The Modern Mercenary

[snaark]

The London School of Economics has some interesting podcasts on their website. This one is by some ex DynCorp guy, Sean McFate, on the role of mercenaries in modern conflicts. Anyone know him?

http://www.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio/channels/publicLecturesAndEvents/player.aspx?id=3246

[Q]

Off the bat, "Mercenary" means it's a piece of BS.

noun
1.
a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.


DynCorp isn't an army. BW wasn't/isn't an army.

WPPS pretty much spells it out for the initiated. Very, very few former military are hired, as contractors, for DA. Which would make them, by definition, mercenaries.

Proof is in the pudding. Couple of ex BW types serving some major time for engaging in DA, and not "PSD" work.


But "mercenary" scares the straights more, and you know, commands higher speaking fees.

[Hitoru]

Mercenary=Soldier of Fiction.

[AztecDave]

I miss the good old days. where is Cat Shannon or Hans Josef Wagemueller when you need them.

[Q]

I miss the good old days. where is Cat Shannon or Hans Josef Wagemueller when you need them.

They do exist. They just aren't running around selling books and calling themselves mercenaries.

[ROB]

1mercenary
noun mer·ce·nary \ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē, -ne-rē\
: a soldier who is paid by a foreign country to fight in its army : a soldier who will fight for any group or country that hires him

[snaark]

Obviously modern mercenaries are as fussy about their job titles as secretaries... sorry, I meant "administrative assistants".

[Q]

1mercenary
noun mer·ce·nary \ˈmər-sə-ˌner-ē, -ne-rē\
: a soldier who is paid by a foreign country to fight in its army : a soldier who will fight for any group or country that hires him

Fight being the key term there.


And, we can pad resumes as well as anyone else. Ie: Helped protect the President of Fuckistan = trained his local protective detail and never really left the Presidential palace.

Again, there are a few guys serving very long prison terms for fighting in Iraq.

[Q]

Obviously modern mercenaries are as fussy about their job titles as secretaries... sorry, I meant "administrative assistants".

Interesting.


I'm curious as to what you got out of the ROE and International Law portion of WPPS. I, II, or III.

[snaark]

Obviously modern mercenaries are as fussy about their job titles as secretaries... sorry, I meant "administrative assistants".

Interesting.

I'm curious as to what you got out of the ROE and International Law portion of WPPS. I, II, or III.

Congratulations, you went to college.

[Q]

Obviously modern mercenaries are as fussy about their job titles as secretaries... sorry, I meant "administrative assistants".

Interesting.

I'm curious as to what you got out of the ROE and International Law portion of WPPS. I, II, or III.

Congratulations, you went to college.

Only, WPPS has nothing to do with college.

My mistake in assuming you understood the subject on which you felt informed enough to comment on.

[snaark]

Do go on....

[ROB]

Ladies.

[Q]

Do go on....

One of the more valuable lessons I've been lucky enough to learn in this great thing called life, is to not engage the clueless, right or left.

[snaark]

Don't get your lacie panties in a twist. Why not actually listen to the podcast instead of getting hung up in the etymology?