# Vanity Fair Interview with Erik Prince **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 3, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532 "2010-01-03T19:54:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/1 "2010-01-03T19:54:32Z")
> **[January 2010: Adam Ciralsky on Blackwater](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/01/blackwater-201001)** > > Erik Prince, the chairman of Blackwater, takes Adam Ciralsky inside his secret war on terror. This is fascinating. I find it amusing that Al Gore and Sarah Palin are too good to fly coach but Erik Prince does. šŸ˜‰ Just something that stuck out at me. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/2 "2010-01-03T22:01:53Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > [January 2010: Adam Ciralsky on Blackwater | Vanity Fair](http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2010/01/blackwater-201001) > > This is fascinating. > > I find it amusing that Al Gore and Sarah Palin are too good to fly coach but Erik Prince does. šŸ˜‰ Just something that stuck out at me. I love that the url abbreviates to ā€œfā€¦ckwater,ā€ first of all. I hope he gets whatā€™s coming to him. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/3 "2010-01-03T22:16:23Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I find it amusing that Al Gore and Sarah Palin are too good to fly coach but Erik Prince does. šŸ˜‰ Just something that stuck out at me. Thats probably from his time in the teams, staying lo and not standing out. Neither Palin or Gore would have had that even cross their minds. So I think its sorta apples and oranges. Declan ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/4 "2010-01-04T00:25:06Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Thats probably from his time in the teams, staying lo and not standing out. Neither Palin or Gore would have had that even cross their minds. So I think its sorta apples and oranges. > > Declan Sure. Thatā€™s what it said in the article even. It just shows me the difference between a serious person like Erik Prince and bobble-headed celebs like Al Gore and Sarah Palin who are all image no substance. Love or hate Erik Princeā€™s walk, he walks it. Heā€™s not all talk. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/5 "2010-01-04T01:36:31Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Thats probably from his time in the teams, staying lo and not standing out. Neither Palin or Gore would have had that even cross their minds. So I think its sorta apples and oranges. I dunno - Palin said she ā€˜Sharpie-edā€™ out McCainā€™s name on a campaign ballcap to not stand out in Hawaii. (FWIW, when I first heard that story, I had assumed that the cap had previously read, ā€œMcCain-Palinā€. šŸ˜ƒ ) ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/6 "2010-01-04T23:31:21Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Love or hate Erik Princeā€™s walk, he walks it. Heā€™s not all talk. Really? So when uber-Christian Erik Prince expresses hope that the lawsuit against his company will be tried under Shariah law because Shariah law will let his company off the hook, [heā€™s walking the walk](http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation_world/story/63337.html)? > [@](#): > > Shariā€™a law does not hold a company responsible for the actions of employees performed within the course of their work. > > Erik Prince, who owns Blackwater and Presidential Airways, briefly discussed the lawsuit in a meeting Wednesday with editors and reporters at The News & Observer. Prince was asked to justify having a case involving an American company working for the U.S. government decided by Afghan law. > > ā€œWhere did the crash occur?ā€ Prince said. ā€œAfghanistan.ā€ Of course weā€™ll have to wait and see whether heā€™s really guilty of murder and child prostitution. Until that time thereā€™s no point in drawing attention to Jesusā€™s disapproval of such shenanigans. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/7 "2010-01-05T00:08:42Z")
I think Erik Prince is absolutely fascinating and in 50 years or so from now he is going to be one of those extremely infamous, notorious figures who is going to be part of pop culture. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/8 "2010-01-05T00:59:33Z")
> [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](#): > > Really? So when uber-Christian Erik Prince expresses hope that the lawsuit against his company will be tried under Shariah law because Shariah law will let his company off the hook, [heā€™s walking the walk](http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation_world/story/63337.html)? Asking that the lawsuit be tried by the law of the land is incongruous? > [@](#): > > Of course weā€™ll have to wait and see whether heā€™s really guilty of murder and child prostitution. Until that time thereā€™s no point in drawing attention to Jesusā€™s disapproval of such shenanigans. I am skeptical about the child prostitution thing. Obviously heā€™s killed people, but whether or not that is murder is a matter of opinion. Heā€™s a mercenary, duh heā€™s killed people. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I think Erik Prince is absolutely fascinating and in 50 years or so from now he is going to be one of those extremely infamous, notorious figures who is going to be part of pop culture. 50 years from now? You donā€™t think heā€™s a part of pop culture now? Iā€™m a little sorry I missed my chance to get the Blackwater onesie for my kids. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/9 "2010-01-05T01:06:04Z")
Heā€™s already nominally a part of pop culture, with things in shows and video games (Jericho, MGS4) being loosely based on his organization. But in half a century heā€™ll be one of those legendary desperado-like figures; mysterious, ambitious, bizarre, and whether heā€™s loved or hated, he will be considered very interesting. I have [this](http://www.supremeco.com.hk/catalog/images/BWSSTTAN.gif) Blackwater T-shirt which I bought as soon as the company became notorious, as a collectible item mostly but I also just love the shirt and it always gets compliments. I bought the Iraqi deck of cards back in high school for the same reason. These are the weird little pop relics of this decade that will be fascinating to people decades from now. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/10 "2010-01-05T03:12:16Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Heā€™s already nominally a part of pop culture, with things in shows and video games (Jericho, MGS4) being loosely based on his organization. But in half a century heā€™ll be one of those legendary desperado-like figures; mysterious, ambitious, bizarre, and whether heā€™s loved or hated, he will be considered very interesting. > > I have [this](http://www.supremeco.com.hk/catalog/images/BWSSTTAN.gif) Blackwater T-shirt which I bought as soon as the company became notorious, as a collectible item mostly but I also just love the shirt and it always gets compliments. I bought the Iraqi deck of cards back in high school for the same reason. These are the weird little pop relics of this decade that will be fascinating to people decades from now. This could be an interesting quote in a time machine to be opened in 10 or so years. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vanity-fair-interview-with-erik-prince/523532/11 "2010-01-05T03:22:55Z")
When they make a movie about Blackwater, Erik Prince will be played by Anderson Cooper.