Oh, this is not to comply with every applicable law, but to lower the legal stakes at one level, since unlawful combatants have considerably fewer rights than unlawfully armed security contractors. We learned that in Iraq. The laws got to the point where that phrase "big boys rules" was thrown around a lot. Yes, you are probably breaking a shitload of laws when you are doing your job, but you are there to do that job, not supposed to be actively taking sides.

That just puts the responsibility of starting shit and assuming the role of aggressor on whoever steps up to claim grievance first, whether the looters have a problem with you being in the way of the loot, or the government claiming grievance over whether or not some operator in the back of your formation does not have all of his paperwork in order or is somehow prohibited from being there. The issue to establish, even if the "contract" is on a napkin, is the express consent of someone who wants you there to protect their interests. It puts some level of responsibility on them not to go switching sides on you if something becomes inconvenient.

Like I said, if it is not worth gas money, it is not worth our blood. I can and will take on a charity job for the poor little old lady or homeless guy, but we start cutting that real short if "poor little old lady" has a half million in home equity and is just stubborn about "not wanting to go into debt" or "homeless guy" is happy to accept help as long as it means not doing any work.

If people will not join us by written association of a diner napkin contract for the cost of ink and paper, then we don't join them in association to put our lives on the line tangling with police or protesters.

I sure as hell am not in a position to be Bruce Wayne about these situations and neither are any of you reading this forum.

There is precedent for these sorts of things right now with those militias in Southern Mexico, the way they are having public town meetings to affirm their position, purpose and public consent.

With the security operations model, you don't ask for or need majority consent, but you need someone's consent, and while I understand you don't hand assault rifles to 12 year old girls and call that your homestead defense force, you also don't just get a bunch of hardass death troopers just for asking and then tell them to go away once they are no longer useful or had to tangle with someone and there is going to be some fallout over it.