Blackwater Is To War As WalMart Is To Mass Consumerism

WalMart has been so successful (for itself, not employees or consumers) because they sell everything under the sun as cheaply as they possibly can. The store is diversified through and through to appeal to anyone that doesn't know how their operation impoverishes their workers and decimates small businesses in the communities they enter.

Blackwater Worldwide is also on the path of diversification. The only difference is instead of profiting off the misery of American communities, they are merchants of death and destruction. Blackwater made headlines for their murderous security guards and gigantic government contracts. Now they want to expand into anything and everything that a government could possibly need to fight a war.

From SpaceWar:

While most attention is focused on Blackwater Security Consulting, the unit that provides contractors for work in Iraq and elsewhere, there is far more to it than that. Blackwater has long sought to be a one-stop shopping center, a sort of Wal-Mart for all the U.S. government's military outsourcing needs, and a review of its business units shows it has gone a long way toward meeting that goal.

Consider Greystone Ltd., which is a Blackwater entity. A private security service, it is registered in Barbados and employs third-country nationals for offshore security work. Its Web site advertises its ability to maintain and train "a workforce drawn from a diverse base of former special operations, defense, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals ready on a moment's notice for global deployment." Tasks can be from very small-scale up to major operations to facilitate large-scale stability operations requiring large numbers of people to assist in securing a region.

Need something delivered by air? Look no further than Aviation Worldwide Services. AWS was founded by Richard Pere and Tim Childrey, and is based in Melbourne, Fla. Several of the MD-530 helicopters used by Blackwater Security Consulting in Iraq are also operated by AWS.

And the list of things go on and on. They have received contracts from the government for myriad projects and training exercises. There has been no accountability in terms of Congressional oversight, only contracts approved by the Pentagon. Those contracts are eased through because many higher-ups at Blackwater Worldwide are former military brass themselves. Combined with the neo-cons, Blackwater has become the most powerful mercenary company out there....and despite all the bad press, no one has been able to stop them.