Where's the Outrage?

One of the untold tales of the Iraq War is the contractor issue. It's the sort of story that's going to inspire outrage and despair. Or at least it should because that's what it does for me. But, long story short, the American military has massively outsourced its functions to a private army. One that's nearly as numerous in Iraq as our actual armed forces. Or so I believe because I don't really know. The point of this privatization - besides the dubious claims of savings and efficiency - is avoiding oversight. Private security contractors don't answer to the military code of justice and, thanks to an 11th hour act by the provisional authority, don't answer to any Iraqi laws, either. Like Abu Gharib, like Guantanamo, they're gray areas where the lack of transparency and regulation allows for the grossest sort of abuses. By design. And more that makes me too angry to type just thinking about it. If you want to know more, though, I'd direct you to the Jeremy Scahill who's written an excellent book and many articles on the subject (Like this one.)

With the Blackwater shootings it's all hopefully coming home to roost. I know there was a big article in my morning paper about the issue. And, today, the reclusive CEO of Blackwater testified before Congress. Not about much, really, since the FBI's suspiciously timed investigation meant that the shooting was a forbidden topic. Of course, there was still plenty to talk about but it took away the fire, the passion, and probably a lot of the planning.

I tuned out pretty quick, in other words. But I do want to address something that I did hear in my brief viewing experience, Rep. Issa's attempt to refute unmade claims that Blackwater is a Republican company. Which, frankly, it is. They channeled a lot of money to the Green Party in Pennsylvania, true, but that was an attempt to split the vote and undermine the Democratic challenge there. Erik Prince, the CEO of Blackwater - who hails from my home state of Michigan (The deep red west side of the glove, near Grand Rapids, though. Not, you know, the D.) - and his family are among the biggest donors to conservative candidates and causes. His sister is married to Dick DeVos, former chair of the Michigan Repubilcan Party. And failed candidate for the Michigan governor's mansion. The anointed heir of the Engler conservative movement that ruled the state during the 90s. The DeVos family were one of the compassionate capitalists (And I mean that in the most derogatory and slanderous way, of course.) who founded Amway. And there's some scary fundamentalist, religious right connections, there, too. And it's not just limited to Prince, either, as the company's vice chairman, Cofer Black of "before 9/11 and after 9/11" fame was a former counter terrorism official in the Bush administration with ties to Mitt Romney. They've also become a retirement home, of sorts, for ex-Intelligence Agency officials like the offices of K-Street became a home away from home for ex-legislators. The idea that Blackwater isn't a conservative company run by conservatives is, simply, laughable.

But the hand behind the curtain here is Dick Chenney, who was the first to grease the skids towards privatizing the military when he was Bush the Elder's Secretary of Defense. Now, companies like Blackwater have become a conservative's play ground. Off the books, unaccountable, restrained only by the "free" market and their no-bid contracts. They even get to mow down filthy brown peoples with impunity! A company that's hurting us in Iraq, for whom incentives are in place to extend and escalate the conflict. And who's funneling massive amounts of money from the public coffers not just for continuing this war but also to shuffle into the conservative machine. Because legal money laundering is probably the Republicans ultimate wet dream.