From Pine View Farm

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On the Media takes another look at mercenaries.

I’ve mentioned Swampwater before.

Hiring mercenaries–whatever they may call themselves–is not a good thing. We place our defense and security in the hands of those whose loyalty is to those who grease their palms, not to the Constitution, and who consider themselves accountable to no one. (Sound familiar?)

U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now outnumber military combat troops there. But you’d never know that from listening to officials and watching the news. Political scientist Deborah Avant talks about why the war’s privatization is slipping through the media’s cracks.

Download the MP3 here or listen below:


And one reporter who has pursued the Blackwater story tells of his experiences:

Despite the many obstacles to reporting on military contractors, a few journalists have pursued the story. Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise Of The World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, talks about what it takes to see even a small part of the contracting picture.

Download the MP3 here or listen below:

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