If outsourcing has become inevitable in commerce, we cannot be surprised that it has found its place in government. In matters of national security especially, it can be of use to rely less on soldiers than on mercenaries. Russia makes extensive use of the Wagner Group, mercenaries who operate with the state’s approval in Middle Eastern and African battlefields, doing dirty work in a deniable fashion.
For the United States, the reasons to use mercenaries and other workers (collectively termed ‘contractors’ by the Department of Defense) are numerous if a little abstract.
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James Snell 