Would PMCs such as Dyncorp and Blackwater act as law enforcement in a disaster?

Yeah, we really need to be babysat now that there are more of us.
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No, I don't believe we need to be babysat but certainly the type of self policing of two hundred years ago would be beneficial only to criminals. Yeah, those of us who take steps to defend ourselves would be fine but the majority of the country does not own guns nor wants to. Telling someone they should just because we want to is no better than them telling us we can't. You think Chicago could be self-policed with only a Sherrif a couple of Gomer Pyles helping out? A city of three million people needs a strong law enforcement presence, regardless of the ability to own firearms.

We don't have a cop on every corner. If we did response times wouldn't be in the double digit minutes and we'd lose one of our strongest arguments for personal firearm ownership. Again, I don't agree with being babysat - and for the time being we're not - but the style of law enforcement in the "old days" would fail miserably in this day and age. Maybe it's fine for the folks out in the country, and I envy that. But some of us have three million or so neighbors. Many of those three million like having that thin blue line to rely on.


Back on the subject of these private contractors...no offense to you, Mr Blackwater, but I'm not sure I like the idea of people who have not sworn to uphold any laws and are there to pick up a paycheck being given the same authority as someone who has. Yeah, I hear most of the mercenaries are former military. That's fine and dandy but maybe there's a reason they're not anymore. I don't want to be told to "move along" by a guy waving an AR15 with a Blackwater uniform because he washed out of the real military. I also don't want that guy shooting random Iraqis in Fallujah because he's not held to the same orders that our guys in uniform are. If a private company wants to hire a private security force, fine. Here or in Iraq, people have the same rights to keep themselves safe. But when people who have no more obligation to the job than simply collecting a paycheck are acting as representatives of the people (which is exactly what every single American, with or without a gun, in Iraq is doing) that worries me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the mercenaries are any less honorable than our own forces or have subpar training but at the end of the day our troops answer to the people. Mercenaries answer solely to the guy signing their paycheck. I don't want that representing America. The US government overextends its power in so many areas it's disgusting. But one of the few things I believe only government should ever be allowed to handle is conducting a war.

Now if I don't want mercenaries being given the authority of a sworn soldier/marine/sailor/airman than why on earth would I want that same guy patrolling my neighborhood? No. If he's not a direct employee of the state then he has no authority as a cop.
 
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I see where you are coming from redworm. I just think I would feel more comfortable without a bunch of militerized JBTs running around as bad as things are going to get. What I would prefer is something like the old volunteer fire (bucket) brigade system. If one person has a problem, everyone helps. Not everyone has a gun, but about 35-40% do, so help would not be very far away. I don't think that would be good for the criminals at all.

Also, just FYI, I don't know what you think hiring practices are like, but top tier companies like blackwater are not going to hire "washouts". Most people switch over because the pay is 5 times higher, arnd there is stiff competition for the jobs. The mostly want ex-SF, MPs, other highly trained personel.
 
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