News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin
1. Russia registers virus vaccine, Putin’s daughter given it
2. Global coronavirus cases top 20 million, doubling in 45 days
3. A 'cold war' would be 'dreadful'
4. Hal Brands - If America and China Go to War, It Won’t Be an Accident
5. U.S. Contractor Knew of Explosive Material in Beirut Since at Least 2016
6. Opinion | Austin Tice represents the best of America. President Trump must work to bring him home
7. First to Adapt: Why the Joint Force Should Be Closely Watching the Sweeping Overhaul of the Marine Corps
8. Spacepower Is ‘Catastrophically Decisive’ In War: New Space Force Doctrine
9. Opinion | Why Is China Coming After Americans Like Me in the U.S.?
10. Fighting Russia’s Disinformation Pandemic
11. Service Chiefs to SecDef: Stop the Handover of Military Hospitals to Defense Health Agency
12. US Cyber Command is using unclassified networks to fight election interference
13. COVID-19 casts SEAL training in Washington state adrift
14. FDD | China's Plan to Buy Iran Won't Go So Smoothly
15. FDD | Modernize the National Guard’s State Partnership Program
16. FDD | An ISIS Jailbreak in Afghanistan
17. Trump Considers Banning Re-entry by Citizens Who May Have Coronavirus
18. Pentagon offers military airwaves for 5G wireless networks
19. U.S. Health Chief Praises Taiwan’s Covid-19 Success, Irks Beijing in Rare Visit
20. An Answer to Aggression - How to Push Back Against Beijing
1. Russia registers virus vaccine, Putin’s daughter given it
AP · by VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV · August 11, 2020
So only to one daughter? What about the other one? Is he conducting his own family test?
2. Global coronavirus cases top 20 million, doubling in 45 days
AP · by NICOLE WINFIELD, ELAINE KURTENBACH and MARK STEVENSON · August 11, 2020
But there are still those who think the pandemic is a hoax or a conspiracy theory.
3. A 'cold war' would be 'dreadful'
chinadaily.com.cn · by 代艳
Just "dreadful.' You have to love Chinese propaganda. It sounds like one of my late grandmothers' "Oh dear, a cold war with China would be just so dreadful."
4. Hal Brands - If America and China Go to War, It Won’t Be an Accident
A very interesting thesis and interesting historical analysis and comparison. But it begs the question if not accidental war, then which side actually wants war?
While China may want to present these threats and dilemmas to the US because it knows our military industrial complex wants to develop the weapons and capabilities to fight these threats it would rather conduct political and economic warfare to undermine US credibility and legitimacy in order to further its strategic objectives. It would like the US to focus on preparing for the wrong war. Rather than the war the US military industrial complex wants to prepare for and resource, I believe China seeks to export its authoritarian political system (or perhaps just its authoritarian techniques and not communism per se) around the world in order to dominate regions, co-opt or coerce international organizations, create economic conditions favorable to China alone, and displace democratic institutions. It will do so by weakening the US and its allies through subversive activities rather than direct military confrontation.
5. U.S. Contractor Knew of Explosive Material in Beirut Since at Least 2016
The New York Times · by Maria Abi-Habib and Ben Hubbard · August 10, 2020
6. Opinion | Austin Tice represents the best of America. President Trump must work to bring him home
The Washington Post · by Fred Ryan · August 11, 2020
It is so tragic we have not been able to bring him home.
7. First to Adapt: Why the Joint Force Should Be Closely Watching the Sweeping Overhaul of the Marine Corps
mwi.usma.edu · by Brian Raike · August 11, 2020
I think the MAGTF concept will be enduring (or should be). But I wonder if the Marines like it being described as a Miniature Joint Force. Maybe a future MAGTF will adopt "mini-me" as its motto.
8. Spacepower Is ‘Catastrophically Decisive’ In War: New Space Force Doctrine
breakingdefense.com · by Theresa Hitchens
Interesting phrase - "catastrophically decisive." Those two words seem incongruent and seem like they do not belong together.
Kind of like George Carlin's monologue about words that should not go together - "JUMBO shrimp". "hand me that piano" or "please saw my legs off" and of course his all time favorite: "Do what you want to the girl but leave me alone."
But on a serious note, yes space is decisive "terrain." (okay that is another attempted quip).
9. Opinion | Why Is China Coming After Americans Like Me in the U.S.?
The New York Times · by Samuel Chu · August 10, 2020
10. Fighting Russia’s Disinformation Pandemic
realclearworld.com · by Veronika Velch
It is amazing to me how many on social media are influenced by this and adding reinforcing and supporting information fires. These seem to be people who have a distinctly anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-vaccine, anti-mask, anti-government bent who are particularly susceptible to Russian disinformation because the Russians seem to feed them exactly what they want to hear to confirm their already existing biases.
11. Service Chiefs to SecDef: Stop the Handover of Military Hospitals to Defense Health Agency
military.com · by Patricia Kime · August 10, 2020
Stop the madness? Perhaps one good thing will come out of the coronavirus?
12. US Cyber Command is using unclassified networks to fight election interference
c4isrnet.com · by Mark Pomerleau · August 10, 2020
We must protect the integrity of our election process. Can we all agree on that?
13. COVID-19 casts SEAL training in Washington state adrift
navytimes.com · by Geoff Ziezulewicz · August 10, 2020
Another “casualty” of the coronavirus.
14. FDD | China's Plan to Buy Iran Won't Go So Smoothly
fdd.org · by Alireza Nader Senior Fellow · August 7, 2020
15. FDD | Modernize the National Guard’s State Partnership Program
fdd.org · by Bradley Bowman and Thomas G. Pledger · August 10, 2020
16. FDD | An ISIS Jailbreak in Afghanistan
fdd.org · by Thomas Joscelyn Senior Fellow and Senior Editor of FDD's Long War Journal · August 7, 2020
17. Trump Considers Banning Re-entry by Citizens Who May Have Coronavirus
The New York Times · by Michael D. Shear · August 10, 2020
What happens when that American citizen is denied entry and then returned to wherever he or she came from? What if that country will not expect them back or what if that country wants to deport them to the US? What about US military personnel who have been stationed overseas? I have heard half of he Afghan population has COVID. How many US service members have been infected? If an immigration official reasonably believes someone has been exposed shouldn't that person be referred for immediate medical treatment? To put that person back on an airplane (which will likely have many Americans on it traveling overseas) would seem the height of irresponsibility as he or she would just keep infecting others.
18. Pentagon offers military airwaves for 5G wireless networks
AP · by MATT O'BRIEN and DEB RIECHMANN · August 10, 2020
I guess this must be a good idea?? I would like to hear from the technical communications experts.
19. U.S. Health Chief Praises Taiwan’s Covid-19 Success, Irks Beijing in Rare Visit
WSJ · by Chun Han Wong
It makes sense for the Secretary to travel to Taiwan. We can learn a lot from Taiwan about how to handle the coronavirus.
20. An Answer to Aggression - How to Push Back Against Beijing
Foreign Affairs · by Aaron L. Friedberg · August 11, 2020
We must execute a superior form of political warfare.
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