Soldier cuts off Afghans' fingers for war trophies

[flamingjimmy]

The only similarity is they are hired help. That's the where the similarity ends.

That is not at all where the similarity ends. They are militarily trained and armed hired help, hired to be violent and to keep peace with the threat of violence.

 

A few of my ex military friends, who I served with, working in this capacity and have current serving friends that work alongside them in Afghanistan right now. So, you could say, I have enough knowledge to make that distinction.

So your friends don't like being called mercenaries, that's is not surprising. It also is not a great argument.

[Phanerothyme]

Not national armies, but private armies for hire then?

 

So why use 'private security companies' staffed by ex soldiers?

 

Cheaper? Nope.

More accountable? Nope.

Better disciplined? Nope.

 

More profitable for the politicians/directors of private security firms? Check.

[Agent Orange]

Scarcely! If the hired help is armed and being paid to provide 'security' what else do you call it other than mercenary?

 

They call them security contractors. Unarmed contractors would be as useless as a chocolate teapot in a country awash with heavily armed taliban fighters. How else do you propose they protect their clients?

 

That is not at all where the similarity ends. They are militarily trained and armed hired help, hired to be violent and to keep peace with the threat of violence.

 

So your friends don't like being called mercenaries, that's is not surprising. It also is not a great argument.

 

No, they are not mercenaries. Mercenaries are paid to fight wars on behalf of others. Security contractors are paid to protect staff and equipment.

 

Not national armies, but private armies for hire then?

 

So why use 'private security companies' staffed by ex soldiers?

 

Cheaper? Nope.

More accountable? Nope.

Better disciplined? Nope.

 

More profitable for the politicians/directors of private security firms? Check.

 

Contractors are just armed security guards. They protect their client(s) and only use their weapons when they are attacked.

[Bassman62]

That is not at all where the similarity ends. They are militarily trained and armed hired help, hired to be violent and to keep peace with the threat of violence.

 

So your friends don't like being called mercenaries, that's is not surprising. It also is not a great argument.

Private security is not going into combat as merceneries are paid to do, security is provideig security.

It's as daft as calling Securicor staff merceneries.

[flamingjimmy]

No, they are not mercenaries. Mercenaries are paid to fight wars on behalf of others.

...in your opinion.

 

To me, and many others, mercenaries are people hired to do a similar job to that of soldiers that are not employed within a national army (also footballers like Carlos Teves, but that's a different story!)

 

The wikipedia page for 'private military company' has within it's first paragraph 'these combatants are commonly known as mercenaries' and the wikipedia page on 'mercenary' says 'also known as... private military contractors'.

 

I'm not pointing the wiki pages out as some sort of proof, merely to demonstrate that my opinion on what a mercenary is is commonly held.

 

Contractors are just armed security guards. They protect their client(s) and only use their weapons when they are attacked.

Exactly like soldiers who are on defensive operations. If their job is so different to that of a soldier then why is it that these contractor companies are almost entirely made up of ex soldiers?

[Agent Orange]

...in your opinion.

 

To me, and many others, mercenaries are people hired to do a similar job to that of soldiers that are not employed within a national army (also footballers like Carlos Teves, but that's a different story!)

 

The wikipedia page for 'private military company' has within it's first paragraph 'these combatants are commonly known as mercenaries' and the wikipedia page on 'mercenary' says 'also known as... private military contractors'.

 

I'm not pointing the wiki pages out as some sort of proof, merely to demonstrate that my opinion on what a mercenary is is commonly held.

 

Exactly like soldiers who are on defensive operations. If their job is so different to that of a soldier then why is it that these contractor companies are almost entirely made up of ex soldiers?

 

I think we are going to have to agree to disagree. We could argue this out some more, but it will only serve to detract from the OP.

 

If the OP is classing contractors as mercenaries then I am sure he/she will be forthcoming with evidence of any crimes they are being accused of.

 

[TheGuy]

Well I suppose it is expected when you have a forign occupation force ,

 

A gorilla war is not to win the enemy but to cause pain and distress ,

 

Guess sometimes stress just gets too you ?

 

What's a gorilla war? silverbacks with guns and tanks?

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BK8i9mMBQyk/TbqMqnqfbYI/AAAAAAAAAFg/jkNeu1cTdgw/s1600/gorilla_war.jpg

[Frank Sidney]

The Liverpool manager flies to Kabul to watch a young Afghani play football. He is suitably impressed and arranges for the player to come over.

 

Two weeks later Liverpool are 4-0 down to Chelsea with only 20 minutes left. The manager gives the young Afghani striker the nod, and on he goes.

...

The lad is a sensation. He scores 5 goals in 20 minutes and wins the game for Liverpool. The fans are delighted, the players and the coach are delighted and the media love the new star.

 

When the player comes off the pitch he phones his mum to tell her about his first day in English football.

 

'Hello mum, guess what?' he says 'I played for 20 minutes today, we were 4-0 down but I scored 5 and we won. Everybody loves me, the fans, the media, they all love me.'

 

'Wonderful,' says his mum, 'Let me tell you about my day …

 

Your father got shot in the street, your sister and I were ambushed and assaulted, your brother has joined a gang of looters and all while you tell me that you were having a great time.'

 

The young lad is very upset. 'What can I say mum, but I'm really sorry.'

 

'Sorry?!!! Sorry?!!!' says his mum, 'It's your bloody fault we came to Liverpool in the first place!'

[Harleyman]

Acts of barbarism and evil happen in all wars and the US and UK forces are not immune to this. Remember the innocent Iraqi beaten to death for fun by UK soldiers? Repulsive.

 

As a soldier serving with the Royal Artillery in Malaya I remember several fellow soldiers being charged with raping a Chinese girl and five others with assault and battery against bar girls, prostitutes and a male Malay employee at the camp.

 

Another soldier was arrested and charged with robbing a cab driver. When arrested by the MPs he had a small bag packed with sand which he had used as a sap

 

Two drivers in the battery had a fondness for running over dogs and poultry when driving their 2 ton Bedfords through Kampongs ( Malay villages)

 

 

 

Three other soldiers were charged with wrecking a bar in the town during a drunken brawl.

 

Civilian employees at the camp were openly referred to and sometimes addressed as "Noggies"

 

 

 

This was during peacetime I might add. No war. No battle stress. More a case of boredom, home sickness and a hatred of the environment and the indigenous people who were part of it.

 

Life in the military is not conducive to developing a sense of gentleness and sensitivity for the information of all of you who have never served.

[Bassman62]

'Sorry?!!! Sorry?!!!' says his mum, 'It's your bloody fault we came to Liverpool in the first place!'

followed by "If I'd still been living in Kabul under the taleban I'd have been executed for understanding what 5 goals in 20 minutse means".