An economic perspective on mercenaries, military companies, and the privatisation of force*

Abstract

Approaching the question of privatisation of warfare from an economic perspective, the article contends that the public debate over privatisation of military force in its international context is somewhat misplaced. The article suggests that the political debate on the future of armed force can proceed on a more focused basis if basic economic concepts are included in the discussion. Applying economic analysis, the article advances the argument that the distinction between ‘public'and ‘private’ may be much less clear than originally thought, and that the pertinent issues actually concern monopolisation and legitimisation of force, not its private or public origins. It concludes by proposing that political science and international relations theory needs to abandon the nation state and its boundaries and national forces as fixed categories to obtain greater analytical clarity.