Dang! I think all along I've misunderstood both Erik Prince and Blackwater. Thanks a lot media. Thanks to whomever is responsible for arranging his talk and explanation, and sharing it for us to watch. I really liked the walk thru history, and the briefing of the many times and ways we hired contractors.
The Media loves Conflict and chaos too, it keeps people wanting to watch more of their programs anything to get the ratings cause they ain't really doing so well lately. They laying off a lot of people.
bruh, he's a chrisian zealot and mercenary scumbag... lets not pretend anything else, you can wash his feet and tickle his balls, but he's a murderer for money and he's a megaolomaniac at heart.
NO! He's a piece of shit that doesn't respect common law and for damn sure doesn't respect the Geneva Convention. He's a leach that encourages conflict otherwise his army of thugs wouldn't have a job. FUCK ERIK PRINCE
Don't forget that Eric is no longer the head of the force he founded. Early in this video he stated he sold Blackwater in 2010. He has since backed "operations" which are quite complex, as to where his allegiance really lies, other than his profession.
Thank you Oxford ..for bringing people like him and Steve Bannon, people you guys obviously don't agree with but nonetheless helps in bringing out alternate views of the world and society that the neo marxist media won't provide
Years ago I would've thought of guys like Erik Prince in an extremely negative light. But, after learning more of what the U.N. has been up to and Biden's handling of Afghanistan, Erik Prince looks almost saintly in comparison. Most media are mere mouthpieces for globalists; Trotsky meets corpo interests.
The private sector leaders also used to work for a dollar a day during the Second World War. Often making huge personal sacrifices in order to win against the Nazis. Now there is a totally different response. "What kind of profit can I derive from this?" from the private sector poisons civil discourse, and government efficacy.
The Piracy did not end because of 500 Somali police, it ended because of armed guards being placed on merchant vessels repealing the pirates on a daily basis.
Some ex-SAS guys moved into the private sector providing security on ships. The book by Big Phil ex-SAS tells how restricted they were in that role in the early days. No arms even. He literally had to spray and bash pirates trying to board his ship armed with AK-47's and RPG's with a fire spray and improvised weapons, whatever was to hand. At one point he picked up a small fridge and threw it on 3 pirates heads lol.
Bit late on this but the audience are the type of people who vote Labour, they cannot comprehend warfare and cost because they are Students. He would have been better at Sandringham.
I am Impressed With this guy's insight-we should have people like him in real power. He is intelligent and he is fit as well. I may have dismissed him- but I am glad that I listened first. Much better than the professional Politic.
Dude is spot on. Get out of the mideast and just have a few hundred well place spec ops and cia on the ground and when needed call in airtrikes. US will save countless billions.
somfplease I wanted this when the US was in Iraq. Have Iraqis soldiers and police walking through towns. When they need air support, call in the Air Force for assistance. The air bases can be in remote locations, away from cities.
Natalie Saad Lol did you not listen to his speech? Mercenaries are ppl who will fight for anyone so as long as you pay them. They have no national allegiance. Blackwater has ONlY dealt with the United States and ONLY hires former US military personnel who have a minimum of 8 years military experience. In other words, Blackwater only hires former special forces personnel- Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Delta Force, etc. His company would never hire just some random guy off the street who knows how to load and fire a gun.
😂🤣😂 Stop worshipping that Pseudo Intellectual Gibberish that does not actually make any sense if you think about it longer than 0.45 Micro Seconds... On a side note, he seems to really like PowerPoint Presentations...
Exactly. But this concept of private military contracting is centuries old, and worked very well in the past. British East India Company. Nobody likes not having tea or sugar lol. And who can argue that India as a continent wasn't left in much better shape in 1947 when Britain pulled out and India gained independence...massive infrastructure development, railroads, roads, schools, courts, private and private and public financed and run well at the local level. The Indian ocean and vital trade routes from east to west guarded by the largest private navy and army in the world. Same in Africa...Cecil Rhodes De Beers Mining Company that colonised and ran large areas of Africa with private military and police and invested heavily in infrastructure including the then largest railway that linked South Africa to Egypt and Middle East...he said, "the British government and British public like the benefits of Empire and trade, without having to foot the bill". The only difference today, is the ethics and morality of it. We're not in the Empire building business, we just want stable functional countries, and an end to human misery and suffering, and a more stable world for everyone. It's just a means to an end. If we keep throwing aid (or lending money) at these countries its an endless cycle of poverty, debt, corruption and power vacuums for rogue regimes and terrorism.
VERY interesting discussion. I *HIGHLY* recommend giving Mr. Prince the time of day. You don't have to agree with him. You just need to listen to him. He brings a unique, unorthodox perspective to the table on war, the cost of war, and the philosophy of war. And, since war isn't going anyway anytime soon, it's worth giving him a listen.
The talk is slick but the actions of this person are ugly and speak for themselves. Chris Hedges book American Fascists can give real facts about the Christian right and what their plans are for the future.
Ruby Smoke, there are certainly those of the evangelical Christian variety who wish for an authoritarian theocracy, just as there people in this camp from virtually every major religion. But, most Christians (from my anecdotal experience in the southern US) wish for a secular government governed by principled individuals. That's why it's so important for politicians to talk about their religion, since most individuals derive the majority of their principles from religion, or their interpretation of religion thereof.
Honestly after reading over Eddie Gallaghers story, I see Blackwater in a different perspective now. The government is always going to protect their own institutions.
And the media factors into this..they spun stories around Blackwater, these gun-ho guys etc and that's bad politically..what the media didn't tell folks, and what Wikileaks did, the exact same isolated incidents happened in the US and UK military. Mistakes happened or some soldiers lacked disciplined, made mistakes, and in some cases soldiers did some very bad things. It happens in war zones. The public can't get their heads around a private contracted military company taking on the role of conventional army forces and think it's job for the State..but as Eric said and as we know from this talk, that doesn't work and is costly. Private military contracting is not a new concept. It's been going on for centuries. People seem to forget the British East India Company had the largest private army and navy in the world. And for a long time it functioned very well ensuring a stable continent and kept trade flowing from East to West cost effectively on a continent the size of India..freeing up British military resources massively and keeping costs down.
What a fascinating speaker who delivered a superb lecture on something ! So I followed his reasoning on the use of private mercenaries to get jobs done but was there more ? Anyway he spoke clearly and was obviously at the top of his game.
You actually forget when he is talking that these people deal in war and conflict. He is such a good presenter he presents his trade to his audience like it's oil exploration or mining metal ore.
Yes but it's a war that's necessary and/or decided at the State policy making level. The question is who fights it. How, and how much it costs the State. Not whether to fight it. What does it matter whether it's a regulated/monitored private contractor or the States military? There's some overlap, but the goal is doing it effectively in operations and cost terms. It's the same with our healthcare system and even postal system, huge loss making orgs drags on our economy..doesn't work. Put parts of it into private sector and do it on a proper business footing and it works. Case in point Royal Mail now run efficiently and profitable in private sector for the first time in its 300+ year history. It's no different with military contracting. Some things are better done by private enterprise under government contracts. Private militrary contracting is not a radical new concept, it's been going on for centuries.
Prince says all this human suffering comes from an insurgency problem. But there was no insurgency until the profit motivated attack on Iraq of which he was a big part. War profiteering is a crime against humanity and he should be held accountable.
bullshit. Islamists everywhere from southern thailand to the philipines, burma, sweden, paris suburbs, London... islamism goes back 700 years. and the modern version dates from the muslim brotherhood in the 1930s. You're blaming the cancer medicine on the cancer.
true he went to Iraq,Afghanistan and other Muslim countries and killed many.I wonder what would he think if a muslim guy makes just a military like this?
I think he is a genius and makes some great points. Let him handle those isis dirtbags he will get it done and safe us 50 something billion dollars a year. He’s got the power and machine to get it done.
Very interesting to hear this perspective from Mr. Prince. A variety of critiques be offered. At this point, I am content to absorb the information and evaluate. This serves as a data point for future evaluation. This was an informative piece. I do have distinct value judgements on the nature of the presentation, it's underlying premise, and the moral framework it, but I will not share them here at this time.
The biggest takeaway I have from this is that -say what you will about greed of private enterprise- private enterprise knows the actual issues, and what will make the lived really better. Politicians have to say what sounds good (giving free stuff) because it makes the people feel good. Whereas the contractors knows what is the actual problem and doesn't have to care about some random vegan gluten-free non-binary baristas opinion who lives 10000 miles away.
"I operate a grocery business" Yeah, if that grocery store delivers attack helicopters, direct action operators and cyberwarfare teams to Syria and Libya lmao -- all of which in the past 2-3 years.
Doing great job in Afghanistan..without their presence all those years of turmoil and war would fall down and turn the place into a lawless rogue state...AGAIN.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH My big ass! They couldn't beat Taliban at all! The only reason they are still there is to extract resources from the resource filled Helmand province! LOL "beat" Taliban?! good one! For every one you kill there are 10+ people willing to step up and avenge their fallen! This is a war you can't win, unless you NUKE afghanistan, which will NEVER happen unless you want to give Russia/China/India/Pakistan a pretext to use their weapons!
@Rich 91 Russia hates NATO (US commands NATO) more than anything! So keep dreaming, Afghanistan costs US billions of precious dollars, Russia merely watches from the sides laughing at US'military incompetency.
See lots of people saying very different things about him, but with little evidence to back their claims. Can anybody show me what they think of him and support it with evidence? Private military is very interesting, but seems like it could go wrong very fast.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisour_Square_massacre I think he is an awful person due to massacres like this occurring under his command. Read the references at the bottom of the article if you want to learn more. In a more general sense it is important to be at least wary of hiring mercenary armies because their entire business model is predicated on war never stopping.
He definitely brings up some valid points, but never trust the private sector to do a "good" job when they cna do a bad job at the expense of disenfranchised, voiceless people and earn more through it
These private companies may have done some good things, but they were also used to battle against organized labor(pinkertons) and more recently to put down the water protectors at standing rock (tiger swan). The internal documents from tiger swan referred to us citizens as insurgents and enemy combatants. Do you want private corporations to be fielding their own special forces units on U.S. soil? Because it has already happened in that case at least. And let's not forget that we have private prisons in this country now as well. So if you dont agree with the Corporate powers that be and you are vocal about it you could very easily disappear without a trace , killed or held captive. Is this the nation that we want to leave to our kids? I for one do not like this at all.
Maguru Rura hardly he is recounting his anecdotes, which is the main appeal of this talk as a whole, the charismatic recollection of his life experience. While entertaining, that is no basis for effective development in a disaster zone that is much of the african continent.
Of course. he wants those farmers to purchase seeds from his fellow corporate buddies at Bayer (Monsanto) so they end up shackled to a contract to a foreign company
4 года назад
What he described is factuak and brilliant. And this is how the chinese have made Africa their backyard. Africans indeed have benefited from chinese made infrastructure works done all across Africa
This is first time I have ever heard Eric Prince make sense of the mess that he has been the author off...... He has a good understanding of the issues. At the same time, I do not endorse whatever has happened or done, most of it due to lack of discipline amongst his underlings, root of which would be total lack of morals and ethics in the thought process and foundations of Blackwater. That is what distinguishes a professional army of a sovereign nation (however expensive and inefficient) and a Private Military Contractor. There is a moral responsibility, which manifests by honouring the Geneva Conventions on war and related matters. Merrily, the Private Military Contractors have not singed it and are not obliged to obey the basic military ethics prescribed, hence they are very efficient in what they do/did and the host nation had to clean up the mess. Justifying PMC with guns in their hands is still open a debate. Any Sovereign Nation hiring an PMC only to handle the logistics for its military, both away from conflict zone (peace area) as well as way behind the "Line of Conflict" is a choice up to individual nations. A question for everyone "Will they be accountable to the international community to honour the International norms for Conflicts, Ethics of War, or simply tried in their nation courts and acquitted for whatever reason including National Security". PS: Eric Prince conveniently forget to talk about and elaborate on the origins of Afghan conflict with the then USSR and diversion of trained and experienced militia from this conflict for terrorist attacks in USA, UK, India, etc. They were and still are Private Military Contractors, hired to ensure "TOTAL DENIABILITY" and holding the Nations of the world to ransom.
@@thriveni1857 that's true, like government never do bad stuff in war(ie; killed civilians or other bad stuff), i bet they can inflict more harm since they've got unlimited resource to burn. The point is, government's ALWAYS do things inefficiently, like when they spend $2 million for a public toilet. that's just the nature of government...
Dwight D. Eisenhower, warned us about this guy. He buys a bottled water from Wal-Mart, for 27 cents, by the time it gets to our troops in Iraq, he bills the American tax payers, up to $11.67 for it. The guy is so very well politically connected, he invented the term, "no-bid contract. Oh, BTW, his guys in Iraq, whom you might wanna know, were not members of the US military, used Iraqi civilians, for cannon fodder. Look it up, it's on the internet. He's what wrong with America.
The east India company developed trade? Thats one way of saying it I suppose. Another would be that they stole local resources & people for their own profit under license from London, would be a more accurate way though.
because he has cojones. And realises guns keep the civilized world safe. Keep doing the accounts though, im sure your girlfriend doesnt admire guys like him lol.
hard decisions aren't for soft people. technically, from a business stand point, prince is correct. colonies, throughout history, have mostly been private business ventures; whether funded by monarchs or oligarchs. however, the seminal difference between britain's empire and america's, is one of character. britain (and holland) were forced to expand their influence beyond their shores or face increasing persecution for their protestant beliefs. remember, as a whole, europe was still predominantly sympathetic to the papacy back then. if you were a protestant, you were basically still considered a heretic. here is where the path diverges. what is america fleeing from or fighting for .....? how does shooting/bombing first and asking later promote an admirable influence .....? is america to be the world's police force, whose moral high-ground is now questionable at best ....? are education, cooperation and customs as important to the colonized as they are to the colonizer (and vice versa) ....? any sound culture has rules and boundaries. you can't spread culture if you do not have one. so, what is the culture of america ....? what are her principles ....? prince fails to recognize the religious ethos of any successful pilgrimage.
quite ignorant to think America has no culture. visit the countryside. Liberty, freedom of speech, respect for hard work and honesty, (recently stupid consumerism as well). Thats what made it go from wilderness to modern and rich in 200 years. A far more resilient culture than most european cultures, which have been rotted by Marxist suicidal policies , contempt for christianity, contempt for National uniqueness.
All I'm gonna say is go read "Blackwater." Erik Prince should be in prison, he's a war criminal and the documented things that he has done in a sane society should land a person in jail. He's a legitimate monster. Good on oxford for letting this awful man speak, but the people in this comments section really need to go read a book.
Isn't it interesting that the government of USA is looking to get out of Syria and Afghanistan asap. It is too expensive in dollars and American lives and the cost benefit ratio is not at all viable. The hard truth is nobody does anything that does not benefit them in some way. Even if it's just a warm fuzzy feeling of helping an elderly lady through the doors at the mall. A lot of people in and out of government benefit greatly from conflict around the world. Contractors do what they are asked and it saves a lot of money and they volunteer to take those jobs. A 19 year old kid from middle USA joins the military and goes where he is told. He may not do his best because he does not believe in the mission and simply wants to go home. Let him. Send the people who want to be there, will work hard and show initiative to be innovative and efficient.
of course he knew... the name says it all. Americans also know lafayette was from France. They essentially helped the uSA against a domineering UK at the time. Then in ww1 and ww2, the USA helped Europe.
I'm generally what you'd call an anti-war progressive, and from the few things I'd heard about Erik Prince over the years I had a very negative opinion of him and Blackwater. Listening to this discussion though has significantly changed my opinion of the man and even his (former) organisation. He's an extremely intelligent person and has a very nuanced understanding of the reality of conflict zones around the world, and honestly he really did seem to genuinely care about the plight of people living in failed states and warzones. If I ran a country, he's definitely the kind of guy who's number I'd want to have on the roladex.
When your helicopters were shot down, who rescued the crews? Did your company fund that or did you rely on the goverment to bail you out? Your 8 man vertrep teams did they have other people they relied on?'] The military has its facilities spread out accross states due to political concerns - lobbying by private business - like Blackwater - so they can get some of the pie. Presentations such as this really some critical questioning. Not that it is all wrong, or all BS, but the terms of comparision are cherry picked. One obvious cost that is actually picked up by the government is that most of the staff the PMCs employ are trained by the government and their experience comes from government service. And much of the cost of government operations comes from the over priced, well padded margins of the defense industry who price gouge and corrupt the government.
Watch his interview on The Shawn Ryan Show podcast.
This is probably the most important presentation in the business world.
No fc 📌💎💎💵💰🛢
"The workers pretended to work, and the government pretended to pay them." LOL
A real American hero. Excellent presentation! 👏
I like this guy, he was committed to his business goals but delivering the BEST!!
Dang! I think all along I've misunderstood both Erik Prince and Blackwater. Thanks a lot media. Thanks to whomever is responsible for arranging his talk and explanation, and sharing it for us to watch. I really liked the walk thru history, and the briefing of the many times and ways we hired contractors.
The Media loves Conflict and chaos too, it keeps people wanting to watch more of their programs anything to get the ratings cause they ain't really doing so well lately. They laying off a lot of people.
bruh, he's a chrisian zealot and mercenary scumbag... lets not pretend anything else, you can wash his feet and tickle his balls, but he's a murderer for money and he's a megaolomaniac at heart.
NO! He's a piece of shit that doesn't respect common law and for damn sure doesn't respect the Geneva Convention. He's a leach that encourages conflict otherwise his army of thugs wouldn't have a job. FUCK ERIK PRINCE
Don't forget that Eric is no longer the head of the force he founded. Early in this video he stated he sold Blackwater in 2010. He has since backed "operations" which are quite complex, as to where his allegiance really lies, other than his profession.
Thank you Oxford ..for bringing people like him and Steve Bannon, people you guys obviously don't agree with but nonetheless helps in bringing out alternate views of the world and society that the neo marxist media won't provide
You know, you just had to ruin it with the last part
@@williamforster9015 Yeah, the definition of "marxism" seems to have shifted so much as to have no meaning now.
Years ago I would've thought of guys like Erik Prince in an extremely negative light. But, after learning more of what the U.N. has been up to and Biden's handling of Afghanistan, Erik Prince looks almost saintly in comparison. Most media are mere mouthpieces for globalists; Trotsky meets corpo interests.
Really important to understand the contribution of Private Sector in the history and how it has shaped the World as it is today...
Except Erik Prince is a top tier example of the downsides of privatization. They had a whole war criminal to give an address.
The private sector leaders also used to work for a dollar a day during the Second World War. Often making huge personal sacrifices in order to win against the Nazis. Now there is a totally different response. "What kind of profit can I derive from this?" from the private sector poisons civil discourse, and government efficacy.
The Piracy did not end because of 500 Somali police, it ended because of armed guards being placed on merchant vessels repealing the pirates on a daily basis.
تبا لك انتم تنهبون البلاد amrkano fc you
Some ex-SAS guys moved into the private sector providing security on ships. The book by Big Phil ex-SAS tells how restricted they were in that role in the early days. No arms even. He literally had to spray and bash pirates trying to board his ship armed with AK-47's and RPG's with a fire spray and improvised weapons, whatever was to hand. At one point he picked up a small fridge and threw it on 3 pirates heads lol.
Exactly the sort of speaker Oxford should have. Challenging and relevant
watch your back
ahj71 +1
Bit late on this but the audience are the type of people who vote Labour, they cannot comprehend warfare and cost because they are Students. He would have been better at Sandringham.
@@pinkle257 Failed? Oh dear boy it is exactly what we wanted, who is best placed to profit from volatility?
Even back over thousand years ago mercenaries were available.
@thematic El Cid, worked for both Christians and Muslims, 11th Century Spain.
@thematic and both professions go hand in hand.
@@nuqwestr Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar you say?
Thank you. Since beginning of time.
So were prostitutes
I am Impressed With this guy's insight-we should have people like him in real power. He is intelligent and he is fit as well. I may have dismissed him- but I am glad that I listened first. Much better than the professional Politic.
Brilliant talk, highly relevant and very well executed!
Cameron Hayes I've heard better telemarketers.
"Well executed" like the civilians killed by Blackwater
Dude is spot on. Get out of the mideast and just have a few hundred well place spec ops and cia on the ground and when needed call in airtrikes. US will save countless billions.
somfplease I wanted this when the US was in Iraq. Have Iraqis soldiers and police walking through towns. When they need air support, call in the Air Force for assistance. The air bases can be in remote locations, away from cities.
Natalie Saad Lol did you not listen to his speech? Mercenaries are ppl who will fight for anyone so as long as you pay them. They have no national allegiance. Blackwater has ONlY dealt with the United States and ONLY hires former US military personnel who have a minimum of 8 years military experience. In other words, Blackwater only hires former special forces personnel- Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Delta Force, etc. His company would never hire just some random guy off the street who knows how to load and fire a gun.
@@BostonsF1nest bot
If only. At this point normal folk are willingly goosestepping into this dystopian madness.
No, not CIA please. They're in bed with govt interests. More interested in growing opium.
Why do I get metal gear vibes whenever this guys speaks, guns of the patriots 🤣
Because he would probably hire you based on your Gaming Stats 😂
Guy is a real life metal gear villain. Wouldn't be surprised to see him commandeering some weird bipedal tank in the near future.
@@speedking7224 Villain? The only Villain is the US government.
@@sungukyun2608 I mean this guy fights for money besides he's American too. But yeah the US government is the bigger villain
Question. Who would you say is more transparent about their work/life history? Politicians or this bloke?
Varies wildly from politician to politician. Also varies wildly from country to country.
Ask him about the Cocaine, then ask that question..
@VeniVidiViral No I'm talking about him
Thomas Michael Hoare did the same; fraught someone else's war back in the 60's & 70's
@@bullterror5 fam what are you even talking about?
The “modern” mindset has difficulty grasping the effectiveness of talent.
Amen
😂🤣😂 Stop worshipping that Pseudo Intellectual Gibberish that does not actually make any sense if you think about it longer than 0.45 Micro Seconds...
On a side note, he seems to really like PowerPoint Presentations...
Bull Terror
Can you give us a link to your speech at the Oxford Union…
Or your local school board?
I’m really interested in your opinion.
Exactly. But this concept of private military contracting is centuries old, and worked very well in the past. British East India Company. Nobody likes not having tea or sugar lol. And who can argue that India as a continent wasn't left in much better shape in 1947 when Britain pulled out and India gained independence...massive infrastructure development, railroads, roads, schools, courts, private and private and public financed and run well at the local level. The Indian ocean and vital trade routes from east to west guarded by the largest private navy and army in the world.
Same in Africa...Cecil Rhodes De Beers Mining Company that colonised and ran large areas of Africa with private military and police and invested heavily in infrastructure including the then largest railway that linked South Africa to Egypt and Middle East...he said, "the British government and British public like the benefits of Empire and trade, without having to foot the bill".
The only difference today, is the ethics and morality of it. We're not in the Empire building business, we just want stable functional countries, and an end to human misery and suffering, and a more stable world for everyone. It's just a means to an end. If we keep throwing aid (or lending money) at these countries its an endless cycle of poverty, debt, corruption and power vacuums for rogue regimes and terrorism.
@@bullterror5 Only if you stop drinking the kool-aid.
incredible that this upload exists lol
Why?
because everything this guy has done is hidden. hes a douchebag of mass proportions
A very interesting speech. Cheers to Oxford for making this happen.
The Rightful King of Finland Aljazeera
VERY interesting discussion. I *HIGHLY* recommend giving Mr. Prince the time of day. You don't have to agree with him. You just need to listen to him. He brings a unique, unorthodox perspective to the table on war, the cost of war, and the philosophy of war. And, since war isn't going anyway anytime soon, it's worth giving him a listen.
The talk is slick but the actions of this person are ugly and speak for themselves. Chris Hedges book American Fascists can give real facts about the Christian right and what their plans are for the future.
Chris Hedges is a Commie shill.
Ruby Smoke, there are certainly those of the evangelical Christian variety who wish for an authoritarian theocracy, just as there people in this camp from virtually every major religion. But, most Christians (from my anecdotal experience in the southern US) wish for a secular government governed by principled individuals. That's why it's so important for politicians to talk about their religion, since most individuals derive the majority of their principles from religion, or their interpretation of religion thereof.
I am not a full-liberal anti-war type of guy but this Erik Prince is a traitor that now works for China.
@investigator How can you say that when white people are not the only people who go to war
Outstanding conversation!
He got the real life James Bond personality
50:00 mark he starts in on the F-35 while highlighting government waste and contractor profit margins! GREAT WAY TO END IT!!!!!
Remarkable Insights.
Honestly after reading over Eddie Gallaghers story, I see Blackwater in a different perspective now. The government is always going to protect their own institutions.
And the media factors into this..they spun stories around Blackwater, these gun-ho guys etc and that's bad politically..what the media didn't tell folks, and what Wikileaks did, the exact same isolated incidents happened in the US and UK military. Mistakes happened or some soldiers lacked disciplined, made mistakes, and in some cases soldiers did some very bad things. It happens in war zones. The public can't get their heads around a private contracted military company taking on the role of conventional army forces and think it's job for the State..but as Eric said and as we know from this talk, that doesn't work and is costly. Private military contracting is not a new concept. It's been going on for centuries. People seem to forget the British East India Company had the largest private army and navy in the world. And for a long time it functioned very well ensuring a stable continent and kept trade flowing from East to West cost effectively on a continent the size of India..freeing up British military resources massively and keeping costs down.
What a fascinating speaker who delivered a superb lecture on something ! So I followed his reasoning on the use of private mercenaries to get jobs done but was there more ?
Anyway he spoke clearly and was obviously at the top of his game.
This giy is the definition of the President of the USA 🇺🇸 I hope he runs one day 🙏 He is the leader the west needs.
This man should be president!
@Anophthalmus_hitleri I would argue that his mental health is nowhere near as important as the good he could do in the country/world as president.
This is a truly fascinating talk.
From Erik Prince. I dont think theres anyone alive today more proficient in the art of warfare than Prince. He knows his stuff.
Articulate and compelling points to consider for managing costs (people and resources) and ongoing insurgencies.
Not groceries, you deliver weapons PERIOD!
If some progress was ever made in Iraq and Afghanistan is thanks to this guy.
Much Respect
An American hero and patriot
Only the finest of people at Oxford.
Could revolutionize the way wars are fought. Less wasteful spending and less dead Americans on foreign battlefields.
John Shorey Why are those battlefields necessary?
43:45
You could say he’s kinda curious
the perfect speaker for Oxford
LOL
No questions, no bureaucracy, no bullshit. Words to strive for and better yet, live by.
You actually forget when he is talking that these people deal in war and conflict. He is such a good presenter he presents his trade to his audience like it's oil exploration or mining metal ore.
It's savvy the way he does that...and everything else.
Yes but it's a war that's necessary and/or decided at the State policy making level. The question is who fights it. How, and how much it costs the State. Not whether to fight it. What does it matter whether it's a regulated/monitored private contractor or the States military? There's some overlap, but the goal is doing it effectively in operations and cost terms. It's the same with our healthcare system and even postal system, huge loss making orgs drags on our economy..doesn't work. Put parts of it into private sector and do it on a proper business footing and it works. Case in point Royal Mail now run efficiently and profitable in private sector for the first time in its 300+ year history. It's no different with military contracting. Some things are better done by private enterprise under government contracts. Private militrary contracting is not a radical new concept, it's been going on for centuries.
Mr. Prince's comments on Afghanistan was seriously poignant and foreshadowed.
Hello from Colorado🇺🇸 I watched your Mike Ritland interview.. Great interview very inspiring.
How did it go with your French Legion case about social media?
Thanks again E.P. Cheers
Prince says all this human suffering comes from an insurgency problem. But there was no insurgency until the profit motivated attack on Iraq of which he was a big part. War profiteering is a crime against humanity and he should be held accountable.
bullshit. Islamists everywhere from southern thailand to the philipines, burma, sweden, paris suburbs, London... islamism goes back 700 years. and the modern version dates from the muslim brotherhood in the 1930s. You're blaming the cancer medicine on the cancer.
Frontier Services, (Prince and Hong Kong) now has a base in Xinjiang province.
Very fucking good Q&A. Interesting insight from Mr. Prince.
I agree with him. As soon as the government gets involved in anything, it's a disaster. The free market always does a better job.
very interesting could listen for hours , he speaks well just like he runs his business no unecesary shit just facts .
Eat shit, bootlicker
true he went to Iraq,Afghanistan and other Muslim countries and killed many.I wonder what would he think if a muslim guy makes just a military like this?
Justin S stfu pussy
I think he is a genius and makes some great points. Let him handle those isis dirtbags he will get it done and safe us 50 something billion dollars a year. He’s got the power and machine to get it done.
This is a real leader
"You've had an accident with the Curb..."
What accident?
I'm just waiting for a Mate...
Very interesting to hear this perspective from Mr. Prince. A variety of critiques be offered. At this point, I am content to absorb the information and evaluate. This serves as a data point for future evaluation. This was an informative piece. I do have distinct value judgements on the nature of the presentation, it's underlying premise, and the moral framework it, but I will not share them here at this time.
It's been 4 years. When do you plan on sharing?
Nobody cares
The historical research is really inspiring.
For a guy who claims to have quit the world of PMCs and is now focusing on logistics and delivering groceries, his slideshow took an interesting turn.
Captivating.
Love this guy ! I wish he would run for President
The biggest takeaway I have from this is that -say what you will about greed of private enterprise- private enterprise knows the actual issues, and what will make the lived really better. Politicians have to say what sounds good (giving free stuff) because it makes the people feel good. Whereas the contractors knows what is the actual problem and doesn't have to care about some random vegan gluten-free non-binary baristas opinion who lives 10000 miles away.
Lock him up.
"I operate a grocery business" Yeah, if that grocery store delivers attack helicopters, direct action operators and cyberwarfare teams to Syria and Libya lmao -- all of which in the past 2-3 years.
Yas is 👌💯😂
Great Stuff!
So in a Nutshell $10 Trillion to keep Economies and Lifestyle Back home and Rich get Richer. Brilliant! Carry On Nothing to see here Chap's Cheerio
A sales/marketing deck being presented to the future leaders of the UK - money well spent PMC industry lobby groups
Got bless Erik Prince 🇺🇸
Doing great job in Afghanistan..without their presence all those years of turmoil and war would fall down and turn the place into a lawless rogue state...AGAIN.
The sarcasm is dripping off this comment :) Yeah NATO did a wonderful job in Afghanistan, which is why they can't even beat Taliban.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH My big ass! They couldn't beat Taliban at all! The only reason they are still there is to extract resources from the resource filled Helmand province! LOL "beat" Taliban?! good one! For every one you kill there are 10+ people willing to step up and avenge their fallen! This is a war you can't win, unless you NUKE afghanistan, which will NEVER happen unless you want to give Russia/China/India/Pakistan a pretext to use their weapons!
Keep dreaming Richy, keep dreaming! :)
@Rich 91 yeah about that
@Rich 91 Russia hates NATO (US commands NATO) more than anything! So keep dreaming, Afghanistan costs US billions of precious dollars, Russia merely watches from the sides laughing at US'military incompetency.
See lots of people saying very different things about him, but with little evidence to back their claims. Can anybody show me what they think of him and support it with evidence? Private military is very interesting, but seems like it could go wrong very fast.
everyone is just in a bandwagon someone made allegations now they must be true LOL
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisour_Square_massacre
I think he is an awful person due to massacres like this occurring under his command. Read the references at the bottom of the article if you want to learn more.
In a more general sense it is important to be at least wary of hiring mercenary armies because their entire business model is predicated on war never stopping.
Spot on in 2024
He definitely brings up some valid points, but never trust the private sector to do a "good" job when they cna do a bad job at the expense of disenfranchised, voiceless people and earn more through it
Excellent.
These private companies may have done some good things, but they were also used to battle against organized labor(pinkertons) and more recently to put down the water protectors at standing rock (tiger swan). The internal documents from tiger swan referred to us citizens as insurgents and enemy combatants. Do you want private corporations to be fielding their own special forces units on U.S. soil? Because it has already happened in that case at least. And let's not forget that we have private prisons in this country now as well. So if you dont agree with the Corporate powers that be and you are vocal about it you could very easily disappear without a trace , killed or held captive. Is this the nation that we want to leave to our kids? I for one do not like this at all.
The answer to the Aid question at 50:57 makes perfect sense.
Maguru Rura hardly he is recounting his anecdotes, which is the main appeal of this talk as a whole, the charismatic recollection of his life experience. While entertaining, that is no basis for effective development in a disaster zone that is much of the african continent.
Of course. he wants those farmers to purchase seeds from his fellow corporate buddies at Bayer (Monsanto) so they end up shackled to a contract to a foreign company
What he described is factuak and brilliant. And this is how the chinese have made Africa their backyard. Africans indeed have benefited from chinese made infrastructure works done all across Africa
Well said
"The Scariest man I ever met in my life" - Member of congressional oversight committee
rich, contacts, ex special forces and part of the cia assassination program. I guarantee he could kill her and get away from it.
The only ones thanking Trump for "the light" are in the Tiki Torch industry.
@maria gabrielle the same general Flynn who pleased guilty for lying to the FBI. Yeah of course people like you support criminals.
@@purest4233 who Hillary, Pelosi or Pocahantas Warren?
Members of Congress aren't noted for their personal courage or experience of violence. X
This is first time I have ever heard Eric Prince make sense of the mess that he has been the author off......
He has a good understanding of the issues.
At the same time, I do not endorse whatever has happened or done, most of it due to lack of discipline amongst his underlings, root of which would be total lack of morals and ethics in the thought process and foundations of Blackwater.
That is what distinguishes a professional army of a sovereign nation (however expensive and inefficient) and a Private Military Contractor.
There is a moral responsibility, which manifests by honouring the Geneva Conventions on war and related matters.
Merrily, the Private Military Contractors have not singed it and are not obliged to obey the basic military ethics prescribed, hence they are very efficient in what they do/did and the host nation had to clean up the mess.
Justifying PMC with guns in their hands is still open a debate.
Any Sovereign Nation hiring an PMC only to handle the logistics for its military, both away from conflict zone (peace area) as well as way behind the "Line of Conflict" is a choice up to individual nations.
A question for everyone "Will they be accountable to the international community to honour the International norms for Conflicts, Ethics of War, or simply tried in their nation courts and acquitted for whatever reason including National Security".
PS: Eric Prince conveniently forget to talk about and elaborate on the origins of Afghan conflict with the then USSR and diversion of trained and experienced militia from this conflict for terrorist attacks in USA, UK, India, etc. They were and still are Private Military Contractors, hired to ensure "TOTAL DENIABILITY" and holding the Nations of the world to ransom.
Geneva conventions is a big bad joke and everything is fair in love and war.
@@thriveni1857 that's true, like government never do bad stuff in war(ie; killed civilians or other bad stuff), i bet they can inflict more harm since they've got unlimited resource to burn.
The point is, government's ALWAYS do things inefficiently, like when they spend $2 million for a public toilet. that's just the nature of government...
@@pande6008 okay
@@thriveni1857 why did everyone get so upset about 9/11 then? I mean if anything goes........
@@LoudaroundLincoln propaganda!
Dwight D. Eisenhower, warned us about this guy. He buys a bottled water from Wal-Mart, for 27 cents, by the time it gets to our troops in Iraq, he bills the American tax payers, up to $11.67 for it. The guy is so very well politically connected, he invented the term, "no-bid contract.
Oh, BTW, his guys in Iraq, whom you might wanna know, were not members of the US military, used Iraqi civilians, for cannon fodder. Look it up, it's on the internet. He's what wrong with America.
I think you analogy about the water applies more the government that private contracting. I'm curious, did you listen to the speech?
Great speech, I am so much wiser for this.
excellent
Excelllent!
One of the most interesting take-aways' I noticed is that Oxford students are not all that bright...or so it would seem?
The east India company developed trade? Thats one way of saying it I suppose. Another would be that they stole local resources & people for their own profit under license from London, would be a more accurate way though.
On behalf of former contractors, thank you Mr. Prince. Ooh rah
Yeah you guys are the best. Murdering without consequences, fucking pussies.
texasoilfields Government trains ya and this is how you repay them? Erick Prince reminds me of a telemarketer.
Semper fi
He had to pause and think rather deeply about what it actually is he does for a living
This man should be in government.
Would fit right in with the murderers who belong behind bars
@@mohit_panjwani You are a brave man, from the anonymity of an armchair
Is all about money for this guy !
Fairness Equality yeah true .Blood money
Mr. Mercenary tells us stories
My fundamental problem is why someone wants to be in a business killing others. This says a great deal about the person. Because profit is better?
Your instincts are correct look into Nisour Sq and his company Blackwater committed a Massacre. This guy is a psychopath Christian Fascist.
You haven't actually listened to his talk have you?
because he has cojones. And realises guns keep the civilized world safe. Keep doing the accounts though, im sure your girlfriend doesnt admire guys like him lol.
I like this guy.
Mercenary armies are never a good thing. They depend on conflict for their survival.
Sally Costello the thing about that is, war will never end and regional conflicts are going on 24/7 no matter where in the world
Lol you just described governments
So does the military industrial complex.
39:17 - I think he just unwittingly described the motivations of his own organisation.
Why is he still selling “services” he said he sold out of? Why is he not talking about food delivery services in South & Central America?
hard decisions aren't for soft people.
technically, from a business stand point, prince is correct.
colonies, throughout history, have mostly been private business ventures; whether funded by monarchs or oligarchs.
however, the seminal difference between britain's empire and america's, is one of character.
britain (and holland) were forced to expand their influence beyond their shores or face increasing persecution for their protestant beliefs.
remember, as a whole, europe was still predominantly sympathetic to the papacy back then.
if you were a protestant, you were basically still considered a heretic.
here is where the path diverges.
what is america fleeing from or fighting for .....?
how does shooting/bombing first and asking later promote an admirable influence .....?
is america to be the world's police force, whose moral high-ground is now questionable at best ....?
are education, cooperation and customs as important to the colonized as they are to the colonizer (and vice versa) ....?
any sound culture has rules and boundaries.
you can't spread culture if you do not have one.
so, what is the culture of america ....? what are her principles ....?
prince fails to recognize the religious ethos of any successful pilgrimage.
quite ignorant to think America has no culture. visit the countryside. Liberty, freedom of speech, respect for hard work and honesty, (recently stupid consumerism as well). Thats what made it go from wilderness to modern and rich in 200 years. A far more resilient culture than most european cultures, which have been rotted by Marxist suicidal policies , contempt for christianity, contempt for National uniqueness.
@@MrAussieJules well Christianity is a foreign religion which really has no place in Europe.
This guy should be United States SecDef!
All I'm gonna say is go read "Blackwater." Erik Prince should be in prison, he's a war criminal and the documented things that he has done in a sane society should land a person in jail. He's a legitimate monster. Good on oxford for letting this awful man speak, but the people in this comments section really need to go read a book.
100%
Lol says Obama. Minion
@@klausphx lol what does that even mean
How is this guy and his accomplices free? How can we blame Putin and his cronies? Isn't it hypocrisy and double standards?
Isn't it interesting that the government of USA is looking to get out of Syria and Afghanistan asap. It is too expensive in dollars and American lives and the cost benefit ratio is not at all viable. The hard truth is nobody does anything that does not benefit them in some way. Even if it's just a warm fuzzy feeling of helping an elderly lady through the doors at the mall. A lot of people in and out of government benefit greatly from conflict around the world. Contractors do what they are asked and it saves a lot of money and they volunteer to take those jobs. A 19 year old kid from middle USA joins the military and goes where he is told. He may not do his best because he does not believe in the mission and simply wants to go home. Let him. Send the people who want to be there, will work hard and show initiative to be innovative and efficient.
I don't agree with his politics, but this was a great presentation.
Erik Prince is super wrong on the F-35 other than that he nailed it.
Eisenhower warned about the military industrial complex!
Erik for president
Listen up, soy boys.
The Music of Kathleen Vick Soy is one of America's most profitable exports. Is this Owen Benjerky?
Why didn't you mention that Kosciusko was from Poland?Don't tell me Erik you didn't know that...
You're right. 4min 30sec.
They are ashamed to admit that one of their greatest commanders was a Polack.
of course he knew... the name says it all. Americans also know lafayette was from France. They essentially helped the uSA against a domineering UK at the time. Then in ww1 and ww2, the USA helped Europe.
Insecurity central-Polska.
I'm generally what you'd call an anti-war progressive, and from the few things I'd heard about Erik Prince over the years I had a very negative opinion of him and Blackwater. Listening to this discussion though has significantly changed my opinion of the man and even his (former) organisation.
He's an extremely intelligent person and has a very nuanced understanding of the reality of conflict zones around the world, and honestly he really did seem to genuinely care about the plight of people living in failed states and warzones.
If I ran a country, he's definitely the kind of guy who's number I'd want to have on the roladex.
When your helicopters were shot down, who rescued the crews? Did your company fund that or did you rely on the goverment to bail you out?
Your 8 man vertrep teams did they have other people they relied on?']
The military has its facilities spread out accross states due to political concerns - lobbying by private business - like Blackwater - so they can get some of the pie.
Presentations such as this really some critical questioning. Not that it is all wrong, or all BS, but the terms of comparision are cherry picked.
One obvious cost that is actually picked up by the government is that most of the staff the PMCs employ are trained by the government and their experience comes from government service.
And much of the cost of government operations comes from the over priced, well padded margins of the defense industry who price gouge and corrupt the government.
Another Mis informed Obama/ Clinton Kabul Minion