Blackwater Prince
D. S. Mitchell
**Digby Parton for Salon, and Jeremy Scahill for Intercept, have provided most of the investigative information for this story. Calamity Politics, does not have the ability to do investigative journalism, but instead relies on several reporting sources to bring a story to my readers. The comments and analysis are all D.S.M. 
Who Is Erik Prince?
Erik Prince, is the billionaire Navy Seal and one time owner of Blackwater USA, is in the crosshairs today. Prince owned the renegade mercenary company when they worked in Iraq. The private military company was plagued with reports of beatings and theft. In 2007 while guarding an allied convoy, Blackwater soldiers opened fire on unarmed Iraqi citizens, including women and children in Nisour Place, Bagdad. The massacre killed 17 and wounded 20.
Family Ties
The guilty were prosecuted, after several stops and starts, the Feds convicted one man of murder, he got 30 years. Four other Blackwater defendants received lesser sentences. The disgraced billionaire sold Blackwater. Since then he has done financial consulting. A couple of interesting facts have emerged recently. First, Prince’s sister is the newly appointed and controversial Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. Second, he is the son of a billionaire far right-wing activist, who spent millions of dollars to push his beliefs legislatively, and as Betsy said, “We expect results, when we give money.”
Back Door
Erik Prince was with Trump on election night. Prior to the election, Prince would sneak in the back door of Trump Tower, so as not to be seen by the gaggle of reporters in the lobby. When questioned on the Prince association with the Trump campaign, Sean Spicer, denied there was any involvement between the Blackwater founder and the White House. “If there had been an association,” Spicer said, “it was insignificant.” Despite denials of a close relationship between Prince and Trump it is clear that Prince is giving intel and defense advice. Prince has been a close associate of Mike Pence. Both have an extreme right-wing “militant theocratic worldview,” Salon reported.
On Intel Radar
“Considering that Trump’s knowledge of world affairs can barely fill a shot glass, seeing Erik Prince among the inner circle of advisors is unnerving,” said an inside source, “he has gone off the rails and has exposed many U.S. citizens to criminal liability.” Prince currently lives in Abi Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Prince a shadowy figure is known to be under investigation by the Dept of Justice and several other agencies for suspected money laundering, and attempts to broker military services of foreign governments. Erik Prince is aware and angry over the surveillance. He has complained loudly that his movements are constantly monitored. Numerous associates have acknowledged that the government has warned them to, “cease doing business with him. He is on the radar of every Intel service in the world.”
Breitbart Interview
In July 2016, Erik Prince was on Steve Bannon’s Breitbart radio program. At the time Prince pushed ” a kill/capture” program that the U.S. used in Vietnam. Prince suggest the need for a “Phoenix program” to deal with Islamic terrorists. He called it an “assassination ring”. More recently, Erik Prince met for two days in the Seychelles with officials from the Russian government as an “emissary” from the Trump campaign.
Another Russian Connection
Another, Trump-Russian association. I can’t imagine this. I remember hiding under my desk because the Russians were going the kill me with an atomic bomb. Now, I find out that the Russians are here running our government. I pray that the conspiracy/collusion stories are false, but I doubt it. If there was no collusion, why are all these meetings secret? I want to get to the bottom of the Russian election interference. The stonewalling at the legislative investigative committee level, gives me deep concerns. Partisanship appears to be guiding the congressional investigation. I truthfully believe this association between the Russian government and the Trump campaign could spell the death to our democracy.
Mission
I will continue to write about the headline news of the day, and the urgent political stories that are keeping Americans awake at night. The political drum beat is pounding irritably. I believe the Republic is in great danger and if there was ever a need to raise your voice, now is that time.
Join the Resistance
In my mind, there is a reason for Reagan and Thatcher’s economics: To redistribute wealth into the hands of the already rich to make them more powerful.
My theory is that, when confronted with the power of the people–demonstrated in marches and resistance during the 70s–the ruling minority grew increasingly scare of losing power and control of the world order, as it was. The ONLY thing that can overcome the will of the people, the majority of people, is money. Money is power, and the more they have, the more power and control they can impose on the opposition.
Here we are, today. No matter how much we scream, or write, or do, the powerful will always prevail. They have not stopped trying to make us less relevant. Case in point is the current trend to take even more from us to make us weaker.
The picture that this represents for the future is very bleak. We will always have our voices. But with money increasing at the hands of the minority, we may indeed have to use more than our voices in an effort to save our democracy. We are now fighting an international organization of incredible proportions.
I know I may sound a bit pessimistic, but… In the corporate world, we have seen a separation of executive suite offices from the main operations at companies. The “Mahogany” rooms are no longer in the same physical locations where the rank and file employees are. In my mind, there is a reason for this. It is inevitable that our world is going to be a very tumultuous place in the future: Climate change, the prevalence of “soviet communist” practices to control populations, the disenfranchisement of voters, the weakening of economic stability for the middle class… All contribute to what we will be experiencing in our lives. These powerful, rich, power hungry, controlling executives want to be protected from the upheaval we will see on the streets of America and many other places in the world. Yes, a-la Venezuela, brazil, and other places where people have already been disenfranchised through the abuse of power.
I have been hearing that the US is in a trajectory that will put us at the same level as a third world country in regards to middle class, and politics. I increasingly believe that this is the case.