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The Swiss Guard and 'our own' Gurkhas give some sort of respectability to the description 'mercenary'. Before our sometime ally joined us (as they say, late) they had sold us, paid with borrowings, much materiel for the 'war to end war.' The debt incurred, on commercial terms, only being cleared in 2014. Lend-lease seems to have been more generous with materiel gifted with what was not destroyed (in fighting or deliberately after victory) or returned sold at a discount (Pa dropped a few brand new ML engines into the ogin, Packard I think, under the agreed terms).
So it looks as if this time the repayment is to be more 'mineral mortgage in exchange' than either. That is if they stay 'on side'. Perhaps Mr. Putin has some rare-earth deposits with which to forge a different alignment. One which, to paraphrase HLIMEOJ Hirohito, "May not necessarily be to our advantage". Benedict Arnold in reverse?
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David V
Lord Finchley tried to mend the electric light
Himself. It struck him dead and serve him right
It is the duty of the wealthy man
To give employment to the artisan
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