From the get go I was against a huge, Praetorian Guard operating without oversight in the war of choice known as Iraq. It seems that the underlying nature of this band of mercenaries is now being exposed to the light of day.

Privatizing war is like privatizing prisons. When it's officially OK to make it a business and profit from it, then the goal is to keep the machine healthy and well-fed with human lives and grief.
Also, the white supremacy issue was not mentioned. Along with the frothing madness of extremist christianity comes the belief that all those strange dark-skinned people must be subjugated or eliminated. Institutionalized xenophobia makes big bucks for the Big Moneyboys. The principle of "Divide and Conquer" is alive and well.

Good points! And to add to your remarks there is that nagging part about having a for-profit business operating on foreign soil (and domestic as well) of which there appears to be little accountability. And as far as Xe (nee Blackwater) is concerned, the dangerous mixture of murder for hire wrapped in Christian dogma ought to ring warning bells all around.

I really thought Obama would eliminate this madness. On transparency and a few other things, he's just a little disappointing. People are still in prison for crimes they haven't yet committed, and so forth... But getting rid of Xe (Blackwater) s/h been done on the first day. What does the country with greatest fighting force on earth need a private militia?

But getting rid of Xe (Blackwater) s/h been done on the first day.

Not quite.

"Since President Barack Obama took office
in January the State Department has contracted with Blackwater for more
than $174 million in "security services" alone in Iraq and Afghanistan
and tens of millions more in "aviation services." Much of this money
stems from existing contracts from the Bush era that have been continued
by the Obama administration. Obama [..] has continued the widespread use of armed
private contractors in both countries. Blackwater's role may be slowly
shrinking, but its work is continuing through companies such as DynCorp
and Triple Canopy.


http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090817/scahill2

I just may have misunderstood your comment Aces. I thought it said HAS been done, but it says s/h. (Meaning; should have?) If so, please excuse the mishap! .

Anyway, Xe and the use of private contractors and mercenaries is sadly still very much still in use.

Yes, he should have shit-canned them immediately.