Part of the reason why I enjoy US politics so much[1] is because the power structures are _so_ intertwined and _so_ corrupt[2] that it makes for wonderful absurdity.
The current hot mega-powerdemons are the friendly, fire-first-ask-questions-later folks at Blackwater. As reported extensively Blackwater have been involved in the deaths of Iraqi civilians in several incidents in Baghdad over the last months. The most recent incident, in which it is claimed that as many as 20 Iraqi civilians died, catapulted them to the top of the worldwide mega-demon charts. Haliburton must be totally bummed out about this.

Blackwater’s contractors fired their weapons 195 times — or an average of 1.4 times a week — from the beginning of 2005 through the second week of September [...].
In over 80 percent of the cases, Blackwater reports that its forces fired first, [...].
CNN

Sons of Bitches

So just how fucked up is Blackwater? Here’s their About us

Blackwater was founded in 1997 from a clear vision developed from an understanding of the need for innovative, flexible training and operational solutions to support security and peace, and freedom and democracy everywhere.

When last did you hear of a company started ‘to support security and peace, and freedom and democracy’? Whose freedom and democracy are we talking about here? Your freedom to drive a big truck and hoist a red flag? Fuck you.

Home Base

You’ll also be happy to know that at Blackwater you can shop online for branded caps, t-shirts, gun accessories and inspirational posters at the Blackwater Proshop[3]. So not only are they building a private army, paid for by US taxpayers, but they’ve also seen the need to diversify into lifestyle gear[4]. Anyways, if you’re visiting Blackwater’s site to get an application form[5] to make those big bucks over in ol’ Iraqland I suppose you may as well buy something, right? Guns and branded gear from the Proshop – you’re a pro now.
Are you puking yet?

Death has never looked this good

Hell, they even have kids apparel.

Raise them right

But the absurdity of a bunch of mercenaries selling glossy visions of bringing freedom to the uncivilized world through the wearing of rugged outdoor gear aside, Blackwater is knee deep in the types of military-industrial complex relationships that make US politics such a circus. Political Friendster’s Blackwater USA entry is littered with the usual[6] collection of powerful families, Christian groups, multi-nationals and inter-marrying of the US elite.
And these types of relationships pay off in cases like the legislation passed by the US congress yesterday that makes defense contractors operating in other countries(i.e. mercenaries), such as Blackwater, subject to US criminal law. Seems like a no-brainer, right? It is, the legislation was approved by a landslide majority of 389 votes to 30. But before the vote the Bush administration released the following statement in opposition ‘The bill would have unintended and intolerable consequences for crucial and necessary national security activities and operations.’
Translation, GW will veto the fuck out of that bill, regardless of how much support it has in congress.

The world is unrecognisable from the one my parents knew, it’s unrecognisable from the one I knew as a child. But the world is no less insidious or brutal, no less meaningless – it has been broken beyond repair for thousands of years. But we live in an unprecedented state of hyper-corruption, hyper-consumerism, hyper-death. And in that world Blackwater is what thecages is about.

[1] The other, possibly even more entertaining, reason why I enjoy it is because of the bizarre pageantry. The US presidential race events are run like a rock shows/revivalist church meetings. Hillary-ious.
[2] And I don’t mean the nice kind of corrupt found in dictatorships and military junta’s all over the world. There’s a special kind of corruption that exists in the US, epitomised by the revolving door.
[3] Isn’t that name trademarked?
[4] Boing Boing reported on this in 2006
[5] There’s something special about an application form that lists the types of guns that they will teach you to shoot.
[6] Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if I’m claiming that the US right wing is the only side of the coin that moves in this terrifying world of secret handshakes. The left does it to. Everyone does it! That’s what makes it so much fun.