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Working out the other day, AC/DC's ear-splitting track "Razor's Edge" blasted through my headphones. With its driving riffs and aggressive lyrics like "There's fighting on the left, and marching on the right...Here comes the razor's edge," the song conjured vivid imagery of treading a perilous, knife-edge path. As the music pounded, my mind wandered – …
The seven military classics of ancient China are a group of influential military treatises were written during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). These texts were considered essential reading for military leaders and strategists in ancient China, and they continue to be studied and analyzed for their insights …
A few years ago, a pivotal meeting unfolded that would chart the course for the Air University Innovation Accelerator (AUiX). It was a gathering that brought together the keen minds of Lt Col TJ Ablay, Cadet (now 2nd Lieutenant) Abigail "AP" Carter, and myself, each of us had a shared vision to redefine the landscape …
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." The quote is commonly attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule, known for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance. However, there's no recorded evidence that Gandhi actually said or wrote these exact words. …
Continue reading "The Prophet, Airpower, Innovators, and The Future of War: DeMarco Banter"
In a recent discussion on innovation, wargaming, and AI, "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler (1928-2016) was brought up. I remember being quite taken with it when I first read it, and now, fifty years after its publication, I'm intrigued to see how it holds up. It appears Toffler was quite forward-thinking in his assessments. Alvin …
Continue reading "Future Shock: Almost 55 Years Later—DeMarco Banter "
General George C. Kenney had a distinguished military career marked by significant contributions during World War II and beyond. Born on August 6, 1889, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Kenney grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and showed an early interest in engineering, which led him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His career took a …
Continue reading "Gen George Kenney: Combat Innovation and Air University Commander"
My initial encounter with Jeffrey Pfeffer's writings occurred a few years back when I delved into his book "Leadership BS." Admittedly, I wasn't greatly impressed by the book initially and hoped it would provoke a critical dialogue among our students, which, regrettably, it didn't – a topic that perhaps merits its own discussion. Despite my …
Continue reading "Pfeffer’s Power: DeMarco Banter and an Attempt to Understand Power"
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