In europe's history we have had mecenary armies existing independant from government/feudal rulership. That europe has moved beyond this and established regular standing armies "wearing the king's colours", is not for no reason, but has been a great acchievement in the quest for peace, how fragile it may be.
War should not risked to become object of market and economic enterprise again. It will bring oyu more war. It should be kept under national government'S control whether or not a naton declares war or not - not a board of profit-hungry entrepreneurs. That is also the reason why the close alliance between the arms industry and politics (the often mentioned militar-industrial complex) is such a huge threat not only to hostile nations, but to the hosting demiocracy itself. Eisenhower has not warned of it for no reason, and he surely cannot be accused of not knowing what he was talking of. As general and then as president he learned to know both sides of this unholy alliance all too well. that'S why he warnd of it.
The Italians called mercenaries "condottiere", and a famous mercenary leader was the Englishman John Hawkwood. Of him , this story exists, and it illustrates perfectly why we should not want private mercenary companies.
Quote:
In novella 181 of his Trecentonovelle, the fourteenth-century storyteller Franco Sacchetti has John Hawkwood encounter two Franciscan monks near his fortress at Montecchio. The monks greet the Englishman.
‘‘Monsignore, God grant you peace,’’ said the monks.
‘‘And may God take away your alms,’’ Hawkwood responded immediately.
‘‘Lord, why do you speak to us this way?’’ asked the frightened monks.
‘‘Indeed, because you spoke thus to me,’’ replied John.
‘‘We thought we spoke well,’’ said the monks.
‘‘How can you think you spoke well,’’ said Hawkwood, ‘‘when you approach me and say that God should let me die of hunger? Don’t you know that I live from war and peace would destroy me? And as I live by war, you live by alms. So that the answer I gave you is the same as your greeting.’’
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Considering the many brutal wars in europe and the role mercenary armies plaxed in them, namely the 30-years war, there is no excuse to want to go back to the institution of mercenary armies.
Recommended reading: Herfried Münkler's superb "The new wars".
http://www.amazon.com/New-Wars-Herfr...2630485&sr=8-2
P.S. I see that an even better book bei Münkler finally has been translated and published in English. A very good, an outstanding book:
Empires: The Logic of World Domination from Ancient Rome to the United States
http://www.amazon.com/Empires-Domina...2630556&sr=8-1
Over the past years I have repeatedly referred to the German edition of this book. Amazon.com gives it only 5 star reviews by readers, and quotes editorials hailing it's outstanding excellence. And me: I say you won't find a better book on empires so easily that nevertheless get the difference between empire and imperialism. A most excellent study.
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