Sherry Chandler

Mercenaries by any other name…

Over at I See Invisible People, Terry points out a part of the SOTU address that many may have missed:

A second task we can take on together is to design and establish a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps. Such a corps would function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them. And it would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.

I think we call soldiers for hire mercenaries — and Iraq is already full of them, only they’re called private security forces. They get a lot more pay than GIs and have a lot fewer restraints.

I don’t know why anybody would join a Civilian Reserve Corps if they wouldn’t join the military, unless of course they were going to get more pay. Big pay. Like the employees of Blackwater USA, who already guard our ambassadors.

Or else, as Jeff Hess suggests in the commenths:

What this made me think of is our president’s support for a guest worker program. Under our Constitution, only citizens of the United States (and a few specific exceptions like Phillpine nationals serving in support roles) can serve in our Military.

Perhaps President George Bush wants to enlist all of these illegal aliens in his private army?

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