The Rise of a New Kind of Military, the Private Military Company.

In this article, BBC News writes about the use of a common practice throughout history, but people seem to complain about it more now than ever, the private contractor, or as some people call it, soldiers for hire. In recent years, the private military contractor has become a massive industry. In 2011, the UK's private security contractor industry boomed into a one billion pound business. In the last few years, the United States has also jumped largely on the contractor bandwagon. The U.S.A. had cut its own military's spending, limiting its ability to fight as productively as it had been able in the past, so to fill that gap, the United States hires companies such as Blackwater (now known as Academi) and other PMC companies. In 2004, the U.S. had hired Blackwater to aid in Fallujah. Four Contractors were killed while escorting a convoy and their burned bodies were hung over a bridge by angry Iraqis. A few years later, in 2007, a group of contractors opened fire on a group of vehicles at Nisour Square, starting with a truck that would not respond to requests to stop. There was an outrage when it was found out that there was a nine-year old boy was among the people killed. Contractors respond by saying that the Iraqis shot first, but there was no proof to say which side shot first when the scene was investigated. The field of private security has not collapsed because of situations such as Nisour Square. According to CNN, there are approximately 104,000 contractors in Afghanistan, and that number has the possibility to increase at a later date. Personally, I believe the use of contractors makes sense. If the military lacks the ability to perform specific jobs, there are contractors willing to get paid to do the same job that the U.S. Military does, with a lot less restrictions due to the lack of PMCs being involved in Middle Eastern laws.

 

Hatsune Miku, the Super Popular, Fake "Person"

Hatsune Miku

If you are like me, then you probably love Japan. You have probably also heard of Hatsune Miku, or her English translation, Miku Hatsune. No matter how you say it, you will also know that she is a Vocaloid. According to USAtoday, Hatsune Miku is the creation of a company called Crypton Future Media and was originally created to be the mascot for the company. The company created synthetic voice technology, which is what eventually lead to the creation of what is now known as the Vocaloid. Basically, a Vocaloid is a computer program that uses pre-programmed voices from Japanese voice actors, so that anyone can input a synthesized melody and lyrics and create a song without any singer. With this lack of a real singer, many people do not understand the craze of popularity. But even with the people who refuse to understand the craze, the synthesized singer has many faithful fans all over. This "singer" has not stayed within the confines of Japan. Hatsune Miku has fans ranging from Japan, to Great Britain, and America, but her music is not limited to these places. She has over 100,000 songs and 1,000,000 artworks created. There is no denying Hatsune Miku's popularity, even if she isn't real.

The 2013 New York "Safe" Act

Semi-automatic AR-15 that is under scrutiny to be banned.

According to this article, in 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo passed the S.A.F.E. Act in New York. This act was passed in an attempt to stop criminals and the mentally ill from obtaining firearms by requiring universal background checks on any and all gun purchases. It also imposes a ridiculous "assault weapon" ban, restricting the use of semi-automatic firearms that look similar to the weapons the military uses. The S.A.F.E. Act bans the use of "high capacity" magazines, which Cuomo believes to be anything more than seven rounds. This seven round limit was found unworkable by the state and unconstitutional by a federal court. The New York S.A.F.E. Act was actually passed in the middle of the night when most people would not be able to have a say in it, which made it easier to pass, but morally speaking, it should never have been done that way. Even though the S.A.F.E. Act was passed in an attempt to limit gun crime, it has failed to do so. In 2012, 19,089 misdemeanor weapon charges were filed, but it is unclear just how many were from firearms themselves, while in 2013, 18,906 weapon charges were filed. Due to a lack of knowledge of firearms when making gun laws, most people are furious about the new "assault weapon" laws. All active shooters understand that a true assault weapon is a firearm with selective fire capabilities. Ever since the 1930's, true, fully automatic assault weapon were made very hard to obtain by everyday citizens due to the National Firearms Act, or NFA. The NFA also required specific length barrels on rifles and shotguns, claiming that the shorter barrel and full auto capability made someone very deadly. The combination of all these anti-gun laws do not necessarily always keep people safer. What is needed is criminal control, not gun control.