tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952627.post1516121384160079949..comments2023-10-26T04:34:36.303-07:00Comments on Middle Earth Journal: Blackwater feeling the heat?Ron Beasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04442030471061531104noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952627.post-87072209274780217872007-09-29T18:07:00.000-07:002007-09-29T18:07:00.000-07:00For Justadog, from Machiavelli : Chapter 12, lines...For Justadog, from Machiavelli : Chapter 12, lines 9 thru 30 :<BR/><BR/>We have said above that a prince must have strong foundations, otherwise his downfall is inevitable. The main foundation of all states, new, old, or mixed, are good laws and good arms; and since there cannot be good laws where there are not good arms and likewise where there are good arms the laws must be good too, I shall omit discussion of laws and speak only of arms. Now the arms with which a prince defends his state are either his own, or mercenary, or auxiliary (allied), or mixed. Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous, and a leader having his state built on mercenary armies will never be secure. Troops of this sort are disunited, ambitious, undisciplined, and faithless, swaggering when among friends and cowardly in the face of the enemy; they have neither fear of God nor loyalty to men. Ruin is postponed only so long as the assault is postponed; in times of peace you are despoiled by them and in time of war by the enemy.The reason is that they have no interest or incentive to hold the field, save only their moderate pay, which is not enough to make them willing to die for you. They are pleased to be your soldiers so long as you have no war; when it comes they either run away or leave your employ (for the other guy).<BR/><BR/>Parentheses mine, for clarification.<BR/><BR/>Question : Justadog : Is there anything about this administration that you DON'T enjoy ? What is this Bullshit about "Innocent till proven guilty"? Blackwater is a bunch of MERCENARIES, fer chrissake. No one, least of all Erik Prince, disputes this. Just what point are you thinking you are making?<BR/><BR/>Thank you<BR/>frosted.flake at hotmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952627.post-14738811665492600112007-09-28T17:22:00.000-07:002007-09-28T17:22:00.000-07:00So much for innocent until proven guilty huh?Still...So much for innocent until proven guilty huh?<BR/><BR/>Still just talk, no evidence.JustaDoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10003082580136787667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952627.post-748948356928945022007-09-28T17:00:00.000-07:002007-09-28T17:00:00.000-07:00Blackwater's vice-Chair is romeney's terror adviso...Blackwater's vice-Chair is romeney's terror advisor...Chuck Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656874242638324636noreply@blogger.com