From: Michelle Thompson <mthompso@qualcomm.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 10:54:55 +0800
To: William Knowles <printing@explicit.com>
Subject: Re: Assassination Politics, is now Mercenarial Stuff
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960918210414.00333c18@strange.qualcomm.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Michelle (me) Wrote:

>> I believe that with the breakdown of the traditional sense of sovereignty,
>> mercenary activity, whether military or commercial in nature, will increase.
>> Engineering seems to be quite mercenary already, and very international.
>> Marketing and advertising, to a novice (me), seem to be going the same way.

At 04:40 PM 9/17/96 -0500, you wrote:

>Depends on what you would qualify as being mercenary work, Would Americans
>working on North Sea oil platforms getting paid $70,000+ a year tax free
>be considered a mercenary? 

Yes.

Reason: A mercenary is generally held to be someone that serves merely for
wages or the adventure. (or taking the narrow definition, a soldier hired
into foreign service.) Working on a North Sea oil platform seems to be
something done primarily for the wages and/or the adventure. However, the
qualification is to what degree does that American depend on the
organization operating the rig? Just a little bit? Mercenary. A lot? Employee. 

The distinction between mercenary and employee, to me anyways, is directly
related to the level of dependence the individual has on the group that's
paying him/her.

>Or going down to the islands and opening a data haven? 

Yes.

Reason: This is much closer to pure mercenary than the former example. This
is truly free-lance. There is no oil company paycheck nor is there
day-to-day direction in what should or could be done that day at the data
haven. 

However, you are under the influence of the legalities of the island, no?
You stand a chance of being assimilated into the legal culture. Your data
haven could become an institution, and therefore become used as an extension
of that island's political presense. All very intriguing.

>Or maybe being the engineer for the Sultan of Brunei?

No, not really.

In taking the "position" of engineer, you fall into the role of foreign
consultant rather than mercenary. You are assimilated to a degree that would
preclude the independence enjoyed by the mercenary. 

Contract for a "project" for the Sultan of Brunei, and yes, mercenary you
could then be. 

>Hired Gun Since 1992!

Wow.


-Michelle