Ann C- put your joint down and come to the realization that this movie is just propaganda. The producers are convincing salesmen though. Perhaps they should do a film about Amway.

Thanks Marty:

I am one of the Seventeen. Between the police on my Wisconsin campus, airport security, and some other punk cops, and a utility company, they decided they did not like my speech. Prior to September 11, 2001, I had a clean record for the past/previous 28 years as an adult. Go figure. I am also an SF'er.
Thanks for appreciateing the risk and some of the speech.

I won't work here until they clear my record or are brought to trial. I will take it up with there bosses later.

Bob

I must say, as a former US Army Special Forces soldier and now a business man abroad, it is comforting to read these conversations from opposing sides of "my fellow Americans" online.

Listen, there are now indeed enough books PRO & CONTRA on the use of Private Military Companies (PMCs) in our US foreign policy. These "PMC" soldiers are the best, most experienced commandos our country ever taught to be Special Forces "with public funding" in any period in history. They are extremely "patriotic", by anyone's evaluation.
So much for the military side of this.

That is not the problem with their use in the world at present and it is also NOT the problem in our country. Julius Cesear is quoted as saying "Absolute power, corrupts absolutley!" This led to the fall of the Roman Empire. A lesser famous American named Henry David Thoreau wrote in the 1848 about the need for occasional "Civil Disobedience" against a civil government in the world, when elected officials do not represent those who elected them OR when they covertly coerce the land into believing something untrue. Our founding forefathers took up arms against lesser tyrants in the 1776. We have a government elected by misled people, who operate for 10% of the populus and are now using PMCs even on US soil. THIS is definitely unconstitutional; see Homeland Security; i,e, "der NAZI Gestapo" ... also taught by none other than Blackwater USA (Ref: Jeremy Cahill's book about Blackwater). 90% of America has never profitted from Samual Adams "Wealth of Nations; i.e. Capitalism! The Europeans, from whom we fled to form a "better nation" of pluralism are NOW showing us how social engineering and American-taught "pluralism" of religion and races works. Is anyone watching this in the US. I suppose not ... you notice it once a month in your rarely increasing paycheck and in the astronomical difference in earnings of a Bill Gates.

These constant changes to our constitution are not being stopped by the the Legislative Branch, which is their job as a counter-balance to the Executive Branch, who commands the military. So, God Bless those 17 real Americans, who dared to but justice and their consciences above greed!

If an armed force like Homeland Security or PMCs like Blackwater are allowed to operate on US domestic soil, that IS 100% against the US Constitution. This law was passed as a hinderance to preclude a military putsch in our country, as we see happening frequently via former miltary officers and politicians abroad. Such an armed and politically paid and motivated force would eventually allow a fundamental, WASP Republican government the ability to control the country at will and without an election. That is damned dangerous people!
We fought in the Army against lesser evils. We are talking about our own country here. A country that was respected as the cneter vanguard of light and peace in the world. Now, I am a ashamed and have to hide my US Passport for fear of reprisal whilst traveling!

Agreed, we never have or should shy away from a fight with a bully or a tyrant in the world.. BUT who is the bully in the world at present, I ask?
It is the Bush Regime, the Evil Empire. Where are Luke and Laura Skywalker now??
Perhaps, it is now time for "us normal folk" to consider some civil disobedience, even if it means internal strife. Some of us are decent, educated business folk, but we should not allow this to go unchecked for much longer ... a provocative thought from a land, far, far away.

The movie seems to create a political division that harkens to the American economic divide moreso than it does to reason or rationale. The American public asked for this war when, potlickers that live in small nearly economically lifeless and strategically meaningless towns, and cowardly dullards and naive immigrants from major cities, all got the wits scared out of them by media clowns. I can imagine no terrorist downing a charter airline or attacking Hobumpkin, Iowa yet these were the very people most worried about being attacked. Then there were the 60+% that thought that Sadam Hussien was behind September 11. Well, him and every other American that disagreed with the war, that they promptly called Homeland Security on twice per week, just to prove that they were "withus" not "aginus". So much for the educated ones. As for the dullards, they really support anything at anytime depending on which way the airwaves are blowing at any given moment, as long as it keeps them from living in the trailer parks where the rest of there family members and social counterparts live. The rest of us just do what we are told and repeat what we think the boss wants to hear or we lose our insurance company, managerial, or government jobs. That should explain most of the flag waving and lapel flag wearing people who are incapable of doing anything beyond thinking about who butters their bread. The seventeen other people in the country that were against the war from the beginning that knew the government was lying about WMD's, and were not afraid to say so, are without a job right about now. Those seventeen people are the people that you should feel sorry for. There number as compard to 300,000,000 Americans may just be proportional to the 144,000 from the entire world population that will be spared according to "The Book of Revelation". Did I leave anyone out??

Mark-
You are right-I am not a contractor. HOWEVER-I do know what and the how--and yes--they why you men and women do what you do. I commend you for it...
The thing that bothers me the most-is the dishonesty. Your company may have been upfront about the dangers there-many are not--or should I say-were not up front.
No one is 100% safe anywhere-not at work or at the mall.
There has been too much deception and cover up of various incidents in Iraq-you know that as well as I do.
Its not fair to the contractors-nor is it fair to the Iraqi people.
and -truth be told-if these contractors are going into "war" zones-then they need "force protection"--or they need to carry weapons.Period.
And Mark-I too-do not really care what you make or what you do..however-I do care for the safety of people in general--and I guess that inlcudes you too.
So stay safe out there.

Mark- You are 100% correct. I am not a contractor, I could only dream of doing as much as you have in my lifetime. Be safe out there man.

Ann C. and Brow,

It is obvious that neither of you are contractors. It is obvious that neither of you have a CLUE what we do, how we do it or how well prepared we are. Both of you have valid points in your statements. My first rotation was for closure, my way of saying goodbye to friends lost in the Gulf War. After that.....MONEY. Face the facts, MEN HAVE GOTTEN RICH ON WAR FOR CENTURIES.... DEAL WITH IT!!!! The company that I work for kept no secrets, I knew it was dangerous. You would have to be a complete MORON to think that you can come to Iraq and be 100% safe. I would guess 90+% of us are prior service from our respective countries, we know and accept the risks.
In closing, the biggest difference between us....I don't care what you guys do, how "safe" your job is or what you earn.

anybody can make a movie and bend the truth as much as they want. people always want to find something to bitch about. this is the "cool" thing to bitch about now. the only reason the person probably made this film is 'cause he couldn't get a job over there. also, he was probably never in the military and contracting jobs are great for ex-military personnel that deserve better money after they serve. so why don't you worry about something else like getting immigrants out of our country.

Brow-
This is America-you too-are entitled to your own opinions-thats as it should be. And if the military let you in debt-make them pay for your college-as promised. Did you stop and read the fine print?
The whole point is this-Iraq For Sale is an outstanding movie--and tells the truth. Period.
A to being a hippy and worthless-well I am not either one of them-if you only knew Brow-you would appalled.
We as Americans-can change the way things are-isn't that why we live in America?
Contractors make the choice to find employment like any other person looking for work--as you and many others made the choice to join the military--and thus go where you are told to go. That is life in the service. Period.
You will just have to deal with it as best you can.
Thats all any of us can do.
We must take action and not sit around and gripe.
May you find peace for your soul.

I just watched 35 minutes on our local public access television (TCTV Ch 2, Traverse City, MI) of the public discussion that followed the 1/22/07 showing of the “ Iraq For Sale the War Profiteers.” at our local library.
Emotional energy, thoughts, angers and the hopes of the 75 people who gathered in our Public Library rivaled the force of the winter wind outside.
A Vietnam Combat Vet introduced the film with remarks from Hollie Huelett, whose in the film mourning the loss of husband Steve in the Good Friday Massacre, 2004.
We used handouts for action developed from the “Iraq for Sale” web site. The discussion was about the need to keep writing, keep talking, keep marching (200 stood in a winter storm the following Saturday to protest the war before a visiting Senator)
My experience is that this film moves people to action.

Ann C- Do you drive a VW bus with rainbows and peace signs painted on it? I guess its ok for you to voice your "concern" but all in all its a useless to argue with the new-age yuppie scum. And to answer your question NO im not a contractor and could only wish to make that amount of money, especially beings that the US Army has left me in debt by not really paying college "as advertised". So regardless of what you might say my views shall not falter. Your a worthless hippy so go ahead and say what you will.

A fantastic film-thank you Robert!
Its about time the truth-or at least part of it-comes out.

I just watched "Iraq for Sale: the war profiteers" and it only proves what I've thought all along, War generates revenue for big corporations, leaving a wake of death and destruction in its path. What's even more disgusting is the way the US government treats their own soldiers, not to mention the GROSS mismanagement (and I use the term mismanagement lightly) of YOUR TAX DOLLARS!! The waste is absurd.

A great film, everyone should see it.

Brow-
Get a life--and get real. Are you out there-either in the military or doing the work the civilian contractors do??
I think not.

Until you do-button up.
By the way-most civilian contractors do not carry weapons-of any sort--and the military does. A major difference. Do some research and get involved -you might learn something--and you will most certainly be dismayed.
The depth of greed and corruption going on in this war-is unforgivable-by any standards.

The contractors fought and DIED in the same way the US Soldiers fight and die. The only difference is who writes their checks. So why are you people bitching?

Today, Amy Goodman interviewed Jeremy Scahill, author of the forthcoming “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army.”
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/26/1559232

Hi,
I saw the film first time today and was terrified (once more) by the way specific people have profited of the war. Although this is a tragic time for the famylies and friends of the victims, it is a time to take action against this giant death company Blackwater.
How screwed up isn´t it when a country preaching democracy and freedom, is allowing a company to make multi million profits on a war. What kind normal of employer makes money of killing his employees?

Tax payers and humanists of USA, wake up!

Johannes, germany

I saw a screening of the movie here in Nashville a while back. It appalls me that these corporations and our own Bush administration are taking advantage of the American people this way. Our troops are living in deplorable conditions and dying needlessly everyday. This comes also at a time when our so-called President wants more troops sent over there. Something must be done to stop this. The next election can't come too soon for me. Thank-you. Mary DeLong