Tiny Town Crushes Blackwater
By Julia Rosen Tuesday Dec 11, 2007 9:00pm(full disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign)
A tiny town called Potrero just north of the border in California, an area ravaged by the recent wildfires, just stood up and resoundingly said no to another impending disaster: Blackwater moving to town. It was the nation's first ever electoral vote on Blackwater and it was a massive people-powered grassroots victory over the mercenaries. Every "stop Blackwater" candidate won by at least 63% (results here). It was an an enormous statement to Blackwater: stay out, you are not the kind of neighbors we want in our community. It is also a blistering statement by a very conservative town to reject the Bush world view. Our nation is not better served by having a privatized Army and there is nothing pro-troop about supporting Blackwater. (See Nicole's post from a few weeks ago on the recall)
The video is a short documentary on Carl Meyer, a quiet farmer who has lived in Potrero his whole life. helped lead the "Save Potrero" slate. He won last night with 71.4% of the vote, replacing the most ardent Blackwater supporter and chair of the Planning Group, Gordon Hammers. The Courage Campaign produced the film and it gives you a great sense of why he is my hero today and a true grassroots leader.
Blackwater has been working this little town of 509 registered voters (which went for Bush over Kerry by 25.8%) hard. They deployed Brian Bonfiglio, a Vice-President at Blackwater out to San Diego County to regularly show up to town meetings in Potrero. They sent out propaganda mailers and generally tried to ingratiate themselves with residents of the community. In short, Blackwater has invested a great deal of resources into P.R. within Potrero and cares very much what the residents feel about the company. Naturally, Bonfiglio and Blackwater are trying to downplay this huge loss, even trying to claim that they couldn't give a crap about the town.
Riiiight. Blackwater just got popped in the nose by a tiny town they thought they could steamroll. Not this time, fellas.
The results of this election should send a loud and clear statement to Blackwater and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (which has final jurisdiction over this proposal): Potrero does not want Blackwater to move into their town. They don't want to ruin their quality of life. They don't want to risk their sole source aquifer. They don't want an increased fire risk in a very fire prone area. They don't want a massive increase in traffic. They don't want guns firing from 15 ranges for hours on end. And they don't want a company who employs a band of mercenaries, who kill innocent civilians to be their neighbors.
The planning group will likely reverse the previous decision, but it is only an advisory board. The real power to reject Blackwater's mercenary base plans rests with the Board of Supervisors who will be ruling next year, after an environmental impact review is completed.
To block Blackwater's base, we are going to need to build a people-powered movement. The townsfolk in Potrero cannot win this on their own. They are asking for your help. Join the Courage Campaign today and sign the pledge opposing Blackwater's base at www.BlockBlackwater.com.
Login or Register to post comments.
Hi guys. While I have guest posted here before, this my first post with a real account. Thanks for the high honor!
If you would like, leave a message for the folks in Potrero in the comments. I am planning on gathering them up and passing them along to the grassroots heroes.
It's way to soon to be breaking out the bubbly. In Southern California it's pretty typical to "stop" unwanted development at the lower levels (e.g., neighborhood council, planning commission, etc.) only to have it resurrected by a political body. Blackwater can probably more easily pay off the county commissioners and the resulting outrage of Potreroans won't even cause the Commissioners more than a moment of regret come election time. And if they fail at the county level, they can see if they can buy some favorable loop hole legislation in the state legislature.
The only thing in Potrero's favor is that if things get drug out long enough Blackwater will probably find another place to set up; with developer's who already own the land that doesn't happen, so every few years the whole process starts all over again.
Blackwater's days are numbered.
Blackwater would stigmatize any area.
Their defeat at the hands of grassroots patriots is the best news I've heard in a long time. The citizens of Potrero, through their actions, have spoken for the majority of Americans on this issue.
greg @ 3:
As are the Bush Administration's. Let's hope the ideology dies with the body but that is not necessarily so.
What would Zeus do? @ 2:
They might try that. However, any loss makes the next attempt even tougher. They have already been working the County. The County at one point was employing a former Blackwater lawyer to work on this project. Raw Story:
As I said, this thing is far from over. The big fight is at the County level and how the town feels is just one factor in how they will rule. Sunshine is key here and our ability to tout these amazing numbers will help put pressure on them to do the right thing.
What would Zeus do? @ 2:
wwzd is right. I applaud the good people of Potrero. It is an interesting place. But I have seen it happen too many times before. The people speak and then they are steamrolled.
Blackwater is just a small part of an international conspiracy to crush the American experiment called democracy by those who want to see a restoration of the aristocracy. To them democracy is another word for anarchy. Do a Google search on the word "synarchy".
Another example of Privatization run amuck.
Way to go, Portreroites, thanks for sticking up for your rights, and the rest of our rights, too. It isn't often you get a clear choice between Black and White, right and wrong, and you folks sure jumped on the white, right side, for which you deserve our thanks.
The blight that is Blackwater will undoubtedly try to locate somewhere else, and probably try an end run by using some government land. We may all need your help again when that happens, together we can prevail.
Bush vetoes kids health insurance bill
AP - 3 minutes ago
Prince and his ilk belong in Gitmo, I suppose. With the Dickster and the Dubster....
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
So much for the concept of No Child Left Behind
Way to go, Southern California.
Thumbs up from a Northern brother.
Would one have expected anything else from The Socialist Republic of California?
Can common sense go viral?
XuYu @ 14:
Wouldn't Blackwater be better off having a training facility in some third world dictatorship country where they would be accepted as "just one of the guys". . . ?
I mean get real, even Iraq wants them out of the country.
"Socialist Republic"?
Attention! Troll cleanup on Aisle 14!
So when does the town in [Arizona or Texas] offer to host the facility, tax free?
Well done my southern neighbors anyway!
XuYu @ 14:
I think thats the PEOPLE's Republic!
Of course I'm used to applying such complementary language to the beautiful land known as Vermont...
Here's a half hour documentary detailing the town of Potrero and their fight with Blackwater...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XkfjTBHNeo
Thank you so much for posting the results of last nights meeting. I read the long article in the Times yesterday and I was hoping that Blackwater would be handily defeated.
The 2 questions I would ask D's running for the presidency would be:
1. Will you revoke all contracts to Blackwater.
2. Will you completely clean house in all of the government agencies and get
rid of each and every Bush appointee.
Thanks for providing me the information--I appreciate it.
Power To The People !!
To tanglewood @ 21. You are more than welcome.
I was on pins and needles waiting for Rick Jacobs, the Courage Chair to call last night. He was at the SD Registrars watching the count. Our GOTV numbers had the tally at about 2-1 for the good guys and indeed that is what happened. Just phenomenal.
Here is that NYT article that tanglewood is talking about. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/us/11blackwater.html
If you notice, the sign in the photo accompanying the article is the one Carl is painting in the film and that is his pumpkin patch.
GOOD FOR THEM!!! I hope every other small town or city stands up and does the same thing when Blackwater comes lurking around their next potential target. Good for them !!!!
Well that's good for Portero. But like noted in the link, next comes the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. This isn't over just yet.
(BTW Was the cause of last month's fire ever identified?)
Bravo Potrero, bravo people
Sd's board is not very liberal. But, the local press (pretty damn conservative), was reporting it and there will be a backlash if the citizens are not listened to. I want to throw some kudos to the local MSM for being objective. Could be someone from planet reality got a job writing there.
This is for Carl:
Mr. Meyer, thank you for standing up to the mercenaries, Blackwater. You are truely an American Hero! I have always thought the reason we are not so much in touch with the earth is that there are not enough farmers. It's like up here in Maine, fishing is a way of life and for you in California, farming is a way of life. It is more than just a job.
Bravo to you. Keep up the good fight. You have my and so many others support all over this country. Thank you from me.
“It doesn’t belong here”
Like it’s about a nuclear power plant.
These Bush voters would do better claiming it doesn’t belong on this planet.
A great story. Well done to all.
chorocardium @ 19:
Proud to say I was born there. Hi neighbor! from Maine.
What would Zeus do? @ 2:
I too, having grown up in San Diego and having been involved in numerous EIRs, would not get my hopes too high. Local residents have rarely affected the main political agendas of the board if it is not what they wanted in the first place. I'm sure a lot of the Potrero residents voted for the current supervisor board members. I think if it were a housing development, it would be much tougher to fight than a paramilitary facility. Hopefully, they will have momentum on their side and I will be pulling for them to take control of their community.
Blackwater's next electoral move:
Fund a bunch of candidates to run on a "Stop Blackwater" platform and change their minds in office in exchange for a lucrative "consulting contract" at the end of their terms.
The Beltway Response to Blackwater's next electoral move:
Great admiration at their "creativity" and "nerve" to play "bare-knuckle politics"
Do you know who is smiling somewhere? John Steinbeck.
Kudos to the Potreroites for kicking out international terrorist Erik Prince
Erik Prince could probably kill me nine different ways to sunday, but he's still a putz.
An Average Joe @ 5:
I really hope the dems make an election issue of this GOP privatization B.S. Why do we need mercenairies in the freakin' U.S.A? They could attract plenty of people with the qualifications they need in the armed forces by raisng pay and other incentives; for far less than these criminal "A-Team on steroids" idiots steal.
And why haven't they made an issue of defunding these a**holes? All those pro-military 26% couldn't even defend this practice, although in their abject stupidity I'm sure they would try.
Privatization is nothing but a way of destroynig the public trust and eliminating more of the middle class, so repukes can steal the taxpayers money under the "free-market" bullshit banner. Every place that has privatized in our area, has paid even more money than they would have if they kept their government workers, and recieved half-assed inferior work for their tax dollars. Many places have fired these losers and rehired their old government employees to clean up the mess made by these privatizing corporate theives.
And privatizing the military has to be the absolute bottom of the barrel. This country was founded on the idea (and use) of the citizen soldier. They had to fight mercenairies as well as the British.
How did we ever get to this point? I guess it's not that hard when the village idiot is elected president, and he probably never read a history book in his life.
Thank the MSM for failing to vet this draft dodging, AWOL coward, son of privelage jack-ass! And to think this idiot was re-elected because people thought repukes are better with the military. Un-f-ing believable.
If the dems take it all in 08', they should introduce an amendment outlawing this practice. The sheeple need to realize just how far-off the charts president chimpy was.
Julia Rosen @ 1:
Thanks Julia for posting. Appreciate hearing from you. As the saying goes, small groups of determined, principled people can truly make a difference. They are the only people who ever have. Keep up the good fight. We are counting on you.
Residents of Potrero:
Finally, someone, somewhere, shows courage in the face of this pernicious, fundamentally evil company.
XuYu @ 14:
As opposed to the fascist state of imbecility that clueless wingnuts inhabit?
And by the way you dumb bastard, Eric the "prince of darkness" and his band of sociopath's suck out more socialism from the taxpayers in one day, than 100,000 average american's will get from the government in their lifetime?
Where do people as stupid as you are come from?
This has been a big deal down here in San Diego, and the local media hasn't been giving adequate attention to it.
The sad thing is, the board of supervisors will probably vote to let Blackwater in "by the slimmest of margins". I'm a native San Diegan, and liberal, too. The voting in this county swings towards the conservative side almost always. And the spin on the vote will be something like: "Blackwater is good for the local economy". I hope they don't get hosed by the supervisors...
great news! big up c&l for spotting this....
It's a private republican army. much like the Nazi's hard defending their rallies and such. This is private warfare.
The public is amazingly the sole victim here. Congrats to the town. Now if only the country has as much stones.
I read the story, the county board of supes are the decision makers, the town folk are bit players, and Blackwater vows to crush them.
This supposed 'happy news' is false in its intent, and its posturing.
There is NO good news about the Blackwater intent to build in Portrero's backyard. This small town news inflated to national anti evil stature is bogus, inaccurate and it's a SHAME the blogs and even the MSM are posturing this news as relevant to Blackwater's real future, or the future of the chicken ranch revival as an outpost for the dark forces.
Pathetic shit coming outta all blogs this past few months, must be a slow news quarter in the blogosphere, as a whole.
THIS story, is falsely presented. Harumph. The hue and cry should be to the San Diego County Board Of Supes, not the phreakin peanut City Council of Portrero . . . . you ALL miss the point, and the reality of the sitch.
Blackwater MARCHES ON!!!
Get it rigth, blogs. Yer killin me. Just KILLIN me.
NoGWBpolicyleftinplacesays @ 42:
Oh thank you for that!! I can only hope to be as articulate as you, although I doubt xuyu understood it. When I watched the senate hearings into Blackwater, looking at Eric what'shisname, really stuck with me. His eyes are totally vacant, there is nothing good in there. It was like watching evil itself. Scary guy, and young.
I can't imagine that any town would not want a terrorist training group in their own backyard. {heavy on the snark}
Seriously though. Good on the good people of Potrero.
At least it proves to me that 1)the American Public is paying attention ... and 2) reconfirms that ALL politics are local.
...now if we can only get our representatives in Congress to actually represent the People's Interests.
Blackwater should set up camp somewhere in South America, supporting a third world dictator and terrorizing and brutalizing all opposition. That is where the thugs belong. We don't want them in the U.S. Congrats to the citizens of Potrero
First to larue @46. You call it posturing. Perhaps. But the information is moving faster than Blackwater. Without blogs like C&L there would've been fewer people that knew of Blackwater wanting to set up camp in California.
Now the post's headline is a bit of an exaggeration. More like the people of Portrero stood up to Blackwater rather than "crushes" it.
Most MSM articles I find on this has been how the community has been split over having Blackwater move in. The actual 70% against makes this sound like an embedded talking point.
The vote indicates that the overwhelming majority don't want Blackwater in Portrero.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors can make their decision solely on an environmental impact report.
Must the supervisors limit their decision to the report?
As Potrero goes, so goes Our Nation.
Every Man and Woman in Potrero has grown up with an understanding that they have a civic responsibility to take care of their community and nurture it's image for the future of that community. Far too often, in communities around our nation, citizens would rather set on their backsides and watch as their so-called representatives parcel out the future of those communities to outside interest who have no regard for what past generations have left for that future generation of citizens.
There have already been meetings with officials, and banquets to "honor" officials, and talks of tax breaks, and new sources of revenue streams, and investment opportunities, and road improvements, and Federal Block Grants, and talking points featuring all of the wonderful things that will occur in Potrero if only those citizens could see the "Big Picture", and allow those outside interest to take control of the future of Potrero.
This scenario re-occurs with dizzying frequency throughout our country everyday in every State of the Union, it is happening in my town of Eureka Missouri. It is easy to surrender to the will of the outsiders, snake oil salesman who are so practiced at their craft that they can sell medicine to a corpse and convince everyone that it was the corpses idea.
The struggle of will and the desire of self governance in Potreras is an American Story, it is part of the fabric of our American culture, it is that part of America that has become an inspiration for others throughout the world, that desire is why so many throughout the world still love us and want to be like us, warts and all.
We should all be inspired by the good people of Potreras. They want to control the destiny of their community and THEY know what is best for Potreras.
Spread the word and stay informed.
Worth repeating:
Julia Rosen @ 6:
So--any bets on how long it takes them to go for eminent domain?
This is good news but I fear that the people will lose in the end, unless we impeach to stop the clock on all this bullshit.
Blackwater good for the local economy? Huh?
They are over here in Northeast North Carolina.
The states of North Carolina and Virginia pay Blackwater to use their facilities to get their firearms training. Money going in, not out. Our local benefit? Almost constant rapid gunfire, window rattling explosions, military helicopters hovering around, and this here is supposed to be a quiet country area where you don't want to hear the din of city life.
California recalled a governor, why not recall a board of supervisors? After all, they are public servants, are they not?
I have my house up for sale and want to move further south but also am mindful of the military wanting to put another OLF in the area. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation with jets screaming overhead?
Different Anonymous @ 18:
Besides the point, since the purpose is to be near 29 Palms and Camp Pendleton USMC bases, and surveillance of the SD border.
Gregg @ 33:
This is not just a local fight against a developer. This is Blackwater, which is DESPISED by several key Democrats.
Senator Boxer has suggested adding this chunk of Potrero to the wilderness area -- which would block the sale.
Representative Filner (D-SD), whose district this now is, opposes it, and may be able to block it in some way.
Eric Prince has committed major tax fraud. Blackwater is being investigated by a Grand Jury. There is clear evidence of HUNDREDS of criminal acts in Iraq, and Krongard was just forced out by Chairman Waxman, who has an entire brief on Blackwater crimes, developed through consistently devastating committee hearings.
Btw, I know that people think that 'Blackwater' is some kind of swamp reference or something. Has it occured to you that Blackwater is the anti-Whitewater? The Clenis fetish continues.
Moyock @ 55:
California did NOT recall a Governor.
The election was an early Diebold (et al.) vote-rigging crime. Not one county in California had legal counting software.
Schwarzhisname is a criminal, and a thug.
Hosting a mercenary camp is not good business and wouldn't be good for a small town's economy. What? Their chamber of commerce literature will say "Home of Blackwater: Killing Iraqis There So We Won't Have to Kill Them Here?"
Blackwater needs to be shunned.
http://13martyrs.blogspot.com/
Congratulations on putting the brakes on Blackwater's expansion plans. We must take back the military from the private sector and reclaim civilian control over our defense policy decisions. The military industrial complex is bigger and badder than ever and Blackwater epitomizes the worst of the lot making the USA less secure and more hated than ever. For more information visit Blackwater Watch
They should set up in Texas, right next to Shrub's ranch, or where Chinny gets to shoot people. I'm sure they'll be welcomed with open armaments. Who knows, maybe they'll "si..seed" 'n make DeVos da ruler. Seig Heil to Blackwater 'n da rule'r!
Julia Rosen @ 6:
I salute the people of BlackWater. I will be blogging about this and be assured that they are not alone in their fight. Further, they should be prepared to go the full distance including civil disobedience and physically blocking any progress on this project.
Victory goes to the prepared----Napoleon.
Paul in LA @ 58:
Exactly.
THIS IS WHAT AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT!!! good job Carl Meyer and his supporters who showed without question that California will be better off without these murderous bastards!
Read the book Blackwater and this whole big mess will be laid out for all of you. You’ll be pissed by the end of the first chapter.
I have talked to many Army and Marine personnel in Iraq and not many like Blackwater people. It is heavily rumored that many of Blackwater people are on steroids too.
Mercenaries are good for Bush, because of them they don’t have to call up the draft.
chorocardium @ 19:
Actually it's the Republican Republic of California. They haven't elected a Democratic Governor since the early 1970's and the crumbling infrastructure throughout the state is clear proof. I'm a native and I left because it's so far right.
Blackwater will just kill all Indians on a reservation and operate out of thier. We are in RED ALERT No Newspapers want to talk to any of us and every small paper is being bought up. The Federal Reserve can Print any amount of money it wants to take over the minions. The People who earn the big paycheck could care aless about preserving the nation. Any one who opposes this bastards are dealt with in one way or another.
HURRAH for the folks in Potrero!! Never give up!
We are Blackwater. Resistence is futile. You will be assimilated.
Good for this people. Get these assholes out of there - unlike the goverment idiots here in northwest Illinois that let these jerks here a couple of years before. The people running this area are loyal Bushies and I guess they just get what they deserve. Let the shootings begin.
"Hi guys. While I have guest posted here before, this my first post with a real account. Thanks for the high honor!
If you would like, leave a message for the folks in Potrero in the comments. I am planning on gathering them up and passing them along to the grassroots heroes."
Julia, please thank the people of Potreto and tell them to send some courage to northwest Illinois where the goverment - full of Bushies - just gave Blackwater everything they wanted. Thank God we still have some people that care in this country. Thank them!
Let's not read too much into this. Homeowners, of any political stripe, usually don't like monolithic entities, of any nature, swallowing up vast tracts of land without any sort of economic payback. I'm sure the folks of that tiny conservative town are still enamored of Blackwater's Nazi agenda and the Republican push at military privitization that drives it - they just want it in somebody else's backyard.
Preacher Boob @ 9:
Now if only my home state would run them out...
The chiness execute their people every day for organ transplants, hard to get info
Their is a sect called Falgon or a name close to that, who are persecuted for religious believes. Do any of you recall when a women who protest during a Hoo choo visit Bush had her arrested. Bush knows what Rockfeller said and Communist China is the model for the new America. Get a Glue if you any doubt about Blackwater.
Tiny Town Crushes Blackwater
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hpBCnWjfVc
What I can't understand is why the public is not up in arms about blackwater. As a history major this sure looks alot like the SS. In a country that says it loves its freedom,how can we let a private army beholding only to the president stand. This is very dangerous to our way of life. It really blows me away that the freedom loving rightwing thinks this is ok. I quess it just goes to show you how much the rightwing in this country really doesn't love freedom. They really only love power.
Fantastic... Great news!
The EIR is likely to be completed without real flaw or conflict, the planning department has a permitting process, Blackwater is going through the steps anyone else would or their home-builder would to get an end land use designation. Nobody seems to mind when it is their business or their home, and groups of people always seem to think that once they are in place, that they have local prioritized rights to the surrounding land, be it public or private.
The best way to keep this from happening is to develop and incorporate, a town/city government, a boundary, a master plan with a charter, but it takes a lot of money and vision and cooperation. Usually, only developers can muster these resources. Rarely, do average residents have consistent values, long-term interests and civic involvement to pull this off in their favor. There are several organizations of small cities or small governments in the US, at least one in CA, who have helped develop communities for optimal residential-small business quality of life and these have done very well, with higher long-term home values, better schools, more open space, and low initial costs. But it takes a near co-op effort. Many developers are creating certain features of such communities in their projects because of the demand for them.
Portrero seems too diverse at this point to form such an entity, but if they could incorporate, they would have more legal say in their affairs. If Portrero can put up their own EIR study, and show impacts like noise,environmental damage, traffic, etc.. assuming Blackwater consultants will spin their EIR their way, such documents can have a viable effect on the planning process. This has been done numerous times in contentious land matters. It is most effective, if the project proponent is suspect in their assessment claims (such as viable alternatives, presence/absence of environmentally-protected natural resources, traffic loads, etc.) and other information exists to contradict their EIR.
In a semi-rural community like Portrero, I do not see a lot of legal obstacles to permitting Blackwater. I have however, witnessed (and are still involved in some) projects that every legal path was completed and approved, with backing of local politicians, and were still defeated or held up, because little old ladies, with no legal standing, bitched and whined to every newspaper, media reporter, or planning meeting, especially if they can pull extra-local attention. If aspects of the permitting process are forced into additional review or clarification, this will often undermine the project's momentum.
Blackwater is a perfect example of a corporation that should face the death penalty.
If found guilty in a court of law their corporate charter should be terminated.
All of their assets should be sold off piecemeal to the highest bidders and the proceeds used as compensation to the famlies of Blackwater's victims in Iraq.
The stockholders and creditors should get nothing for supporting a criminal organization.
Further, all employees should be banned for life from working for any security company.
All Blackwater board members and upper management should face criminal as well as civil charges.
If found guilty they should be thrown in prison and into the poor house where they belong.
We don't need Blackwater blackshirt thugs walking the streets of America. Californians will not tolerate it for a minute.
Californians may not have a choice. These blackshirted SS types are at the command of the president. Just remember that the president sent them down for Katrina and didn't ask anyone. This country is going to wakeup one day and find that they have lost everthing they have held dear.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
MERRY CHRISTMAS, POTRERO!
Hitler never trusted the army to do all the things he needed done,so he formed another private army (the brownshirts where the first) the SS. We know now just how the SS was used and what for. When parts of the army tried to revolt the SS did the dirty work for Hitler. If people think that blackwater was formed just to make money you are sadly mistaken. In a country that is for freedom of tyrants there is no place for a private army who is controlled by the president. The question all people who are seeking that office should be asked is if they will disband blackwater and all other private armys that work for this goverment.
The more the American people get to know about Blackwater, the more they will turn against them. Why do you think they've been so secretive?
Madame Defarge @ 81:
Blue light special on aisle 9.
My suggestion: Give Blackwater land in Crawford, Texas. I'm sure one of the community's "favorite sons" would have no problems the new neighbor, right? Hell, they could help blast away some of that stubborn brush on Rancho Borracho.
oh_please @ 85:
Too funny! I agree, and let's keep Blackwater the fuck out of California, thats for certain!
ysbaddaden @ 84:
Do you dislike jews, too?
"ATLANTA, May 3, 2006 – With the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process shutting down 25 major installations and radically realigning 24 others over the next six years, a BRAC conference under way here is focusing on growth as well as downsizing..."
Message to Blackwater Management;
Forget about that little town.
What you need to do is leverage your buddies in Washington and contact B.R.A.C. to swing a deal and "revitalize" one of the dozens of former military bases across the country that have shut down.
Heck, those towns might even welcome your organization since they lost revenue when the bases were closed.
See, it's a win-win arrangement. Blackwater gets to maintain being an overpaid mercenary army and the U.S. Army gets to look good while pawning off their clean up problems on someone else.
With how corrupt the government is, they might even sling some "special funding" Blackwater's way for "revitalization".
Ah, I love the smell of privatization in the morning.
Go Potrero. Blackwater is scum, and so is America for having it. (sorry friends)
Blackwater is the face of things to come, unless all (at least most) Americans unite and say "NO", loudly and clearly. This is one small defeat, and certainly not going to stop Blackwater from expanding and getting more and more contracts, as long as war-mongers are in Washington. (Which may be forever-- doesn't look good.)
He says, people were afraid to sign their names to the petition because of what Blackwater is/represents. What does that tell you about what the Bush administration has done to America over the last 7 years? I always thought it was the land of the brave and home of the free. Americans now live in fear of the very people elected to represent their interests. I think it's happened so gradually, many Americans don't even see it themselves. As a long time neighbour, from a Canadian border town, I don't even recognize the place I used to visit in my youth. Last time I took a train acorss the Niagara River, it felt like I was going to Auschwitz: armed guards, with attack dogs, harassed us for two hours.
Edwin, you have hit the nail right on the head. We will lose this country if we let private armys like blackwater survive. There is no place for SS type armys in america. But, I think you are right this looks like more things to come.
I also think this is one of the most important issues of our time. If history has shown us anything , it has shown us that once private armys take hold freedom and democracy are over. America has to wakeup and take back this country be you left or right. Our kids will hold us accountable for what we do or don't do about this grave issue of private armys.
See what happens when the people get together and just say NO!
Nothing has happened yet. The ruling won't come down untill next year by the San Deigo county supervisors. Just like the majority of the people want the troops out of Irag, see how well that has worked.
Madame Defarge @ 87:
Do you dislike Cargo Cults too?
Login or Register to post comments.