Author: jstfly21

DeM Banter: The administration really seems to be pushing the Eisenhower Legacy. We have read and heard this multiple times as the POTUS begins his second term. Least we forget Eisenhower was considered a "do-nothing" President or a good-natured bumbler for many years, so his wisdom and success were definitely not immediately recognized...further Ike had …

Continue reading "Pursuing Ambitious Global Goals, But With A More Modest Strategy By David E. Sanger"

DeM Banter: so many issue that must be addressed...yet I haven't heard many discussing "All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership." -John Kenneth Galbraith "The …

Continue reading "Can America Be Fixed? The New Crisis of Democracy By Fareed Zakaria"

DeM Banter: interesting thoughts, we are indeed shaped by our experiences...wonder how that will play here. Washington Post January 20, 2013 Pg. B3 Foreign policy scholar Fouad Ajami says Hagel and Kerry will lead a U.S. retrenchment The men who fought in Vietnam, a war that symbolizes America’s overreach and failures abroad, haven’t ascended to …

Continue reading "How The Vietnam War Will Shape Obama’s Second Term by Fouad Ajami"

DeM Banter: any strategy that is beyond talk would be most welcome....what does American stand for, want to be known for...and it can not just be about one man's legacy. Washington Post January 20, 2013 Pg. B3 Former State Department official Anne-Marie Slaughter reviews some new ideas to guide U.S. foreign policy First terms are …

Continue reading "Need A Grand Strategy, Mr. President? Or Three? By Anne-Marie Slaughter"

DeM Banter: Once again...history is an excellent teacher... Wall Street Journal January 19, 2013 Pg. C1 Unconventional wars are our most pressing national security concern. They're also the most ancient form of war in the world. Max Boot on the lessons of insurgency we seem unable to learn. For a student of military history, the …

Continue reading "The Guerrilla Myth by Max Boot"

DeM Banter: And so it goes...eh? And yes...we all have the memo....trying to figure out the impacts now. U-T San Diego January 17, 2013 Pg. B7 Many Americans breathed a sigh of relief when the outgoing House compromised and agreed to the Senate’s bill that averted the so-called fiscal cliff. Members of Congress demonstrated they …

Continue reading "Abdicating Our National And Economic Security By Dale A. Lumme"

DeM Banter: this going to be sporty...still wondering if there will be any "strategy" adjustments as ops normal seem unlikely to be able to continue. Appears the 1970s are repeating....Saturday Night Fever anyone? National Journal January 19, 2013 By telling defense officials not to specify sequestration cuts, the White House put them in a terrible …

Continue reading "Republicans Were Right: The Pentagon Should Have Sketched Out Budget Cuts By Sara Sorcher"

DeM Banter: as we sit around table and attempt to define "mission critical" events that we hope to fund...more warnings from The Pentagon...curiouser and curiouser.... USA Today January 17, 2013 Pg. 2 Military service chiefs outlined spending cuts, including a 30% reduction in operating costs for Army posts, as part of their plans to deal …

Continue reading "Budget Or No, Military Spending Cuts Ahead By Tom Vanden Brook"

DeM Banter: don't know how many have seen the memo....we are living in interesting times... National Defense Blog (ndia.org) January 15, 2013 Air Force leadership sent a directive to the service's major commands on Jan. 14 to enact funding cuts in advance of sequestration. The guidance directs the commands to freeze civilian hiring, cancel nonessential …

Continue reading "Air Force Makes Cuts To Help Mitigate Sequestration Threat By Valerie Insinna"