“I also hope our government gets out of the business of hiring mercenaries to do the job our military is supposed to be tasked with doing.”
You need to read the article more closely. Blackwater is contracted to protect State Department personnel. Civilians. The military doesn’t even protect the President directly. The Secret Service does.
Mercenaries are paid to fight a war. The Blackwater folks are there to protect civilian dignitaries like the US Ambassador.
Blackwater and other “contractors” do more than protect US civilian/state department personnel.
They’re guarding supply convoys headed into and out of hostile areas.
They’re guarding PRIVATE enterprises.
It’s all good and fine, but quibbling about the term “mercenary” is a non-starter.
They are, in nearly every sense, wether they contract to the US or not.
I just don’t say “mercenary” like it’s a bad thing.