They are called mercenaries and the practice is as old as war.
There are tons of mercenary companies working for the US Government too.
It’s like saying that a muzzle loading musket and an assault rifle are the same thing.
You are just talking about scale, they are both guns.
So, if you personally were going into combat, you’d be happy to have the 1700s single shot musket instead of a modern weapon?
Next you’ll be saying that two tin cans connected by a string is as good as a modern landline.
I am not really sure you understand how language works.
One way it works is by evolving over time.
An idea that seems to elude you.
You’re the one who seems confused that not working for a corporation doesn’t make doing violence for payment less professional or mercenary…
I don’t know who you think you’re replying to.
I’m commenting to Miller.
His take is that a weapon is a weapon, mine is that there’s a lot of difference between a spear and a tank.
Do you have first hand knowledge of the work these mercenaries do versus the work of western mercenaries? Your entire argument is premised upon having said knowledge.
I think you replied to the wrong commenter.
I’m having a beef with Miller about how the meaning of the word mercenary has changed over time.
TLDR: terrorism as a service. A new form of terrorism in Western countries: “disposable terrorists.” Instead of trained ideological extremists, hostile states and proxy groups recruit ordinary people online for money to carry out attacks, sabotage, or intimidation. Using encrypted apps, cryptocurrency, and criminal networks, organizers can quickly hire low-skill operatives who are easy to replace and difficult to trace. The article links this trend to Iran-backed networks and describes it as part of modern “hybrid warfare,” combining espionage, cyber tactics, propaganda, and deniable violence.
“One big question is whether it still makes sense to talk about radicalisation of a perpetrator if they are just interested in getting paid,” said Neumann.”
I would argue they are still radicalized, just by capitalism. People doing anything for money is not natural really, nor healthy.
> creates conditions that cause millions of people to be economically desperate, lacking access to basic human needs
> some economically desperate people turn to increasingly violent crime as a way to make ends meet
> shockedpikachu.jpg
Oh come on, you can’t expect these people to think further than one quarter ahead. That’s all they ever learned and needed.
Every country operates similar systems. The Israelis have the perfect one - honey trap operators like Epstein and Mossad assassins using fake foreign passports
Once, a hostile secret service had to send a skilled and experienced operative to commit assassination, sabotage or terrorism thousands of miles away, or activate networks of sleeper agents, or find and train ideologically committed recruits ready to betray their country. Such schemes took years to prepare.
Nope. This is not how spy work works. Want you want is a bunch of turned deniable assets.
The skill operative is an invention of the American moviesI don’t say that « super spies » don’t exist, what I’m saying is that they aren’t the norm
There’s more George Smiley that they have James Bond
I have edited my first post
Crinkle cut fries also aren’t the norm. Super spies are an asset that get trained when they are needed.
That’s an unfortunate codename in the modern day: STI
Yeah. Volume is good as it degrades the enemy’s trust and increaes defence costs.
One extra smart guy is fine if youve already got a load of greedy fools running amok.
Everything old is new again.
https://www.wired.com/story/ai-generated-maga-girls/
The Indian medical student who created a MAGA amazon could have just as easily used ‘her’ to recruit an army.
This is not a new menace, nor is it just Western countries who are dealing with it.
Mercenaries have been around forever and everyone is using them. I would say that the entire continent of Africa has been menaced far more than ‘Western’ countries.
Russia started this in Ukraine.
Blaming encrypted messaging and cryptocurrency. Great.
