For the first time since the wars started, more private military contractors than uniformed service members were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or if you're a glass-half-full sort, the military's plan to outsource casualties is working

From: FARK.com: (5646343) For the first time since the wars started, more private military contractors than uniformed service members were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or if you're a glass-half-full sort, the military's plan to outsource casualties is working

This is a bit too simplistic because a lot of these PMCs are probably very recent veterans, all this is doing is increase the monetary reward for even more danger and a lot less legal protection. How many of these PMCs left the service and immediately signed for PMC jobs?

The same poor bastards are getting killed, only for a lot more money.

The problem here is that these people are still stuck doing the same job, and yes, for a lot more money, but they are not protected by the Geneva Convention. If you are running around armed to the teeth, and people are shooting at you, and you are not a cop or a soldier, what are you? If the prime motivator is money (that is, if you take out the obligation/duty carried by the oath of service) what is going to assure the company that their PMCs are going to toe the company line instead of allow themselves to be influenced by a higher bidder?

What I mean is that at least with a soldier, if he does the enemy’s bidding then he is treasonous, since he is violating the service oath. But what is the liability when a PMC for a company hired by country A is bribed by an entity that is not aligned with the interests of either the company or country A? It isn’t treason, since the oath is a commercial contract, so what is it? Breach of contract? Local legal liability if bribery is a crime? Is the PMC even within the local legal jurisdiction? Or would it be prosecuted as a crime in country A?

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