Private Military Companies and Ethics

Condottieri were mercenaries offering military services, while maritime privateers acted under government commissions to attack enemy ships.

'Executive Outcomes' was involved in military operations and security consulting in conflict zones like Sierra Leone and Angola.

PMCs provide personnel that operate outside Congressional limitations, enhancing security conditions in initiatives like Plan Colombia.

<p>Contemporary PMCs serve a diverse clientele, including governments, corporations, international organizations, media, and non-governmental organizations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They can strengthen military effectiveness through speed and flexibility but may weaken it due to questionable behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A significant concern is that PMCs often become too close to host governments, potentially strengthening autocratic regimes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Common services include personal security, military training, and logistical support.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Accountability issues stem from reliance on private contracts, which lead to reduced transparency and lack of oversight.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Contractors allow policymakers to operate with fewer constraints as PMCs answer primarily to their employers rather than to the public.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>PMCs often face challenges due to a lack of regulation, oversight, and accountability, leading to potential abuses of power.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>McFate believes firms will model themselves after their biggest clients to attract more business, creating a competitive market.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Academi provides personal security, transportation, and military support services to the U.S. government.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mercenaries operate within existing armies, while private military enterprises raise their own forces.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The ethical dilemmas include excessive violence, potential involvement in human rights abuses, and lack of accountability.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Using PMCs might reduce American casualties, but lower stakes could lead to irresponsible actions that may have severe consequences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They relied on each other for waging wars, as military enterprisers provided the means while political rulers provided the objectives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Augustine justifies defensive war by arguing that it serves the principle of due care and is done in defense of others, primarily the community.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Both sides can be considered just as long as what is permitted to one side is also permitted to the other.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It emphasizes that peace should be prioritized over justice, contrasting with early paradigms that viewed justice as a key component for war.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A key feature of sovereignty is the claimed and actual independence from all other nations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>We can reconcile them by establishing rulings on justness that are independent of ideal circumstances.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It promotes the belief that democratic governments are less warlike, and emphasizes that democracy leads to trade, which fosters peace.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They are Limited Liability and promoting a more liberal world order.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It implies a constrained approach with limited means for limited risks, yet includes readiness for military action.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Internationalists, nationalists, progressives, and realists.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It results from the intersection of international conditions, strategic cultures, domestic politics, and leadership.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It creates an illusion of control, leading decision-makers to believe outcomes will be favorable.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It causes decision-makers to misinterpret the actions of distrusted actors, favoring hawkish responses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It increases the risk of dangerous misunderstandings when intentions are perceived as non-hostile.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They create an aversion to concessions, making it difficult to accept fair deals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The UNSC lacks systematic procedures for accountability and hinders other parties from fulfilling justifying functions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Such a coalition could enhance accountability and provide a more reliable response to crises.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Military interventions often face issues of sociological legitimacy and accountability.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>These regimes would involve commitments by states to intervene in humanitarian crises under specific conditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Decisions would typically be made by the coalition of states involved, which may lead to disagreements on the necessity of intervention.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They suggest that state sovereignty is valued but also argue that it should not obstruct efforts for humanitarian intervention.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>One argument is that humanitarian intervention is viewed as a form of aggression against a sovereign state.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>One disadvantage is that the UNSC can be unreliable and inadequate in responding promptly to crises.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Terrorism is characterized by the random murder of innocent people, whereas guerrilla warfare typically targets enemy soldiers and avoids harming civilians.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Terrorism is considered wrong because it involves the random murder of innocent individuals and is not a legitimate last resort.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Terrorism might be seen as acceptable when a group faces an imminent threat of extinction, referred to as a 'supreme emergency.'</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Popular support is crucial, as guerrillas gain war rights only when they have the recognition and support of the people.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Rebels may seek regime overthrow or aim for secession due to issues like colonialism or foreign occupation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>'Reasonable chance of success' means that a movement must have a realistic likelihood of achieving its objectives to be considered justified.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Proportionality dictates that the evil resisted must be greater than the evil created by the act of war itself.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It may be acceptable to intentionally harm civilians if they are responsible for unjust occupation or grave human rights violations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>'Last resort' refers to the idea that military action should only be taken after all other non-violent alternatives have been exhausted.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Walzer suggests that targeting civilian agents engaged in oppressive activities may be considered legitimate in certain contexts.</p> Signup and view all the answers