While soldiers fight for God and Country, “contractors” are fighting for money. Americans and American soldiers resent this form of avarice.
Throughout history, Americans have looked down their noses at soldiers-of-fortune, guns-for-hire, mercenary soldiers, private armies, and mercenaries (AKA mercs).
Now they are known as contractors.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.”
– Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
I hope they’re paid exceedingly well because they are universally disliked and their casualty numbers and fatalities are well-shrouded in the fog of war.
From NPR:
Troops and Contractors Come into Conflict in Iraq by Eric Westervelt
(Listen with Real Audio or Windows Media Player)
Morning Edition, June 13, 2005 · Confusion over a shooting incident between U.S. Marines in Iraq and a private contracting firm has highlighted the logistical problems between the military and civilian groups. Last month, 16 U.S. contractors were held in a detention center and allegedly roughed-up after Marines claimed the contractors fired on both U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. The contractors refute the claim.
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“Contractors” make around $1000 a day – about 25% more than you make as a consultant for the World Bank or UNICEF – plus you get the fringe benefits of being able to rape the local women and kill people. The food’s not generally as good as what the other int’l org people get, but the beer tastes somehow particularly good after a long, hot day of tearing recalcitrant natives’ fingernails out.
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