I always bristle at comparisons between the United States and Ancient Rome, after all, we all know what happened to Rome. Unfortunately, the United States is once again emulating that great Empire. I don’t know how much everyone is aware of the use of mercenaries in the Iraqi War, but it is impressive.
There are thousands of private “security contractors” currently keeping the peace in Iraq. Most of these are former US and UK military, but with a smattering of South Africans and even Gurkhas. In fact, mercenaries are fast becoming South Africa’s biggest export.
Now, private security companies are starting to recruit mercs out of Latin America. Peruvians guard the perimeter of a US installation in Basra, Chileans protect the Green Zone in Baghdad and Hondurans provide security at the terminals in Baghdad International Airport. Salvadorians and Ecuadorians have also provided mercenary services. These security companies are going after Latin American recruits hard. Where a US mercenary commands a $10000.00 to $15000.00 monthly salary, Latin Americans are paid from $1000.00 to $1500.00.
Now, back to Rome … towards the end of the Roman Empire, the Roman Empire was comprised of a large majority of Barbarian mercenaries. Flavius Orestes took advantage of this by turning the mercenaries against Rome and taking over the Western Roman Empire in 475 AD.
Let us hope there is no Flavius Orestes lurking in the shadows of the US Government … has any one seen Dick Cheney recently?
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There are thousands of private “security contractors” currently keeping the peace in Iraq. Most of these are former US and UK military, but with a smattering of South Africans and even Gurkhas. In fact, mercenaries are fast becoming South Africa’s biggest export.
Now, private security companies are starting to recruit mercs out of Latin America. Peruvians guard the perimeter of a US installation in Basra, Chileans protect the Green Zone in Baghdad and Hondurans provide security at the terminals in Baghdad International Airport. Salvadorians and Ecuadorians have also provided mercenary services. These security companies are going after Latin American recruits hard. Where a US mercenary commands a $10000.00 to $15000.00 monthly salary, Latin Americans are paid from $1000.00 to $1500.00.
Now, back to Rome … towards the end of the Roman Empire, the Roman Empire was comprised of a large majority of Barbarian mercenaries. Flavius Orestes took advantage of this by turning the mercenaries against Rome and taking over the Western Roman Empire in 475 AD.
Let us hope there is no Flavius Orestes lurking in the shadows of the US Government … has any one seen Dick Cheney recently?
14 comments:
Wow, kept trying for a couple of hours to publish this post ... I guess third times the charm (in triplicate)
Paul
Good job, at one point I refreshed the screen twice, but all three posts were there.
Back to the post in ref to the soldiers of fortune, that is part of the plan.
As a country we have out-sourced our industries. Now we are working hard at out-sourcing our military.
Let others die for our country.
Have a TEXAS size evening.
You *do* know how to grab our attention!(purposely or not)
I like the posting in triplicate...helps in making a point.
(It's HOT, HOT in my part of Tx...how about your area?)
Very cool Paul!! Art in reality. Doom to repeat itself. You posted 3 times. If that is not making a statement, then nothing is.
Great Post!! I mean posts!!
Don't you just hate it when that happens!!!
Don't you just hate it when that happens!!!Don't you just hate it when that happens!!! (Sorry I couldn't resist :)
awww i didnt know abt the Barbarian mercenaries..
japanese also employed a lot of koreans during WW2 and lost. *tear*
think pinky and the brain..
cheney is plotting to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!
I never even thought of it before. I wasn't aware of the comparisons...but it makes sense.
Blogger was weird yesterday!!
Anyhoo.... I can't count the times Mike has talked about what happened to Rome .....
we totally think we can end up like Rome ... look what we're doing!
scary.
tlrb ... The problem I see with this outsourcing is that we have mercs doing the same job as our soldiers (and in most cases getting paid more). I have heard talk from soldiers in Iraq, getting out of the military and then going to work for a contractor and getting paid $120K a year. What a blow to the moral of our guys and gals in uniform.
inspired ... as I said before, the triple posting was by mistake ... and now I can't delete them because there are comments on all three.
mike ... Maybe I was subconsciously repeating myself as a special form of expression ... nah, just a mistake.
akelamalu ... Yes I do, yes I do, yes I do.
niki ... I think that the Koreans that were "employed" during WWII were not fighting voluntarily.
blanco ... Let's not get ahead of ourselves, the vice president has to take over the US first ... then the rest of the world. The largest "security contractor" in Iraq is a company called Blackwater USA and is a subsidiery of Haliburton ... hmmmmm
stephanie ... welcome to my blog. This is why History is important.
terri ... scarry is one word ... ominous is the word that I like to describe current events.
yes,
OMINOUS is right.
terri ... I think ominus has just the right amount of darkness in it.
another word could be forboding.
awww i was not born yet so i donno know about it (^o^);;;;
niki ... believe it or not, even I am too young to remember the Roman Empire. :P
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