Ponderings

In a ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ confession, I am feeling genuine sadness at the media attack of Blackwater USA.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about Blackwater and it’s owner, Erik Prince. Readers no doubt caught that my writing was not an endorsement; to the contrary, I was writing in opposition to our tax dollars being spent to hire Blackwater USA to help us wage our war in Iraq. As I read what is tantamount to a smear campaign unfolding in the press, however, I find myself instinctively wanting to defend Erik. The reason for my protective instinct is an unsolved mystery. Perhaps I’m moved because of our Michigan connection or maybe because his mother is a generous patron (and Board member) of my alma mater. Regardless, I feel compelled to speak a word in defense of Erik Prince and Blackwater USA.

If we want to entertain a discussion about the use of contract military forces, I would support the discussion. I am hard pressed to believe that any company has a right to profit on human suffering, and war making in undeniably such. None of the questions raised about Blackwater, however, addresses the ethics of using mercenary forces. Removing Blackwater from Iraq without changing our dependence upon contract military forces will be a bonanza for Halliburton and the others. Although there are corporate interests in the removal of Blackwater for Iraq, these interests are not noted in the current discussion. Certainly increasing, not decreasing, competition is in the taxpayers best interest. If taxpayer’s interest is at the heart of the Blackwater smear, we should expand the discussion to include all contract militaries. The ethical implications of using such forces is not, however, on the table.

The media attention is on the actions and efficacy of one specific company, namely Blackwater USA. Admittedly I am not a military scholar. I have little patience for the games of war and no tolerance for ‘collateral damage’. My own definition of a pro-life stance doesn’t allow for such casual dismissal of human life. Still, I find remarkably hypocritical for pro-war advocates to denegrade Blackwater operations. The blood of Hadifa is on the hands of enlisted men, not mercenaries. The debacle at Abu Ghraib was enlisted soldiers, not corporate employees. My understanding is that the training received by Blackwater employees is typically even more strenuous or expansive than that offered by Pentagon. As I researched Blackwater, I was consistently impressed with the quality and professionalism of this company’s work. Say what you will about Eric and his Navy Seal buddies, they are serious about quality. Yes, people die. No, not all of them have been wearing uniforms. Tragically, this is reality of modern warfare regardless of the signature on the paycheck.

Since we are committing neither to the war’s end nor the reduction of private warriors, one wonders why Blackwater stories get top billing in the press. If the press is a barometer of our public thirst, clearly the thirst is for blood. Fed up with our youth dying in a war that has no exit strategy, a looming deficit that will plague our grandchildren, and a national image tarnished, we want some proverbial heads to roll. Enter the sacrificial lamb. As the good book says, ‘better for one to die for many than for the many to die for the one.’

Undeniably Blackwater makes a good sacrificial lamb. As a darling of the Republican party now publicly vilified, this scandal offers a focal point for our growing rage about this endless war. Blackwater as the sacrificial lamb is brilliant strategy, but it is a decoy. Focused on the effigy of Blackwater, we are distracted from the growing chaos in a country we invaded for the publicly stated purpose of helping. Convinced that Blackwater is the bad apple, we are less likely to ask for clarity about the role of Halliburton, Aegis Defense Services and DynCorp International. With Blackwater tied to the altar, it is possible that we may even stop looking for the infamous WMD’s.

My sadness is in part for Erik, but more for my nation and the ease at which we can be misled. Sacrificial lambs are ineffective at best and never, imho, justified.