I am watching this show on "the long war [on terror]" ("Our childrens' childrens' war") which is covering private contracting firms that are working with the military, specifically Blackwater USA which is seriously one of the scariest companies I've read about in a while. I'm not a fan of our ever growing federal government, but turns out they're dutifully employing mercenaries in a war on an already questionable moral foundation? Fun.
There is no question that we're involved in a global war of ideologies, but we're walking a fine line between that and a crusade, and mercenaries only sweeten the pot.