POL S 121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Extraordinary Measures, Plausible Deniability, Small Arms And Light Weapons
Document Summary
Eric prince: wealthy purveyor of private military "solutions" to global conflict zones. Private military firm (pmf): "profit-driven organizations that trade in professional services intricately linked to warfare" - pw singer. Synonyms: pmc (corporation), pmi (institution), mercenary, psc (security company), and "dogs of war" Current businesses don"t like to be called mercenaries or dogs of war because of their negative associations with wartime atrocities. They like to stress their ethics, corporate responsibility, and professionalism. Waxed and waned over time: you used to be able to buy a whole army to help you win a wat. As nationalism took hold in late 19th and early 20th centuries, militaries came to be viewed as part of national identity and service. Soldiers of fortune (private militaries) served in newly independent states on behalf of ousted colonial governments. Proliferation of weak states without the capacity to defend themselves. Rise in private military firms since end of 20th century.
