We are so far removed from the age of the bloodthirsty Earl of Warrick’s ” bastard feudalism” or the depradations of the condotteri warlord, the Count of Carmagnola, that we are not mindful of the economic dynamic that may mercenary companies possible in the pre-Westphalian era can be recreated locally or regionally by state failure. Africa in particular was spared this outcome only because PMC’s were then in their infancy. Central Asia could easily become the Africa of the 2010’s if these states do not join the New Core.

It is in the collective, long-term self-interest of all states to prevent PMC’s from evolving from contract employees – where they can be useful, supervised and held accountable – into independent powers, ” armies without states” or virtual states. Unfortunately, the pervasive ” free-rider” problem in international security has left the U.S. less and less willing to shoulder the military cost-shifting of Europe and Japan. Every Blackwater or Dyncorp private warrior hired by the Pentagon is a missing soldier of the Bundeswehr or Japan just as every billion in T-bills purchased by China represents the absent defense expenditure contribution by our NATO allies. De facto, China is more our ally in Iraq than any NATO ally except Britain. Therefore, short-term interest rules the scenario.

This is not, as one might suppose, an anti-PMC rant. A majority of PMC employees of first rate companies are ex-American special forces soldiery. They are mostly ” the good guys”with rarified skills that they know have a limited shelf-life and like guys who fight oil-well fires, they are getting theirs while the market is good. Fifty thousand PMC troops hired by the UN might do wonders for the people of Dar Fur.

But high demand is diluting this sterling labor pool with Latin American combat bums, secret police torturers and the alcoholic, blood-soaked, dregs of the Balkans.

This is not a polyglot force I want unmoored from the suzerainty of a powerful state.

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