Pentagon spikes Bannon plan to install Betsy DeVos mercenary brother from taking over Afghanistan

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story


Sarah K. Burris
09 AUG 2017 AT 10:43 ET

The Pentagon has a message for Steve Bannon: Erik Prince has no place in any of America’s wars.

The Blackwater founder and brother to Betsy DeVos was the topic of conversation among the State Department, military and CIA as a possible hire. The mercenary firm has a history of taking advantage of the U.S.’s overextension in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The Pentagon is not interested in privatizing the war in Afghanistan,” one former Pentagon official told The Daily Beast.

Prince has been the topic of conversation among the cable news shows after he was found to be yet another person connected to President Donald Trump’s campaign who “accidently” met with Russians. However, Prince has no support among the Trump team, with the exception of Bannon.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/pentagon-spikes-bannon-plan-to-install-betsy-devos-mercenary-brother-from-taking-over-afghanistan/

[Iliyah]

1. Thank you!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Reassuring

That there are some grown ups left at Pentagon!

[saidsimplesimon]

3. Blackwater and Bannon

Buffoons of the highest order. Worse yet, very dangerous, locked and loaded mercenaries. How could that go wrong? Check out history and the fail of the Roman empire. The barbarians have breached the walls of democracy and decency.

[Angry Dragon]

4. So much incest in the Trump house

[Eugene]

5. Good to hear, but I fear this plan isn't dead yet.

The fact that it was even on the table indicates the lunatics have way too much influence. If Bannon can get past Kelly and reach Trump, the Prince of Darkness is still in the game.

[Scarsdale]

17. Where is Kelly?

Bannon is working so hard to destroy this country, he does not have time to shower or shave.

[benld74]

6. Prince was talking PRAISE on East India Company 200 year reign back in the late 1700's

The guy is a loon

[atreides1]

9. Read between the lines

What Prince was really saying was that native peoples cannot be allowed to rule themselves, and that only white christians know how to properly deal with using the resources of a conquered people, to make life better for other white christians!

[Wellstone ruled]

12. First thought when I read his statements.

This has been one of Corporate America's go items.

[DBoon]

13. Sounds like he fits right into Trump world

White supremicist all the way down

[benld74]

27. Which is EXACTLY what EIC was doing back in those days.

[Akamai]

35. Hartmann yesterday was talking about the history of the East india

Company's mercenaries in other countries. I bet Thom is very pleased -- as we should all be with development -- I sure as hell am!!!

[brush]

43. That idiot actually thinks colonization of a landlocked, montainous country that has never...

been conquered is going to work in the 21st century.

Him and Bannon, warmongering fools. Supply lines over two continents and two oceans — easy peasy. He can draw on his great success in Iraq .

What, those other countries bordering Afghanistan are going to allow us to airlift troops (mercenaries) through their airspace, or over their roads, like they are in favor of helping us colonize another country?

This dangerous individual is trump-like in his imaginings that the world would stand by and watch such outrageousness unfold.

Prince and Bannon need to take their meds and East India Company ideas back to the 17th century where instant, worldwide communication didn't exist and such overt militarism and exploitation could flourish without the colonizer nation becoming an instant pariah.

[herding cats]

7. This is good news.

Let's just hope it sticks.

[Justice]

8. Why did media give Prince so much air time to discuss his plan??

[Javaman]

10. he was the fucking halfwit that started the fucked up shit in Fallujah...

fuck that asshole.

[Marthe48]

11. staffing from the bottom of the barrel

This is like soap operas and tv dramas pulling in relatives from the main famiiy or cast to extend the plot line. I wonder when trump will run out of known associates?

[riversedge]

15. Trumps stinking sewer that is allowed into our White House. Shameful

[Scarsdale]

18. For someone who does not pay taxes

tRump has all kinds of ideas on how to spend the treasury, doesn't he? He associates with all the slime he can find. Antone who is dishonest, welcome to the tRump fold.

[Scarsdale]

19. Whoops

ANYONE.

[riversedge]

14. It is beyond the pale that Bannon is even in these discussions. damn.

[Marthe48]

16. yes, it is

How does a 3rd rate paperboy get that kind of clearance? Where is the outrage? Where are the checks and balances vetting who has access to the administration of this country?

I guess whoever helped trump get in office is applauding the choices of personal and lack of Constitutional action to vet them. Such depraved infamy

[Kathy M]

20. Bannon has military history .......

[Initech]

21. Conservatives would take candy from babies and kick puppies if they could get away with it!

God these people just fucking suck!

[Kathy M]

22. Glad Pentagon answered the way they did .....From this thread the one who we do not want

in the oval office is Pence ...... https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029124870

[Duppers]

23. Cheney's (Bush's) WH first gave Erik Prince

An "in" in government. F all R's !!

But glad to know that some integrity exist in DoD/ Pentagon.

[elehhhhna]

30. I hate to say this, but President Bill Clinton tasked Al Gore

as vice president, to outsource/privatize government functions

[not fooled]

33. Yeah

caving to the propaganda and pressure from the Heriturd Fuckdation and others of the koch ilk.

Bill, no--don't fall for it!!! Oops, too late then but let us hope dems are wiser now and on to the privatization scam.

[elehhhhna]

40. I'm so pissed off about this and curious why

he put the VP in charge of privatisation, and his wife who had no authority whatsoever, in charge of reforming healthcare . Priorities I guess?

The office of personnel was privatized at the time – the contract went to the Carlyle group was owned by the Bush family, the bin Ladens, and a handful of millionaires both foreign and domestic . What the actual fuck . That office performs security background checks should never have been outsourced.

Sidenote – it was a private company that hired Snowden.

[NastyRiffraff]

24. While it's good that there is some sanity left

in the Pentagon, we can only hope the collective voice there holds against the Bannon insanity. It's unbelievable that this was even briefly considered. Then again, look at the source.

[meow2u3]

25. Good!

We have no need for mercs in Afghanistan, nor do we need any more nepotism.

[get the red out]

26. Thank God

I was worried about that possibility.

[PearliePoo2]

28. Lordy...how our system is being tested! The threats are coming from all directions!

But so far, even though it's groaning, it's creaking, and it's being strained, IT IS HOLDING!
Checks and balances BABY!

[Chemisse]

29. What a relief!

When prisons were privatized we had to incarcerate more people to keep the profits going. If armies were privatized, we would "need" constant wars.

[Alice11111]

38. Yes. Anytime you have a middle man exploiting the

system to maximize profits, people, or the public, are badly taken advantage of at both ends. Duh?
US Healthcare

[DeminPennswoods]

31. Kind of surprised since DoD is pretty gung ho on

privatizing every other job it does.

[Akamai]

32. Yup -- this was a major issue in the Hartmann program yesterday,

and he noted that if one privatized conflicts one easily profit from them and he gave many examples in history of this.

I sure am glad the Pentagon has pushed back. Hartmann said Trump had a dinner with Prince.

[Ilsa]

34. Haaahahahahaha! NT

[SergeStorms]

36. I never thought I'd say this,

but I'm glad the grownups at the Pentagon are reining in the GOP in their plans to privatize everything. Although I suppose we could slash the Pentagon's budget by about 50% if they DID outsource their wars.

[Alice11111]

37. Thanks for letting us know. Good! You come up with

these gems that don't make the ordinary news cycles.

[truthisfreedom]

39. We need a freaking coup.

[syringis]

42. Oh , please no

Not at all. Keep staying with your democratics rules. Your Constitution have enough arms you can use. Yes, it is not easy, and yes, it takes time. It is meant to be hard for very good reasons : avoiding a fatal blow to the democracy.


You might reply me that a coup in this case, would be an exception, an exceptional answer to an exceptional juncture.

Yes, maybe. But it is EXACTLY why not to jump in. Exception is the key word.

Once you make an exception in law, you opens Pandora's box. Because you will set a precedent.

And then, how will you define a exception? Who will stop any having the power to change the rules, if he decides to change them for his benefit or whatever? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who will guard the guard?

And from an exception to another, democracy will be just buried...

[Vinca]

41. Finally . . . an outbreak of sanity.

[watoos]

44. I'm a bit slow

Where did it say the Pentagon spiked the Blackwater plan? I read that a former Pentagon official stated the Pentagon wasn't interested. What did I miss, help?