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mercenary's

I would object to the US relying militarily on FOREIGN mercenaries in any siginificant numbers... because it is a security risk.

If they're (mostly) American citizens, who cares. Free enterprize in action baby.

BTW, the plural of Mercenary is Mercenaries.
 
Goshin said:
I would object to the US relying militarily on FOREIGN mercenaries in any siginificant numbers... because it is a security risk.
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Merc's a merc. None of them are under oath to the United States, so their loyalty's as good as their contract and no more. Of course, I'm still fully in favor of supporting American businesses over their foreign rivals. :kitty:
 
cpwill said:
game set match
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Amazing how sometimes one doesn't even have hard to try in order to prove a point, it just automatically falls int your lap. Mercenaries and security contractors are easy for the anti-war nuts to bash because bashing them doesn't make them look like the pieces of **** hippy scum who bashed Vietnam vets, even though both the regular military, mercenaries and security contractors are serving the US and putting their lives on the line.
 
Korimyr the Rat said:
Merc's a merc. None of them are under oath to the United States, so their loyalty's as good as their contract and no more. Of course, I'm still fully in favor of supporting American businesses over their foreign rivals. :kitty:
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Hm, beg to differ.

I know some PMC's. They're almost all former US military, and take their previous oaths to protect and defend the US Constitution seriously as a lifetime thing. For many of them, being a PMC is a way to continue serving the US in a familiar capacity while making better money. Can't blame them for that.

Foreign mercs are a different matter. If you look at the history of the use of mercenaries, there have been problems with foreign mercs switching sides in the middle of a war, or turning on their employer when their pay is late. Lacking the tendency toward loyalty that is relatively common among native-born sons, their loyalty is more readily "purchase-able" and it is more likely that their honor is for sale as well.

This is why I would be dubious about using foreign mercs in large numbers, especially if they formed their own seperate units.

Rome had some problems of this sort, and there were lots of foreign-merc problems during the period 1400-1700 according to my studies.
 
I have no inherent problem with mercenaries. Sometimes they do good, sometimes they do bad. Just like everyone else.

I actually watched a show on the History Channel about mercenaries. That show was about an African nation (forgot which one) that was suffering from internal strife. The government looked to other nations for help, but none would give them any. So the government hired a private military company to deal with the rebels who were committing atrocities. They got in there and started dealing damage to the rebels. Villages were starting to be able to be safe. Then the government was getting a lot of international pressure because they were using mercenaries. So finally the U.N. agreed to send peacekeepers if the government canceled their private military contract. The government agreed and the U.N. peacekeepers went in. The rebels grew in strength after that.

That's one issue in which I think private military companies are necessary - when these small third world nations who don't have the ability to raise or control their own military needs mercenaries to bring about stability in their country. That I have no problem with. While those countries may not be able to afford a strong hierarchical military, they may be afford to afford private military companies that provide fewer troops that are better trained. Such a third-world country can use them to end chaos and upheaval in their territory.

I do, however, have problems with private military companies being used to a great extent by the U.S. If my tax dollars are going to pay the military, why should even more go to private military contractors? I understand that the U.S. may require PMCs since we have a volunteer military, which I prefer, and sometimes we need additional manpower that PMCs can provide. However, I would like the use of PMCs to be restricted to security details and that they be subject to the UCMJ. I don't think those working for PMCs should get a free ride on anything just because they work for a private company.

So I guess you could say that my position is that I have nothing against mercenaries, I just don't want my taxpayer dollars used to pay for them in a wasteful manner. I also wouldn't mind some international regulation on their use.
 
jamesrage said:
Amazing how sometimes one doesn't even have hard to try in order to prove a point, it just automatically falls int your lap. Mercenaries and security contractors are easy for the anti-war nuts to bash because bashing them doesn't make them look like the pieces of **** hippy scum who bashed Vietnam vets, even though both the regular military, mercenaries and security contractors are serving the US and putting their lives on the line.
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I wouldn't say that's the case. While I am against the war in Iraq, I am not against the war in Afghanistan. And while I am not against the use of PMCs, I am concerned about how they are used. I want to make sure they are used to help save American lives and further U.S. interests, not the personal or financial interests of an individual or a group of individuals in political power.

However, that is not necessarily a fear of PMCs but rather a fear of our own political leaders. Which is why I would prefer laws limiting the use of PMCs. However, considering our political leaders make the laws and the American people have a difficult time passing laws limiting our political leaders, I seriously doubt such a thing will ever happen, which gives our political leaders easy opportunities for corruption when it comes to the use of PMCs.
 
samsmart said:
I actually watched a show on the History Channel about mercenaries. That show was about an African nation (forgot which one) that was suffering from internal strife. The government looked to other nations for help, but none would give them any. So the government hired a private military company to deal with the rebels who were committing atrocities. They got in there and started dealing damage to the rebels. Villages were starting to be able to be safe. Then the government was getting a lot of international pressure because they were using mercenaries. So finally the U.N. agreed to send peacekeepers if the government canceled their private military contract. The government agreed and the U.N. peacekeepers went in. The rebels grew in strength after that.
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Sierra Leone and the PMC was Executive Outcomes; as i recall made up mostly of ex-South African commandos.

That's one issue in which I think private military companies are necessary - when these small third world nations who don't have the ability to raise or control their own military needs mercenaries to bring about stability in their country. That I have no problem with. While those countries may not be able to afford a strong hierarchical military, they may be afford to afford private military companies that provide fewer troops that are better trained. Such a third-world country can use them to end chaos and upheaval in their territory.
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yup. unless we here in the West are willing to lend them trainers and advisors indefinitely, a strategy that comes with a whole host of issues...
 
mercs are great there inevitable in our society and there perfect examples of capitilism

Contractor's Creed

I am a US contractor. I look out for myself, the operators to my left and right, and no one else.
I will always take advantage of the fact that I can finally tell military officers to pound sand,
and will do so at every opportunity.
I am my country's scapegoat, the "plausible deniability" warrior, and I love it.
Less than $700 dollars a day is unacceptable.
I am trained to eat things that would make a billy goat puke,
but will refuse anything less than 60 dollars per diem because I am greedy.
I care not for ribbons and awards for valor.
I do this job for the opportunity to kill the enemies of my country,
and to finally get that boat I've always wanted.
I will be in better shape than 99% of the active duty personnel,
although this is not hard.
I will equip myself with the latest high speed gear,
and will trick out my M4 until it weighs more than 24 lbs, not because it works better,
but because it look cool in the photographs.
I will carry more weapons, ammunition, and implements of death on my person than
an infantry fire team, and when engaged I will lay waste to everything around me.
In any combat zone, I will always locate the swimming pool, beer, and women, because I can.
I will deploy on my terms. and if it ever gets too stupid,
I will simply find another company that pays me more.

ive got to admire them
 
joe246 said:
mercs are great there inevitable in our society and there perfect examples of capitilism

Contractor's Creed

I am a US contractor. I look out for myself, the operators to my left and right, and no one else.
I will always take advantage of the fact that I can finally tell military officers to pound sand,
and will do so at every opportunity.
I am my country's scapegoat, the "plausible deniability" warrior, and I love it.
Less than $700 dollars a day is unacceptable.
I am trained to eat things that would make a billy goat puke,
but will refuse anything less than 60 dollars per diem because I am greedy.
I care not for ribbons and awards for valor.
I do this job for the opportunity to kill the enemies of my country,
and to finally get that boat I've always wanted.
I will be in better shape than 99% of the active duty personnel,
although this is not hard.
I will equip myself with the latest high speed gear,
and will trick out my M4 until it weighs more than 24 lbs, not because it works better,
but because it look cool in the photographs.
I will carry more weapons, ammunition, and implements of death on my person than
an infantry fire team, and when engaged I will lay waste to everything around me.
In any combat zone, I will always locate the swimming pool, beer, and women, because I can.
I will deploy on my terms. and if it ever gets too stupid,
I will simply find another company that pays me more.

ive got to admire them
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I wonder which idiotic lib came up with that.
 
joe246 said:
mercs are great there inevitable in our society and there perfect examples of capitilism

Contractor's Creed

I am a US contractor. I look out for myself, the operators to my left and right, and no one else.
I will always take advantage of the fact that I can finally tell military officers to pound sand,
and will do so at every opportunity.
I am my country's scapegoat, the "plausible deniability" warrior, and I love it.
Less than $700 dollars a day is unacceptable.
I am trained to eat things that would make a billy goat puke,
but will refuse anything less than 60 dollars per diem because I am greedy.
I care not for ribbons and awards for valor.
I do this job for the opportunity to kill the enemies of my country,
and to finally get that boat I've always wanted.
I will be in better shape than 99% of the active duty personnel,
although this is not hard.
I will equip myself with the latest high speed gear,
and will trick out my M4 until it weighs more than 24 lbs, not because it works better,
but because it look cool in the photographs.
I will carry more weapons, ammunition, and implements of death on my person than
an infantry fire team, and when engaged I will lay waste to everything around me.
In any combat zone, I will always locate the swimming pool, beer, and women, because I can.
I will deploy on my terms. and if it ever gets too stupid,
I will simply find another company that pays me more.

ive got to admire them
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What a bunch of retarded drivel. insulting contractors and the troops all in one bile of idiocy. Where did you find this? link please. :doh
 
Reverend_Hellh0und said:
What a bunch of retarded drivel. insulting contractors and the troops all in one bile of idiocy. Where did you find this? link please. :doh
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I'm using an iPod touch so I don't know how to post a link. You can find it on google books though
 
Reverend_Hellh0und said:
That book was retarded as well.
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Robert young pelton( the author) has quite a record he's no amauter when it comes to mercenarys. This guy has survived car chrashes, a plane chrash, been shot at countless times, been kidnapped, bombed, hunted by auc death squads, and wrote a book called the worlds most dangerous places a thousand page tome and my all time favorite book. So he's not retarted and his books are good as well.
 
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joe246 said:
Robert young pelton( the author) has quite a record he's no amauter when it comes to mercenarys. This guy has survived car chrashes, a plane chrash, been shot at countless times, been kidnapped, bombed, hunted by auc death squads, and wrote a book called the worlds most dangerous places a thousand page tome and my all time favorite book. So he's not retarted and his books are good as well.
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As a former contractor i am telling you his book was retarded. He for example dedicates an entire chapter to some dood who wasnT a contractor to show how bad contractor supposedly are.

Dood is a doosh. :lol:
 
Mercs are only loyal to money. They'll probably betray their country and kill their country's soldiers if terrorists pay them more than their clients. Also, they probably engage in a lot of illegal activities like gambling, drug abuse and such things. Of course, many people also do those things, ranging from respected businessmen to skinhead teenagers. Just the way life is
 
Also, there are corporate mercenaries you know. Security specialists who break bones and burn officies.
 
Proud South Korean said:
Mercs are only loyal to money. They'll probably betray their country and kill their country's soldiers if terrorists pay them more than their clients. Also, they probably engage in a lot of illegal activities like gambling, drug abuse and such things. Of course, many people also do those things, ranging from respected businessmen to skinhead teenagers. Just the way life is
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You do realise that most contractors or Mercenarys that the US uses are former service members who still love and honor this country but now just want to make more money just like everyone else. I know quite a few people who have left the army and are now contractors and they would laugh in your face if you told them that. You really dont have a clue about contractors do you.
 
joe246 said:
we need more mercs there cheap highly trained and loyal to what america was founded on money. mercs might sound morally wrong but so is war
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The only problem with mercs, is that they are illegal in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
 
apdst said:
The only problem with mercs, is that they are illegal in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
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Lately our enemys don't seem follow any rules. I wasn't joking though about liking the creed making money partying and killing people all at the same time is the American way
 
braindrain said:
You do realise that most contractors or Mercenarys that the US uses are former service members who still love and honor this country but now just want to make more money just like everyone else. I know quite a few people who have left the army and are now contractors and they would laugh in your face if you told them that. You really dont have a clue about contractors do you.
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for US and modern West-based PMC's that is absolutely correct. I've thought about doing the contracter route myself, and have a couple of friends that have. it's a worthy point, however, that those are not the only mercenary groups running around out there.
 
Sorry. It's just that I'm stating my opinion. I may be wrong
 
apdst said:
The only problem with mercs, is that they are illegal in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
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Then somebody had better send the Geneva Convention police to the Vatican. Because the Pope's Swiss Guards are mercenaries.
 
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