Brodner’s Person of the Day: Blackwater USA

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Iraqi Death Squad Militia of the Day

Blackwater USA

Blackwater is one of a number of private companies working for the U.S. in Iraq. They handle security detail with particular, er, zeal. They are not accountable to Iraqis nor the U.S. military. So when piles of bodies get higher and the list of witnesses to random and senseless killings grows, Iraqi officials call for the expulsion of the company. But, it seems, it doesn’t matter. The only one whose decision seems to matter is “The Decider.” Mr. “Childrens-Do-Learn.” So we carry on with all this, giving the world and Iraq more reasons to love us. Seems like rivers of blood, seen through the filter of green, would look a lot like. . .Blackwater.

“They’re repeat offenders, and yet they continue to prosper in Iraq,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky. “These guys represent the U.S. to (Iraqis) and there are no rules of the game for them.”

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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