Rent-a-Soldiers....the easy-to-understand version

[SoCalDem]

Step 1......You send your tax dollars

Step 2......Tax money goes to Pentagon funding (part of which goes to "private consultants)

Step 3......Private consulting companies hire the "special forces" types from active duty for many times the military pay.

Step 4......Active military numbers are pared to "save money"...Bases are closed to "save money"...Training is scaled back to "save money"...Reservists and Guard are called to active duty to "save money"....Long term benefits (veterans') are pared back for active duty military, to "save money"..

Step 5......At the peak of their effectiveness, and after costly training, "special forces" type soldiers, LEAVE the service ..to make the big bucks..

Step 6......Rent-a-Soldiers are deployed to "hot-spots" because they can do things that regular military cannot legally do.. Locals can easily mistake them for "real" military, and then exact "revenge" on the "real" soldiers for activities that the rent-a-soldiers have done..

Step 7......The Rent-a-Soldiers have the "cutting edge" equipment that their lucrative contracts allow for, while our soldiers must beg family members and hometown businesses, for socks, and soap, and gloves, and armor..

Step 8......Rent-a Soldiers are free to quit any time they want... real soldiers cannot..

Step 9......It's got to be a morale-killer when the soldiers figure out how much the Rent-a-Soldiers are being paid.


There are probably many more, but WE are being charged TWICE for military service.. and the second charge is a gigantic OVERCHARGE...

The fact that they are a shadowy group with NO government oversight, except from their immediate "supervisors", we have NO WAY to even hold them accountable..

It's a dangerous thing to do, and if the military NEEDS covert/special forces, then JUST EXPAND the military to the size it SHOULD be, and quit hiring Rent-a-Soldiers..

[leftofthedial]

1. this is the non-com and enlisted version

of the officer corp's double dipping with the military industrial complex.

[SoCalDem]

2. Yes it is..and they both stink

:(..

[seemslikeadream]

3. Mercenaries

are not fighting for our Country like our Armed Services. They are fighting for Corporations. They are killing for money not the defense of this Country. They are scum.

[Fovea]

4. And this is not the way that Democracies provide

for the common defense!

It is the way empires and RICO organizations defend themselves.

[Karenina]

5. Kick!

:kick:

[never cry wolf]

6. I am sure there's a bit of quid pro quo as well...

I am in construction, sorta (architect) and contractors and sub-contractors horse trade and barter all the time. Help me out on this project where I'm losing some cash and I'll help you out on that other one. If you give me this job at huge profits I'll take that competitively bid one over there at cost, etc.

I am sure that these private security contractors are not above doing a few favors to those who have control over the lucrative contracts (read bushco.)