Observations...Of a Various and Sundry Sort.
One Step Beyond Common Conclusions
Above, John Newland, "your guide to the Supernatural"

A Magickal Note
Temples concentrate energy, therefore clogging the flow of energy generally.

Mercenaries
Mercenary armies like Blackwater, or whatever they are currently calling themselves, are problematic to the survival of a Republic. Blackwater seems to partly justify itself using the perverse religious theory known as Dominion Theology, which gives the believer a carte blanche of justification for his actions.
What are the problems I associate with Mercenary Armies?
They are in essence, anti-democratic.
The government can avoid responsibility for the irresponsible actions of the mercenaries, all the while enabling them to perform such atrocities.
Many an army in ancient Rome, loyal to a man rather than the state, would sack a Roman city for sympathies to a man who opposed their leader. It is not a long stretch of the imagination to envision a mercenary business, exploiting ancient resentments, using private brigades from the South to inflict violence on and ignore the rights of citizens dwelling in perceived "liberal" areas of the country. (And, of course, the reverse although maybe that is not so likely.)
Corporate Law protects the stockholders from real individual responsibility for illegal and immoral activity of the corporation.
Blackwater tends to suck out of the military its more (financially) ambitious and often competent members after the taxpayers have paid for expensive training. The military is therefore robbed of the experienced cohorts needed to perform its mission and train new recruits. The competence of the force is thereby degraded.
Government protects the private business of mercenaries by deeming their activities classified abusing national security laws.
Military leaders are coaxed with promises of positions after retirement to regard the interests of the Mercenary Corporations with favor.
Reactionary political dogma that government is bad and private business is good is promoted and prolonged once established as policy in unconstitutional areas. National defense is the responsibility of the federal government, not private business. Essentially private armies under the control of generals and consuls destroyed the Roman Republic and led to unfettered Empire and tremendous abuse of power, depending on the whims of the Emperor.
Private business is put into a position to use government to usurp the legitimate activities of government. Government becomes the tool of private interests and pays only lip service to the interests of the people at large.
Defense interests of the government tend to be corrupted by individuals who are put in place to promote business interests which are antithetical to a peace-loving people. War is good for business.
Yes, this is the trail to the F word: Fascism.

Capitalism
Capitalism works to exempt itself from the trials of competition while forcing labor to compete with itself on every level.
This competition of labor among itself has been manifested through such promotions as women put in the workforce, which essentially cheapened labor by doubling the supply of workers.
Illegal immigration has been tolerated with a wink and a nod by corporate interests to further cheapen the cost of labor while cynically throwing the all the blame on progressive and liberal groups. (Who deserve some of it.)
Capitalism uses government to force labor to insure the losses it incurs when it indulges in risky business.
The economy is expanded via a kind of parasitism.
The Sunday blue laws are liquidated to create more work days.
Family shared activities are curtailed.
The consumer culture promoted by the corporatists makes shopping a key activity for people when they do have some time off.
Promotion of consumer debt and lower pay leads to the need for more work which stunts strong family life, cultural activities (except the oxymoronic "consumer culture") and, perhaps most importantly, political involvement.