For you to suggest that anything in the history of the United States even remotely resembles the scope of activities, lack of acountability and outright lawlessness of the "security contractors" operating in Iraq is ridiculous and inaccurate. The Bush administration has outsourced the work of our military to the private sector for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with tradition or patriotism.

1) It has been done because our own military is so overburdened it can't do the job. 2) Our heroic and honorable servicemen and women wouldn't do many of the things these contractors do even if you paid them the unbelievable salaries the mercenaries get. 3) The mercenaries from Blackwater, KRB and the rest are not accountable to anyone and under the control of corporations instead of legislators. 4) The military industrial mega companies are enriching themselves and stealing more money that most country's GDP. 5) No one will ever be able to get to the bottom of who did what, who gave them orders, or who is, ultimately responsible for their actions. 6) It became necessary because none of the idiots that planned and lied us into this war had enough sense to listen to the military leaders who told them their plan would lead us where we now find ourselves. And keep in mind that General Patreas wrote the book on counter insurgency that Rumsfled, Wolfson, Cheney and the rest threw out the window.

You can gild a turd but it remains a turd. You show the same respect for our history that the Bush Administration has shown our Constitution. Make sure you flush after you wipe.