Language should echo war's horror--More On Blackwater

[gottaB]

This is a continuation of work started on an earlier thread, Blackwater Pinochet Apple Pie.

The task, for me, began with questions about how to talk about private warriors working under contract for the US in Iraq. The horrific deaths of the four Blackwater employees in Al-Fallujah sparked a lot of discussion about the privatization of military functions--impassioned, reasoned, researched, logical, flippant, the whole gamut. I haven't been able to keep up with all of the debates, but I am attempting to gather links.

Please add your favorite links, or any comments or suggestions. Thanks.

News Media

1. Language should echo war's horror. Opinion piece, critical of media.
   
2. Fallujah victim remembered as `real warrior' by friends, family. Criticizing euphemisms and dishonesty in accounting for the Iraq war does not require that we dehumanize warriors, real or otherwise. By the same token, having compassion for others should not require us to turn off our thinking caps.
   
3. When Private Armies Take to the Front Lines.
   
4. The chaos theory in action.
   
5. Rise of the private-sector soldier.
   
6. High pay -- and high risks -- for contractors in Iraq.
   
7. Iraq's mercenaries: Riches for risks.
   
8. US outsources its anti-terror war. This is about Iraq, btw.
   
9. U.S. to rely more on contract soldiers.
   
10. Mercenaries 'R' U.S.
    
11. For contractors, war is a job, not an adventure.
    

Blogosphere

1. http://www.kathryncramer.com/wblog/
   
2. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/4/5/15230/34631 --the latest from Kos
   
3. http://www.testtacitus.org/story/2004/3/31/154540/980 --Tacitus is not a liberal, but has hosted a generally insightful and reasoned discussion of mercenaries, soldiers, contracters.
   
4. http://bodyandsoul.typepad.com/blog/2004/04/transparency.html
   
5. http://www.nathannewman.org/log/archives/001616.shtml
   
6. http://ancapistan.typepad.com/unfairwitness/2004/04/humanitarian_me.html
   
7. http://www.pressaction.com/pablog/archives/001570.html