes you mad.

But sure each side "cherry picks" stories that cast a bad light on the other side.

I have no doubt that the NYT does it all the time.

Their main goal is still to sell papers and ads.

Not that there isn't a basis of truth but you get the point.

Hell mz the pussy the Enquirer's stories are true.

But.......

Anyway, you pretend to have "changed," but you're still the same intolerant old codger. Not sure who you think you're fooling.

I don't expect anybody to change ideology.

Do you?

That isn't what bothers you is it?

Aren't we all "intolerant" of what we don't like?

And WSS, I'm sorry but you and Chic John are the only good guys still left around here.

I still think my philosophy works.

Don't read anything from those who piss you off and by all means don't respond.

WSS

@calfoxwc said:

Ha.

Wasn't aware that discussing the top story on the New York Times' site was "cherry-picking," cal. Guess dissenting opinions really aren't welcome here. You have a very nice homogeneous group here (that means "similar in kind", Die Hard, not a gay slur), and looks like it'll stay that way.

Anyway, you pretend to have "changed," but you're still the same intolerant old codger. Not sure who you think you're fooling.

And WSS, I'm sorry but you and Chic John are the only good guys still left around here.

*************************************************

Blackwater Worldwide

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Blackwater USA)

Blackwater Worldwide, formerly Blackwater USA, is a private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. In October 2007, Blackwater USA renamed itself Blackwater Worldwide, and is colloquially referred to simply as "Blackwater".

Based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, Blackwater operates a tactical training facility (36°27′19″N 76°12′09″W / 36.455359, -76.202545) which the company claims is the world's largest, and at which the company trains more than 40,000 people a year, mostly from U.S. or foreign military and police services. The training consists of military offensive and defensive operations, as well as smaller scale personnel security.

Blackwater Worldwide is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors. Of the 987 contractors Blackwater provides, 744 are U.S. citizens. [2] [3] At least 90 percent of the company's revenue comes from government contracts, of which two-thirds are no-bid contracts.[4] Blackwater Worldwide is currently contracted by the United States government to provide security services in Iraq.[

Of all the great things our troops and civilian folks have accomplished over there,

you have never, to my awareness, posted anything positive.

Just a news story that is negative.

The few/several guys who did what they did, should really get slammed, bigtime.

But Blackwater has far more employees than that.

If you're interested in keeping score, you can point out to the powers that be that the thread took its ugly turn starting right here.

Thank you.

mz. said:

Actually mz the pussy, he's serious.

Many of us are trying not to be asshoiles and the others, well, why boither with 'em?

WSS

it seems all you've accomplished here, is to screw it up more.

I'll just let John, Rick and Stan be the judge of who started the crap in the first place.

Now, here you are again, with the grating personal insults, of which you know nothing about.

Help make this board a BETTER place, don't be a major part of the problem you complained about.

mz. said:

with BlackWater we can say Mission Acomplished!

mz. said:

Good luck with the Board, John.

Actually there is a grain of truth in that for better or worse.

The entire Iraq problerm is the stepchild of the UN.

Hell, just the Desert Storm invasion as a UN plan but we get the world hatred because there isn't a chance in hell it gets done without us.

As long as the UN arbitrarily defines international boundaries and uses the US as an enforcer what does anyone expect?

WSS

@mr.-t said:

That's the most ridiculous take on foreign policy I've ever read.

Good luck with the Board, John.

The thing with Black Water and why the Left hate the ideal is that they dont have to comply to what the UN wants and demands.

Yes there are some psychos that were hired there but it is WAR and you need some crazies on the point.

@calfoxwc said:

I'm sure an unchecked, private mercenary group is doing lots of good over there.

@calfoxwc said:

We're trying to make it a different board now.

...

It IS a disgrace, and they will pay the price.

But never posting the good that happens over there is partisan manipulation and purely negative sniping.

All of the employees of Blackwater didn't do it anyways.

it was some corrupt individuals committing serious crimes.

I thought this negative sensationalism is why you left...

We're trying to make it a different board now.

Blackwater Killing for FUN!

@westside-steve said:

Why? Because the US is is pilloried on a regular basis for every slight real or imagined by thge real scumbags of the world and their propaganda network here and abroad.

I do hear what you're saying. Like it or not, we're the World's bellwether, so our role is to act as we would like the rest of the world to act. Whether or not they "comply" is up to them.

mz. said:

I never said that.

A story (as any ad man knows) can be told in various ways without ever abandoning all truth.

First, these clowns [] are hired goons/mercenaries.

Yes they are.

Nevertheless they are "in the service" of the United States.

I conside Irqanian "freedpm fighters" in Iraq to be in the service of the enemy.

Second, we hold ourselves to a higher standard.

We do indeed. Hence the prosecution.

Ya think we're applauded for that?

Who cares what other countries do.

I do. Why? Because the US is is pilloried on a regular basis for every slight real or imagined by thge real scumbags of the world and their propaganda network here and abroad.

There's no moral equivalent.

WSS

@westside-steve said:

It was a news story, Steve, not an opinion piece or editorial. Did the NYT make up the fact that they were indicted or something?

@westside-steve said:

second I'd assume that only the US prosecutes and punishes people in her service who step over the line.

First, these clowns aren't US soldiers, they are hired goons/mercenaries.

Second, we hold ourselves to a higher standard. Who cares what other countries do.