In more honest times these people were referred to as mercenaries. Contractors is the corporate term for ‘dogs of war’.

Private military contractors are earning billions of dollars in Iraq — much of it from U.S. taxpayers.

Business is booming for those willing to tackle one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth. Lucrative U.S. government contracts go to firms called on to provide security for projects and personnel — jobs that in previous conflicts have been done by the military.

A single contract awarded to Britain’s AEGIS Specialist Risk Management company by the Pentagon was worth $293 million, and while the government says it cannot provide a total amount for the contracts — many of which are secret — industry experts estimate Iraq’s security business costs tens of billions of dollars.

These contractors have not been without controversy. Late last year, AEGIS launched an investigation into whether its employees produced video clips that showed up on the Internet in which it appeared civilian vehicles were being shot at. AEGIS has not released the results of its investigation, but a U.S. Army investigation found no probable cause that a crime occurred.

The market for private contractors is there thanks to an unprecedented “outsourcing” of conflict, according to Amy Clark, who led the Baghdad end of a small private security contractor.

All part of the rapidly increasing process of privitizing all aspects of society. We no longer have an army. They have their armed private Pinkerton guards. Socialize the costs, privitize the gains, as we subsidize the training of these soldiers, only to have them ‘contracted’ at much higher rates for personal private gain, yet still paid for with our tax money (at much higher rates). Now, however, they are not there responsible to public policy, but to private interests.

All hail the new Praetorian Guard of the Corporate State.

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