The last decade has witnessed a tendency for the right to use violence to be handed into private hands. A huge private military industry is emerging which, as well as having serious effects on our daily life, exerts an destructive influence on the state and established institutions, and on the way the law is commonly understood. The main reason for this development, which will have certain political, military and legal effects on the structure of all countries whether developed or under-developed, has been the presentation of new opportunities for colonialism. In this article, the main focus will be on private military companies, which play a crucial role in the violent policies of colonialism, as well as in recent wars. What are the advantages to colonialist powers of using these companies, whether external to or ‘attached’ to national armies; and why are they needed now more than they were previously?
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