Millвђ™s Power Elite Model on the War Profiteers:

Between the years of 2001 to present-day, the Power Elite Model has been put to the test within the War in Iraq. Filmmaker and political activist, Robert Greenwald, released a video in 2006 called “Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers.” This video exposed to the public as to what was truly happening between the government’s high powered officials and the large corporations and their control over them. These billion dollar corporations are mostly operated by government personnel and they handle anything from logistics, to water sanitation, to the interrogation of detainee’s. Throughout the explanation of the Power Elite Model, we are going to use the War Profiteers to test its validity.

The Power Elite Model surfaced around the mid 1950s by a very influential American Sociologist, C. Wright Mills. He argued in his Power Elite Model that the power and influence of the government is concentrated among the rich. According to Wikipedia, the �power elite’ is a small group of people who control a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, and access to decision-making of global consequence. Mills’s Power Elite Model explains that the three major �power elite’ groups are: the corporate rich, which includes corporate executives and major stock holders; the executive branch, which includes top officials of state capitals and those in Washington; and the military, which only includes the highest ranking officers. As a group, this ruling triumvirate of politicians, corporate executives, and military officers has, by virtue of the positions they hold, unprecedented authority to make decisions of national and international consequence (Reynolds). Therefore, this small group of �power elite’ have so much power that the problems an average American would try and face are hardly ever heard or ever put in the hands of someone who is not one of the �power elite.’ Mills argues that what’s best for the �power elite’ is not what’s best for any average American. Moreover, Mills explains that once a person becomes a member of the �power elite,’ most forever remain a �power elite.’ Time and time again, an elite member moves from subdivision to subdivision to increase his or her power. In turn, the three �power elite’ groups come together to control the sectors of the American economy by sharing the same values and motives in areas such as profit. Within the War Profiteers, all three sectors—the military, executive branch, and the corporate rich—all play a major role in the War of Iraq.

Robert Greenwald’s documentary about the on-going war in Iraq gives the American people an insight to the major corporations overseas. Sadly, these companies are taking advantage of governmental funds, while at the same time endangering our American soldiers and workers, just to increase their personal profits. These corporations, such as Blackwater, K.B.R.—Halliburton, CACI, and Titan are milking tax payers by over billing the government in several ways.

Blackwater is a private security corporation designed to protect Paul Bremer, the Presidential Envoy in Iraq. Those hired for this company are mostly retired U.S. Military and Special Forces. Although Blackwater knows that they have a duty to protect their employees, they have sent out American civilians in unarmored vehicles without rear gunners to face the dangerous roads of Iraq, and many are eventually ambushed and killed. Were these just corners cut to save a little money or was this a case of negligent homicide?

C.A.C.I. is a corporation that originally was meant to work with the databases, but soon handled all interrogations for detainees. Although there were “rules to be followed,” minimal supervision was provided resulting in interrogative misconduct, including physical abuse and humiliation. Titan, which is mainly made up of retired senior military officers, is responsible for providing linguistics, or translators; yet, they have hired many who can only speak some of the language without being able to read or write it. Also, no employees are ever tested on their skills, trained, or checked on.

Last, but definitely not least, is K.B.R.—Halliburton. This billion dollar corporation is managed mostly by former military officers and other government personnel. They handle logistics, water sanitation, transportation of supplies, mechanical engineering, and personal services for military, such as laundry and dining halls. Before this corporation entered Iraq, military personnel were trained to do these jobs; but when Halliburton was hired, those militants were forced to teach Halliburton’s