nerdgirl 0 #76 September 21, 2007 Tangentially related to the topic, but I am confident that quite a few here with find this hilarious. There's also a chunk o'truth in it, sadly. Link was fwd'd to me by a retired O-6 currently in the sandbox working for another private contractor. http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/09/top-ten-pr-move.html#more "Personally, I prefer the Blackwater of current incarnation -- the one that produces tons and tons of too-awful-to-be-true PR missteps, which in turn produces lots of good news stories and blog posts. But I'm just doing this is as sort of an intellectual exercise in Machiavellian thinking, like musing about how you would commit the perfect crime. "1) New name, preferably with indecipherable acronym. "It took decades before anyone run an "expose" about SAIC. And most people have already forgotten about it. When was the last time you saw a major article about CSC, or Computer Sciences Corporation (hmm, never). DynCorp and prostitutes? A distant memory. "Let's face it: Does your typical American know (or care) what ARINC stands for? "Heck no. "The point here is if you want to be a shadowy, low-profile sort of company, start acting like one. "It's a fine balance here, so no, no, nothing like "Executive Outcomes." That was too Bond-like. Nothin' but trouble. Personally, I'm fond of something snooze-worthy like SMS, for "Strategic Management Solutions." Words like "systems," "integration," and "analytics" all work well. "Or heck, just use the acronym. "2) New logo. Yes, that bear paw is totally awesome cool, if you want teenage boys to love 'ya as much as they love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Press just loooooves that logo (photographers, too!), it just screams "page one." Choose something like the DARPA logo, that innocuous globe-shaped thingamajig also favored by companies of unknown acronyms. Remember how many problems DARPA had when they went with the masonic temple/eye thing for the Information Awareness Office? "Shadow companies should use forgettable logos. Anybody even know what Anteon's logo looks like? Does your average American even know what Anteon does?! Of course not. "4) Change colors (this goes with the logo point, perhaps). "Black is just soooo Angelina Jolie from her knife-cutting days. And nothin' says "spicy mercenary story" like a man wearing wraparound shades and dressed in black. I think a darkish blue would work; still manly, but with a softer edge. ... "7) When your execs get up at conferences, have them talk a lot about network centric warfare, performance-based logistics and systems engineering solutions. "This will put the press to sleep in no time. "No one will file a story. "8) Cultivate relationships with reporters (not just ones who work for Guns & Ammo). "If Blackwater has followed points one through seven, press coverage has probably dropped off to near nill, but still, never hurts to have some goodwill. Since we know all most journalists (other than those who work for Guns & Ammo) are sniveling, animal-lovin', pinko lefties, cultivating relationships won't get you good coverage, but it may mean you'll get the "Blackwater story" -- sorry, the "SMS story" -- across more effectively... " ... Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zipp0 1 #77 September 21, 2007 I love it. We sure respect that Iraqi government! http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070921/wl_mideast_afp/iraq;_ylt=Ag4iEn8RE.rxLyZOXvd1Kz7uOrgF WTF? Why don't we just admit that we are in charge of that country and will do whatever we damn well please? -------------------------- Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,118 #78 September 21, 2007 Yep. Bush keeps threatening to replace Maliki with someone he likes better. Hey, regime change worked so well before . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,118 #79 September 23, 2007 On the plus side, if they do give Blackwater the boot, terrorists may end up with fewer weapons to use against us: ------------------------ Feds target Blackwater in weapons probe Sat Sep 22, 11:59 WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA illegally smuggled into Iraq weapons that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, officials said Friday. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Raleigh, N.C., is handling the investigation with help from Pentagon and State Department auditors, who have concluded there is enough evidence to file charges, the officials told The Associated Press. . . . In Saturday's editions, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that two former Blackwater employees — Kenneth Wayne Cashwell of Virginia Beach, Va., and William Ellsworth "Max" Grumiaux of Clemmons, N.C. — are cooperating with federal investigators. Cashwell and Grumiaux pleaded guilty in early 2007 to possession of stolen firearms that had been shipped in interstate or foreign commerce, and aided and abetted another in doing so, according to court papers viewed by The Associated Press. In their plea agreements, which call for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the men agreed to testify in any future proceedings. ------------------------------ Gotta love those "highly dedicated and trained individuals that carry out the wishes of the CIC." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vpozzoli 0 #80 September 24, 2007 Quote They are just independent businessmen??? Ehm... I believe the officially sanctioned, PC expression is "independent contractor" Vale Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,595 #81 September 24, 2007 Quote On the plus side, if they do give Blackwater the boot, terrorists may end up with fewer weapons to use against us... . . . Gotta love those "highly dedicated and trained individuals that carry out the wishes of the CIC." So you're saying you wouldn't bet your life on the loyalty and allegiance of mercenaries contractors? Why Bill, how very cynical of youDo you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #82 September 24, 2007 They have guns, so Bill cannot trust them, furthermore, if a cop carries a gun, he is likely to have it taken from him by an unarmed assailant, and have it used against him Unless the assailant notifies the LEO from a block away from his intent.Or so that is what quite a few posters believe... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,118 #83 October 5, 2007 >They risk their lives providing a valuable service, and they frequently > get ambushed like they did on Sunday. No heroics, they simply chose to > fight instead of die. oops, looks like that's not quite the case: ------- U.S. military reports from the scene of the Sept. 16 shooting incident involving the security firm Blackwater USA indicate that its guards opened fire without provocation and used excessive force against Iraqi civilians, according to a senior U.S. military official . . "The civilians that were fired upon, they didn't have any weapons to fire back at them. And none of the IP or any of the local security forces fired back at them," he added, using a military abbreviation for the Iraqi police. The Blackwater guards appeared to have fired grenade launchers in addition to machine guns, the official said. --------- I have a feeling the pro-war types will suddenly get very, very quiet on this topic. "Blackwater? Who are they? Nope, haven't heard much about them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mpohl 1 #84 October 5, 2007 Think Freeflier29; that gentleman was too much even for this benevolent audience. Now, do you really want him to represent the US (or anybody other than himself) in Iraq? I think not! QuoteSeveral skydivers and some crwdogs work for Blackwater. Would be nice to get some of their opinions on this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dannydan 5 #85 October 6, 2007 All I know is that If I am being SHOT at, then I am going to SHOOT back.... ESP if it IS part of my JOB!!! Hello!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n23x 0 #86 October 6, 2007 Quote When you have a country with no form of national identity document, When a person can be born an live in the UK for all his life with only a birth certificate to identify him, Yes security is a joke. Security forces may do a good job, but they can't secure against the invisible, In the UK it's all to easy to be invisible, (even with the the worlds highest number of CCTV cameras) Now you get my drift. Oh, your drift? It might have been a good one if it had actual content. Lets look to our constant supply of new citizens (albeit potentially illegal ones) coming regularly from mexico. It's a good thing we give them our national identification card right away, otherwise how could they possibly live in the US? Boy am I glad that our border security isn't a joke! Hey, great drift buddy. .jim"Don't touch my fucking Easter eggs, I'll be back monday." ~JTFC Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
James.UWE 0 #87 October 8, 2007 QuoteOn the plus side, if they do give Blackwater the boot, terrorists may end up with fewer weapons to use against us No worry there, it seems the US have mislaid 190,000 guns in Iraq. Plenty to go round. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6933569.stm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The_Almighty 0 #88 October 8, 2007 Quote Quote On the plus side, if they do give Blackwater the boot, terrorists may end up with fewer weapons to use against us No worry there, it seems the US have mislaid 190,000 guns in Iraq. Plenty to go round. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6933569.stm First of all the yanks give guns to the taliban in the 80's, now they're giving guns to the Iraqies.... you've got to love the yanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,118 #89 October 8, 2007 > All I know is that If I am being SHOT at, then I am going to SHOOT back.. No problem. It's when you use grenade launchers on unarmed civilians that you run into problems. Indeed, a few of those incidents, and it becomes imperative for Iraqis to kill you before you kill them, merely to protect their families from you. ------- U.S. military reports from the scene of the Sept. 16 shooting incident involving the security firm Blackwater USA indicate that its guards opened fire without provocation and used excessive force against Iraqi civilians, according to a senior U.S. military official . . "The civilians that were fired upon, they didn't have any weapons to fire back at them. And none of the IP or any of the local security forces fired back at them," he added, using a military abbreviation for the Iraqi police. The Blackwater guards appeared to have fired grenade launchers in addition to machine guns, the official said. --------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
