September 17, 2007

Just another manic Monday. Why was I filled with such enthusiasm today, you ask? Test day! That's right, all my classes were taking tests today which means a pretty easy day for me. Sure, I will have to grade those tests, but since they are all "scantron" I simply run them through the scanner and the results are printed for me. This year, or at least this semester, I have decided to not put essays and written components on standard type multiple choice tests. Instead, the students get their essay's and short answers separate form their tests and will be able to write their responses in a much less stressful environment. My hope is that I will get better results from the students.


Evan and I went to the park today after school. The weather was beautiful so we decided to take advantage. We played on the swings, Evan climbed the jungle gym, jumped, slid, and had a good time while I tried to take some pics with my phone. It was nice, I am glad we did it. Afterwards, we went home before meeting Michelle, Dan and Aidan at Olive Garden - just one of those spur of the moment dinner plans we make 15 to 30 minutes before dinner time. My after work phone call with Michelle usually goes something like this:

Michelle: So, what do you want to do about dinner?
Matt: I dunno, what do you want to do about dinner?
Michelle: I dunno. I just got of the phone with Dan, he said if we do anything to call him.
Matt: OK, any suggestions?
Michelle: Not really, I was thinking maybe about ______. How does that sound?
Matt: Sounds OK, hang on . . .
[Matt calls out in the background "Evan, do you want to go to ______ for dinner?"
Matt: Yeah, ______ sounds good.
Michelle: Well, I hope to finished here by about 6:00, so we'll meet there at about 6:15-6:30?
Matt: Sounds good.

Yeah, it is like that every afternoon, believe it or not. Not too exciting, I know, but since neither of us really want to cook when we get home, that is how dinner is decided. From time to time I try to be good and cook something, or plan out a few day in the week, but undoubtedly I get lazy before it is all said and done.

Today's Headlines:

Iraq Revokes US Security Contractor Licence (Reuters.com)
I have wondered about this private security company, Blackwater, for quite sometime now, but never bothered to do a search. Well, it seems that all the major news organizations have done the research for me, and lucky thing too, because all the links to any part of their website comes up "Service Unavailable" after today's news that Iraq has expelled the agents of this company from the country after an incident that left 11 Iraqis dead. According to information I have obtained today, there are roughly 100,000 Blackwater security workers in Iraq, in addition to the 150,000 US military personnel. This security force is financed by sources greater than those supporting our troops. Blackwater has the money and facilities to train their agents in the backwoods of North Carolina. It also has the money to buy supplies, weapons, and equipment more advanced and expensive that can be afforded US military troops in Iraq. Check out the links to Blackwater yourself, or do a google search and try to connect from there:

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/
www.blackwaterusa.com/about/default.asp
www.blackwaterusa.com/archive/default.asp
www.blackwaterusa.com/employment/default.asp
www.blackwaterusa.com/training




I have several problems with this. Estimates are at about 40¢ per dollar for the war in Iraq is being spent on Blackwater and other private security firms, leaving 60¢ per dollar for all other spending in Iraq, including supplying our regular military forces there. Additional estimates show that only about 800 Blackwater agents have died in Iraq compared to the roughly 3,000 US regular military personnel. It sounds to me that 40% of money earmarked for Iraq is going to a private company (whose chairman is a major contributor to Bush campaigns) and their mercenary soldiers are not doing their fair share of the dying. (Not that any dying is fair, of course). Right, our tax dollars are going to protect these mercenaries, who were hired to kill and protect without as much of the danger of being killed as our regular military who volunteer to fight for the United States and our ideals abroad.

Now, this may seem like a travesty to some. And on the face of it, it does appear as such. But, if there are 250,000 soldiers (US military and mercenary), in Iraq getting the job done, and 100,000 are no longer going to be allowed to operate there, how will the US government make up the difference? Is a military draft in order? Whose children will be forced to continue a war that was ill conceived but cannot be abandoned? Check out this video below on Youtube, maybe you will begin to see some problems by allowing such mercenary armies to operate.




-MC