DeM Banter: GO VDH! History can enlighten, but.... “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.” ― Aldous Huxley View original War seems to come out of nowhere, like rust that suddenly pops up on iron after a …
A Spreading Al-Qaeda Cancer By David Ignatius
DeM Banter: interesting...and all part of the toothpaste theory...squeeze the tube and it will go somewhere and...it will change form. Washington Post January 31, 2013 Pg. 17 The Obama administration is working with its allies to frame a strategy to combat what might be called "al-Qaeda 2.0" - an evolving, morphing terrorist threat that lacks …
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4 Signs You Will Fail as a Leader by Les McKeown
View Original / inc.com / Les McKeown DeM Banter: never like to focus exclusively on failure, but it is important to ponder. Mr McKeown brings up some great points. Outwardly, you appear effective, dependable, on top of things. But look closer. Are you in danger of destructive behaviors? Here's a statement of the blindingly obvious: …
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U.S. Military Role In Mali Probably Won’t Be Far Off France alone can’t defeat Islamists By DeWayne Wickham
DeM Banter: military cutbacks and a pivot east? Anyone care to start a pool on the date of engagement? USA Today January 29, 2013 Pg. 8 The Obama administration's decision to give non-combat, air support to French forces trying to beat back Islamic militants who are threatening to overrun Mali, so far, hasn't caused much …
Lessons From A Five-Star President By Evan Thomas
DeM Banter: more Ike talk... If I recall, the first term was Lincoln...no? Team of Rivals? Now it's Eisenhower? What about a vision, a strategy, this is really leadership 101, does this seem odd to anyone but me? I don't want to get too political here, but Eisenhower entered office with a vision...a mission, and …
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Diplomacy Is Dead By Roger Cohen
DeM Banter: so many issues here and it is not simply the GOP and Congress...decline of Empire? NYTimes.com January 22, 2013 London -- DIPLOMACY is dead. Effective diplomacy -- the kind that produced Nixon's breakthrough with China, an end to the Cold War on American terms, or the Dayton peace accord in Bosnia -- requires …
Reviving Eisenhower’s Doctrine By David Ignatius
DeM Banter: extremely interesting...Washington's recent fascination with Ike. The Eisenhower doctrine was part of a much larger strategy...The New Look. Under the Eisenhower Doctrine, a country could request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by armed aggression from another state. Eisenhower singled out the Soviet threat in …
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North Korea Issues Blunt New Threat To United States By David E. Sanger and Choe Sang-hun
DeM Banter: and then there's D.P.R.K. ....hummmmm New York Times January 25, 2013 Pg. 8 WASHINGTON — A blunt and explicit threat on Thursday from North Korea that its weapons programs would "target" the United States, and that it would proceed with a third and "higher-level" nuclear test, poses a stark challenge to the Obama …
Work With China, Don’t Contain It By Joseph S. Nye Jr
DeM Banter: are there other options? New York Times January 26, 2013 Pg. 19 CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--CITING an escalating dispute over islands in the East China Sea, The Economist warned last week that “China and Japan are sliding toward war.” That assessment may be too alarmist, but the tensions have bolstered the efforts of some American …
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U.N. Panel To Investigate Rise In Drone Strikes By John F. Burns
DeM Banter: let the games begin... New York Times January 25, 2013 Pg. 4 LONDON — A prominent British human rights lawyer said on Thursday that a United Nations panel he leads would investigate what he called the "exponential rise" in drone strikes used in counterterrorist operations, "with a view to determining whether there is …
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