[epicureanideal]

Anyone care to do a back of the napkin calculation on whether there is any scenario where mercenaries could offer "law and order as a service"?

[GFischer]

Well, that's usually what happens in 3rd world countries.

Private Security is an extremely established service in countries such as mine (Uruguay), and even bigger in others like Brazil.

One link mentions 4 million security guards in Brazil alone (compared to less than a million policemen).

Other links speak of 1.5 million of legally registered security guards.

Compare to 600.000 security guards for the entirety of Europe.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/flavie-halais/spe...

https://www.oas.org/dsp/documentos/Publicaciones/PUBLIC%20SE...

[epicureanideal]

But you would want private security that is willing to engage in serious shootouts with roving bands of warlords, but make those warlords fearful of doing that because they expect the security to win decisively.