Blackwater -

I have long assumed that where I live here in Canada we are protected by the best military force in the world the US. But based on the US government’s opinion, evidently I was mistaken.

It appears that the US government itself has considerable doubts about the effectiveness of its military. You see, the US government assigns protection of its own embassies and embassy personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and perhaps elsewhere, NOT to their own servicemen, but to professional mercenaries ------- like Blackwater and ArmorGroup.

What does this mean? Well, I can only interpret it in two possible ways. Either the US government, ambassadors and non-military officials have no faith in US servicemen and by extrapolation, neither should we, OR this is yet another example of the excessive largess that started under the Bush administration and apparently continues under the present administration, making private contractors like Blackwater and Halliburton, rich from the war.

Either way this should be seen for what it is a slap in the face of the US military.

To add insult to injury, these mercenaries are more than handsomely paid to stand guard on embassies, while the average US soldier is paid a fraction in comparison, to be on the FRONT LINES facing land mines, IEDs, and other daily peril.

If the men and women of the military are good enough to go into battle and risk their lives for their country, they should be good enough to protect it embassies and ambassadors. And if the US government feels they are NOT good enough, then what does it say about the training given to these men and women before they go to the front lines to risk their lives and those of their comrades.

It just does not sit right with me. Let us know what you think by...