News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs
1. Worth Preserving: U.S. Military Posture in Germany
2. FDD | Plan to Reposition U.S. Forces in Europe Needs More Work
3. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga Charts Japan’s Next Course
4. Why is the United States losing the information war?
5. The World That War Has Made
6. US troop withdrawal from Germany still worries Congress and Baltic allies
7. ISIS terrorists the 'Beatles' likely to be brought to U.S. this month
8. Longer Navy Deployments, Fewer Port Calls To Manage COVID
9. Flawed Assumptions and the Need for a Radical Shift in the Next National Security Strategy
10. Top China Critic Becomes Its Defender
11. US human rights bill risks pushing Duterte closer to China
12. It’s Time for the Pentagon to Take Data Principles More Seriously
13. The great uncoupling: one supply chain for China, one for everywhere else
14. New US drone tactics in the Pacific put China on alert
15. Duterte suspected extrajudicial killings in drug crackdown
16. 'Asian NATO' faces hurdles as Pompeo meets with 'Quad' allies on countering China
17. U.S. sees threat to Western Hemisphere security in Chinese fishing push
18. The Defense Department Just Published a Summary of the National Defense Strategy’s Irregular Warfare Annex. Here’s Why It’s so Significant.
19. What Happens When China Leads the World
20. Quad is built on wobbly foundations
21. Some people are more likely to believe conspiracy theories. Here's how to know if you're one of them.
22. Fascism re-examined
23. Green Beret Leads Crisis Innovation for Team Rubicon
24. Blazing a trail: How a Black Navy SEAL boosted his success through online learning
1. Worth Preserving: U.S. Military Posture in Germany
defenseone.com · by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ben Hodges and Bradley Bowan · October 5, 2020
How do we posture our forces to provide the best possible support to the NDS and NSS given resource and political constraints? Where do we accept risk? How much risk are we willing to accept?
2. FDD | Plan to Reposition U.S. Forces in Europe Needs More Work
fdd.org · by Maj Scott D. Adamson · October 5, 2020
A bold statement from a Major sending the plan back to the Pentagon for more work! (note attempt at humor but I agree with him).
3. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga Charts Japan’s Next Course
The National Interest · by Patrick M. Cronin · October 4, 2020
And will Japan be able to contribute to that counterweight?
4. Why is the United States losing the information war?
c4isrnet.com · by Mark Pomerleau · October 5, 2020
Because we are afraid of information and influence. We are afraid to engage in political warfare.
As I have written and said many times: Nowhere is this more evident than in what some PSYOP officers lamented to me when I was last at Fort Leavenworth. It is easier to get permission to put a hellfire missile on the forehead of a terrorist than it is to get permission to put an idea between his ears. U.S. adversaries have no qualms about maximizing their ability to operate in the human and information domains. For our adversaries politics is war by other means. Our adversaries "lead with influence." We do not.
6. US troop withdrawal from Germany still worries Congress and Baltic allies
Washington Examiner · by Abraham Mahshie · October 5, 2020
You think they are worried? Wait until we shift focus to removing troops from Korea.
7. ISIS terrorists the 'Beatles' likely to be brought to U.S. this month
NBC News · by Anna SchecterAnna Schecter · October 6, 2020
8. Longer Navy Deployments, Fewer Port Calls To Manage COVID
breakingdefense.com · by Paul McLeary
I imagine there will be a long term impact on our sailors and the recruitment of future sailors as well as the maintenance of ships and weapons systems.
9. Flawed Assumptions and the Need for a Radical Shift in the Next National Security Strategy
thestrategybridge.org · by Michael N. Gonzales · October 6, 2020
Strategy is all about the assumptions (and risk and priorities and ends, ways, and means)
But this is quite a critical conclusion of the NSS: The major assumptions in the 2017 National Security Strategy lead back to one main and flawed idea: that the U.S. can buy power and that, once bought, its value is permanent. Unfortunately, this is not true. Rather, the U.S. must continuously cultivate and responsibly maintain its power. This requires revamping the National Security Strategy and adjusting to today’s threats. To do so, America must understand that militant engagement with the world does more to increase insecurity. The next National Security Strategy must provide guidance on how to maintain peace and prosperity and, if necessary, win the wars of tomorrow. A more effective National Security Strategy reflects long-term plans to maximize the efficiency of our defense dollars, invests in our allies and partners to maintain influence overseas, and confronts our adversaries on our terms, not theirs.
10. Top China Critic Becomes Its Defender
The New York Times · by Ana Swanson · October 6, 2020
An interesting analysis and perspective: "Robert E. Lighthizer, President Trump’s trade negotiator, has cautioned against actions that could anger Beijing in an attempt to preserve the U.S.-China trade deal."
11. US human rights bill risks pushing Duterte closer to China
asia.nikkei.com · October 4, 2020
For the long term we need to focus on human rights (and because it is the right thing to do. We cannot sacrifice them for short term conditions. Duterte will not be president indefinitely.
12. It’s Time for the Pentagon to Take Data Principles More Seriously
warontherocks.com · by Robert Work and Tara Murphy Dougherty · October 6, 2020
As I have heard, whoever controls the data, wins.
13. The great uncoupling: one supply chain for China, one for everywhere else
Financial Times · by Kathrin Hille · October 6, 2020
Can uncoupling or decoupling be done?
14. New US drone tactics in the Pacific put China on alert
Business Insider · by Minnie Chan
15. Duterte suspected extrajudicial killings in drug crackdown
The Washington Post · by Jim Gomez · October 6, 2020
And there are those who think we should overlook this? We have long known this. Extrajudicial killings were taking place when he was the mayor of Davao City.
16. 'Asian NATO' faces hurdles as Pompeo meets with 'Quad' allies on countering China
washingtontimes.com · by Guy Taylor
It will be very interesting to see how the Quad and Quad Plus plays out.
17. U.S. sees threat to Western Hemisphere security in Chinese fishing push
washingtontimes.com · by Mike Glenn
Revive the Monroe Doctrine (sarcasm). But China will counter with their claim of their own form of "Monroe Doctrine in Asia."
18. The Defense Department Just Published a Summary of the National Defense Strategy’s Irregular Warfare Annex. Here’s Why It’s so Significant.
mwi.usma.edu · by Kevin Bilms · October 2, 2020
I would say that this is what the classified summary of the IW Annex meant to say. This should be an appendix to the annex that would say this is what we meant when we wrote the annex. This is a very
19. What Happens When China Leads the World
The Atlantic · by Michael Schuman · October 5, 2020
It won't be pretty.
20. Quad is built on wobbly foundations
asiatimes.com · by Gregory Clark · October 5, 2020
It is difficult to develop a security architecture if there is not a common understanding of an agreement about the potential threats.
21. Some people are more likely to believe conspiracy theories. Here's how to know if you're one of them.
Mashable · by Rebecca Ruiz · October 3, 2020
Time for all of use to conduct some self-reflection.
22. Fascism re-examined
jns.org · Juliana Geran Pilon
23. Green Beret Leads Crisis Innovation for Team Rubicon
coffeeordie.com · by Jessica Manfre · October 4, 2020
Another great American who continues to serve.
24. Blazing a trail: How a Black Navy SEAL boosted his success through online learning
militarytimes.com · by Ty Smith · October 5, 2020
And another great American who leads and shows the way.
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"The only thing new in the world today is the history you don't know."
- Harry Truman
"I approve of this request [for Special Forces assignment] only because I want to support my officer's career objectives, no matter how ill-advised they may be. However, I believe that the Army leadership must stop the erosion of of its top junior officer talent in Special Forces Branch which is a t best a current fad, and in the long term, a pitiful sideshow from the mainstream Army."
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Lieutenant Colonel, Armor
Commanding
26 April 1988
"When I took a decision, or adopted an alternative, it was after studying every relevant - and many an irrelevant - factor. Geography, tribal structure, religion, social customs, language, appetites, standards - all were at my finger-ends. The enemy I knew almost like my own side. I risked myself among them a hundred times, to learn."
T.E. Lawrence
Letter to Sir basil Liddell Hart
26 June 1933