[maybelsyrup]

He did this stuff as a private contractor.

"Government power", "private power" -- it's power that's the problem, not what we call it.

Why are we still so wrapped up in this Reaganite semantics about "government" decades later?

[refurb]

You cant be serious. He was a member of military working on drone programs, then moved to a private company operating under the authority of the govt.

You think you can start an LLC and bomb people in Afghanistan?

[maybelsyrup]

> You cant be serious. He was a member of military working on drone programs, then moved to a private company operating under the authority of the govt.

You're right. He did it as a soldier, then as a contractor.

> You think you can start an LLC and bomb people in Afghanistan?

If you're an elite, then yes, absolutely. Spoiled rich kid and SEAL dropout Erik Prince and his buddy started a two-bit training seminar company for red state keystone kops that was on the edge of going under when the USS Cole was bombed in 2000 and the firm scored its first federal contract. 9/11, Afghanistan ... the Pentagon turns on the money spigot and a few short years later Blackwater is murdering civilians in Iraq at a steady clip with not only zero lasting consequences but increasing success.

It's not an exaggeration to say that Prince is a mass murderer, but he walks free today, a billionaire without a care in the (not to mention a self-proclaimed "libertarian" who's spent the bulk of his adult life profiting off taxpayers). Not a bad run!

So it goes to show: if you've got a silver spoon, a decent rolodex, and some good timing, you can kill whoever you want in this world after filling out some forms on LegalZoom.

[refurb]

You just agreed with me. Nothing Blackwater did with regards to killing civilians wasn’t sanctioned by the state.

[xvector]

> Why are we still so wrapped up in this Reaganite semantics about "government" decades later?

because no one is calling for more private power but a ton of people are constantly calling for more government power

[rtpg]

Loads of people are calling for more private power! People who defend the contractor-ization of American workers are asking for private power. People who argue for billionaires to have the right to launch themselves into orbit are arguing for more private power. People who argue for letting employers pick and choose what healthcare to provide their workers are asking for more private power.

Many discussions about gov't control are usually within the context of private power already existing. Of course those same people insist on a hyper-atomization of the topics to make it less clearcut. That's why context is important folks

[pottertheotter]

People are calling for more private power every day. In fact, I think that if I had to pick one central theme behind American conservatism it would be that.

[lostlogin]

So how do you block private power if not via legislation? Legislation and its enforcement are a government power.

[hanniabu]

Are you one of those people that want to shut down the USPS?

[xvector]

No, but I'd like to cut my taxes in half by stopping my government from committing war crimes on innocent brown people.

[actually_a_dog]

More precisely, it's the power of "one dollar = 1 vote" rather than "1 person = 1 vote."