newsobserver.com projects - Blackwater - Comments

Blackwater runs deep

James_Protzman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:00:35 -0500

Erik Prince is an opportunistic war-profiteer who took advantage of his personal connections in Washington to create a mercenary army operating outside the rule of law. He recruited top military professionals, skimming billions out of the Pentagon budget, resulting people who remained on active duty working for chump change. Blackwater is (for now) a US corporation. Our court system can and should look into Blackwater's activities and hold both individual contractors and executive leadership accountable for whatever crimes they may have committed. The IRS should also be looking into Blackwater's payroll policies to determine if Prince is evading tax laws.

James Protzman
Veteran
2nd Anglico, Camp Lejeune (1974 to 1977)
USNA '72

Re: Price: Let courts decide on Blackwater

Dirigo01 — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:50:32 -0500

Erik Prince is a hero who took the bull by the horns and provided a service that our Government could not. He protected arguably the most threatened targets in the world to day (Paul Bremer at one time had a $43 million dollar bounty on his head while travelling in Iraq!) and did not lose one! You people know that these cowardly terrorists hide behind women and children as a matter of policy as Hamas has recently proven. I hate that innocent people died to but you know these guys, some of the best disciplined in the business, did not just start shooting unarmed people. Moreover, State and DoD cannot simply rewrite policy retroactively and on a whim. By their own memorandum the courts have no jurisdiction here! I knew when the bookkeepers and accountants that make up the FBI got involved this would become a goat*&%*.

Gary A. Shaw
Veteran
Retired Police Officer

Target markets

scharrison — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:38:30 -0400

As long as nobody in the General Assembly tries to legislate against Blackwater, I don't think we'll see much (lobbying) money spent there. Whatever markets they do have (or aspire to) in North Carolina, such as training local law enforcement, I'm pretty sure there's no State laws "impeding" them. The real market is up in D.C.

I'd be interested to know how much revenue North Carolina receives from Blackwater's billion-plus State Department contracts and all the others. Since they don't pay taxes on all their "subcontractors" (employees), I have a hunch they're not as much of a "boost" to the state's economy as other businesses of the same size.

Re: The N.C. Military Foundation's consultants

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:23:00 -0400

You guys sure are interested in this stuff.

Their state lobbying expenses are here and federal lobbying expenses are here.

— RTB

Re: The N.C. Military Foundation's consultants

Cdickson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:41:43 -0400

What did these people do and how much were they paid?

Re: Protzman: I regret every rant

FFC1304 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:43:50 -0400

pipe down Isaac...SOMEBODY must EXPOSE the controlling party in NC for what they are, and WHAT they have done to our once great state. Just doing my part...

Re: Protzman: I regret every rant

marshall_adame@yahoo.com — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:31:34 -0400

Provokng thought sometimes is achieved by what seems to be "angry" articulation. If it is by design, and achieves its aim of bringing attention to an issue, then it is "good planning,, not angry ranker.

I know you James. You are passionate about many issues effecting society and, at times, appear to be railing directly from the heart without consideration for form or decorum. There is a sophistication however, about your assemblage of words which pointedly steer a conversation.

You are a credit to your mission to shake up America and open our eyes to what is important and you always make us look to what we can do in our own lives to affect change for good. I am very proud to call you my friend James.

"When you're finished changeing, You're finished" Ben Franklin

Re: Protzman: I regret every rant

Isaac136 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:34:15 -0400

Oh for crying out loud, FFC, you're always griping and ranting and railing. You make the early Anglico look like a danged Angel. You need to get some kind of a grip, man, on that cantankerousness or you're just going to blow a gasket one day in the middle of misspelling one of your posts.

Who is this "we" who knows about BlueNC -- you and that poor cat who has to listen to your shrieking and shaking your fist at the television or computer screen?

Just sit yer butt down and have a mug o' warm milk or something. Maybe watch that channel on tv that shows nothing but fish swimming back and forth. Geez!

Re: Protzman: I regret every rant

FFC1304 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:19:12 -0400

We all know about BlueNC, and how they cannot handle truthful debate. Lieberals are just like that all the time, because they cannot defend
their positions very well.

And YES, there is MUCH to be ANGRY about in this corrupted state.

Thanks

Anglico — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:57:57 -0400

Thanks for getting my quote exactly right.

When I look back at some of those old posts, I'm not very happy with myself. High-voltage anger may have gotten BlueNC out of the blocks and onto the radar screen, but it's not aligned with my bigger commitments and it was getting in the way. (John Hood at the John Locke Foundation nicknamed me "Angrico" once upon a time. I thought that was pretty clever.)

My other big regret is that there's so much to be angry about.

Re: Protzman: I regret every rant

Isaac136 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:43:19 -0400

That's our Anglico. Feisty feller~
In fact, if Protzman were a dog, he'd be some kinda terrier, fer shur. Kinda antsy, lots of energy, mostly friendly, and truly repentant when he gets carried away and nips. (Also not a bad shedder.)

Re: Price has fought Blackwater since '04

Wildgoose — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:09:01 -0500

Fat chance Marshall. You getting elected in the 3rd District will be when our hog farms fly!

Price has fought Blackwater since '04

marshall_adame@yahoo.com — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:07:28 -0500

Congressman Price had the right idea in 2004. He recognized the potential for abuse and maybe even the Administration's deliberate actions to create the right to lawless behavior and mayhem on the part of Blackwater and other security companies in Iraq and Columbia.

Now that all of Congressman Price's concerns have manifested themselves in Iraq, with killings and destruction over the past few years, his call for more control is wholly inadequate.

When elected to the US House in 2008, I will offer my services, partnership and advice to Congressman Price to write legislation regarding Private Securty Companies which will serve the public's interest and our countries goals and needs.

MARSHALL ADAME
Democratic Candidate NC-03

Closing loopholes isn't enough.

Anglico — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:14:35 -0500

The United States government should not be in the business of using mercenary armies for anything. The "loophole" that needs closing is the one that allows the government to use armed contractors in the first place.

Congressman Price has been on this for many years, but his focus on accountability and oversight misses the broader and more important issue. It's time to stop the privatization of war in every way, shape and form.

Re: State Democrats target Blackwater

liam — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:01:00 -0500

But Price, chairman of the subcommittee on homeland security appropriations, is the only one of those three who has the ability to do anything about it right now.