Checkbook Imperialism: The Blackwater Fiasco

"Were there even the faintest trace of Iraqi independence rising from the ashes of this failed American imperialist venture, Blackwater would have to fold its tents and go, if only in the interest of keeping up appearances....They are 'private' in the same fictional sense that our uniformed military is a 'volunteer' force, since both are lured by the dollars offered by the same paymaster, the U.S. government."