The Obama administration wants to cut the numbers of enlisted men and women, but not
the private contractors.
From ehow.com re Blackwater, now called Xe
"A number of Xe employees work in areas of political and social turmoil in nations that have deployed conventional military forces, such as U.S.-occupied Iraq and Afghanistan. These personnel help to protect government contractors against attacks from nongovernment militant groups. According to The Washington Post, as of 2007, the average daily pay for low-level Blackwater/Xe employees in such areas was $600."
A privatized military is answerable to no one. It is more difficult for mass antiwar opposition to effect change with such a plutocracy.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/ An exhaustive Washington Post study a few years ago on private contractors.... the secret army It's called Top Secret America
https://coto2.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/blackwater-xe.jpg?w=500&h=38
