Valentina Trimani Trimani থেকে Bapasara, Gujarat 364150, India
I just finished this book, which I had initially set aside, after hearing a radio interview with the author. The issues he raises in this book are pretty amazing: (1) There are more contractors working in Iraq than there are American soldiers. Between Blackwater (military/security functions) and KBR/Halliburton (support services), the military has essentially been privatized. Because this is the case, these contractors, representing American interests, have no accountability to Congress, the courts or any other aspect of the government. (2) What Blackwater and other security contractors do ends up having blowback against uniformed troops -- to Iraqis, they're all Americans. Death toll of US troops: 3400 and counting. Blackwater personnel: 917, including all support personnel and Iraqi translators/assistants/etc. (3) Many of the contractors serving for Blackwater are foreign mercenaries -- former death squad leaders from El Salvador, Chilean mercenaries, and others who have been trained by US military advisers in previous conflicts. They now represent the US military. (4) Attempts to put private security contractors under the code of military justice have been decried as attempts to put civilians under military law (despite the fact that these "civilians" are heavily armed and working alongside the military in a war zone).
My first book by Asimov. I was pretty hooked. I enjoyed how Asimov kept the plot moving, and engaging, without resorting to lots of battle scenes. It's got me hooked enough to read more in the series. The parallels to our own experience, particularly when it comes to stagnant civilizations, use of religion by those in power, etc., are quite telling, and if I had time, I'd write a few pages about it. I quite enjoyed that. I am somewhat disappointed, though, at how little space is devoted to the characters. It felt as just as I was getting to know them, we jump ahead a few decades. Perhaps that's just me coming off reading Wheel of Time, but I do enjoy characters with lots of depth.