Core Issues: Mercenaries at War

July 9, 2014

by Rose Day

Exclusive to Exopermaculture

A.K. After corresponding with Rose Day on a number of occasions, I appreciate her unusually discerning and potent thought process. After ISIS/ISIL presented its “Annual Report” and the rumor that Blackwater may be involved with ISIS, I decided to invite Rose Day, a former educator who “enjoys research and the challenge of simplifying complex information on a variety of subjects,” to research and write the following piece. She states: “The evolution of the US military is of particular interest as I married into a family of quintessential soldier/statesmen, (a ‘guard’ as opposed to ‘invade’ mind­set), and have witnessed first­hand the disillusionment of military servers who pledge ‘to protect and defend home and country’.”

BTW: I placed the last few sentences of her Epilogue in bold, as I consider this insight crucial in terms of where we might be headed now.

The End of Era of the Soldier/Statesman

British historian and author of A Study of History, Arnold Toynbee, looked upon civilization as a living organism, the body of which is reflective of the humanity of each epoch.* In Toynbee’s view each epoch manifests in cycles that include birth, growth, degeneration, death and eventual re-birth and conflict has played a role in the evolution of mankind throughout history. He further maintained that although war represents the degenerative phase, hundreds of years often pass between the degeneration and the death of a civilization.

Warriors can be broadly classified into the following three groups:*

• The Regular Army — a paid military force that remains viable in peace times and is composed of resident citizens who demonstrate strong commitment to the home country. •

• The Militia — an un-paid military force of volunteer resident civilians who demonstrate strong allegiance to the home country.

• The Mercenary Army — paid professional soldiers-for-hire (not necessarily resident citizens) who pledge no allegiance to the home country.

It would follow that the Soldier/Statesman, committed to protecting and defending home and country, would normally arise from either The Regular Army or The Militia. However, the war machine is slowly morphing into a paradigm that features private mercenary companies staffed in some instances by disenchanted former members of The Regular Army. Companies that provide soldiers-for-hire maintain that well-trained mercenaries can promote the war effort more capably than Regular Army counterparts. Mercenaries are generally paid a higher salary than members of The Regular Army and these privately held companies further purport that their efficiency offers good investment opportunities.

By its very definition, The Mercenary Army is not necessarily championing “Truth, Justice and the American Way” as the mercenary pledges no allegiance to a particular home country and in the final analysis, return-on-investment plays a vital role in decision making.

Blackwater — Soldiers for Hire

Blackwater, a private company offering mercenary services is much in the news these days as litigation proceeds against Blackwater employees accused of early 2000 atrocities in Iraq. The main-stream-media and many alternative news sites appear to be in concert on this particular subject and Blackwater co-founder, Erik Prince, a comparatively young player in the military/industrial complex, is presently on the ‘hot seat’.

Born in Michigan in1969 to parents of Dutch ancestry, Prince was raised in fundamental Christianity and enjoyed privilege that was the result of hard work and savvy on the part of his entrepreneurial Dad. He credits overseas trips with his father, often to sites of historical conflict, with shaping his world view and the role of the military in that view.*

Prince left the US Naval Academy in his junior year yet remained in service, becoming one of the Navy’s elite SEALs. In reading between the lines, it appears that over ensuing years his disenchantment with the military was more with flawed implementation rather than inherent doctrine and at some point obviously decided that he had ‘a better way’ and founded Blackwater to provide private, military-type security services.*

The Blackwater issue becomes a bit easier to grasp when viewed from the broader perspective of the gradual dissolution of the ‘Soldier/Statesman’ era in the history of mankind’s social evolution and Prince may be emblematic of a ‘last gasp’ effort of that paradigm. Does Erik Prince consider himself a patriot?…obviously. Has the mercenary business been good for him financially?…absolutely.

War — The Win/Win Game for Conflict Investors

The proliferation of mercenaries-for-hire offers the ultimate ‘win/win’ in conflict investing as these companies service the highest bidder and the actual outcome of the conflict (disregarding destruction of life and property) is of no financial consequence to the investor. Using Blackwater as an example, the following simplified overview offers a ‘sneak-peek’ into the financial machinations which the ‘game’ entails:

1977 Blackwater is founded when Erik Prince purchases 6000 acres of the North Carolina Great Dismal Swamp from Dow Jones executive Sean Trotter and sets up a school for “Special Operations”.

1997-2010 Blackwater creates numerous subsidiaries and affiliates.

1997-2010 Blackwater receives 2.6 billion dollars in US government grants.

2007-2014 Blackwater becomes Xe services LLC which is sold to private investors and re-named Academi which merges with Triple Canopy and the two are now part of Constellis Holding Company, Inc.

2010-2014 Erik Prince is hired by the Crown Prince of U.A.E. and moves to Abu Dhabi where he helps establish Reflex Resources.

2013-2014 Erik Prince founds Frontier Resource Group and now serves as an advisor to Israeli and Chinese investors in Africa.

Summary

Proponents of privately contracted military service companies argue that such companies are more efficient than government counterparts and therefore have a ‘rightful’ place in the investment scenario. Private investors in such companies obviously appreciate the substantial short-term ‘win/win’ returns.

Epilogue

The mercenary warrior was prevalent in ancient civilizations (Toynbee) and will undoubtedly flourish to the same degree that war in general remains viable. Numerous studies appear to confirm this facet of the life cycle of civilizations from the far-distant past and into the less-distant past. The financial advantages for a select few in the war paradigm are also ever present and are an integral part of the degenerative phase of a civilization’s life cycle. Is war truly inevitable? Arnold Toynbee and like-minded contemporaries proffered their views on the life cycle of civilizations prior to the veritable explosion of today’s instant world-wide communication and the resultant “shrinking” of Planet Earth. This 24/7 access to humanity’s “different but same” planetary heart-beat is absolute anathema to the war-monger mentality which depends on the creation of an enemy who is “other” in order to guarantee continuation of never-ending conflict. As humanity continues to awaken to the futility of war for profit (for all but the profiteers) and to the absurdity of offering up youth for death and dismemberment to no real purpose, the very will for war wanes — the ultimate ‘win/win’ for mankind.

*Toynbee, Arnold A Study of History

*Harris, William The Meaning of Mercenary

*Wikipedia Page 3 of 31 of 1