Outsource the War - Locally

I haven't written in almost a year because a) world events have become so bizarre that I was afraid to encourage the progression and b) I didn't think anyone was reading. But at least b) has been proven wrong (last week), so here's a another idea that I hope the world will ignore.

I read with interest that the US surge in Irag has been successful because we have co-opted the secular milita to help us fight Al Queda. Finally Bush hired someone competent. There is now more of a strategy than just throwing more ill-equiped troops into a civil war. It may be risky, but the only way to create a window of moderate security in which the Iraqi's can form a real government seems to be for the US to hire the insurgents and their guns to get them to stop shooting us.

We are paying them $10 per man per day. Strangely enough, they are threatening to strike not because we are not paying them enough, but because we're not actually paying them. Well, that's probably just a logistical problem. But I really don't think it's enough money to buy their loyalty in the long run anyway.

You may recall, that in August 2006, I suggested giving insurgents a $50K car. Obviously the US waited a year and then then took my advice on the cheap. Fine, if you don't want to give them a car, you can still pay them more money, and save money overall!

We have all read that Blackwater has been causing problems in Iraq. That's an understantement. It's bad enough to an occupation army in your country. And then that country allows in mercenaries that shoot anyone they feel like, anytime. And they are expensive!