The New, New, New, New, New, New, New Strategy For The Middle East By Thanassis Cambanis

DeM Banter: Not sure I would agree there is a conscience effort to uphold the "Carter Doctrine," but... interesting nonetheless.. Boston Globe October 14, 2012 Pg. K1 The next president has an unprecedented chance to overhaul a creaky, 30-year-old vision of America's role in the region. Cops say they figure out a suspect's intentions by …

Pentagon’s Plan X and three other cyber worries

DeM Banter: TONS OF CYBER today and throughout the week...usually (but not always) means its time to pay attention...somebody is worried...as always...thinking what this looks like in 2022....combine that with an increasing dependence on drones....things that make you go...hhhhuuummmm... Interesting that the first author mentions cadets so often... There are three stories here from today's papers …

Not All That It Can Be: The myth of American military superiority By Winslow Wheeler

DeM Banter: wow, lots of stuff here...agree and disagree all at the same time...so I'm going with the F. Scott Fitzgerald quote "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." ( I use "function" loosely) …

America Just Can’t Help It By Tom Engelhardt

DeM Banter: when all you have is a hammer...everything looks like a nail...perhaps we are still using Industrial Revolution type tools to fight in an Information Age...something to ponder...Greater Things... Los Angeles Times October 9, 2012 Pg. 11 A great power without a significant enemy? That's what the U.S. has become. Osama bin Laden is …

To Save Lives, Learn The Afghan Culture By Javid Ahmad

DeM Banter: not sure I buy the entire argument below...but I do know Cultural Understanding is of an extreme importance...something we pondered years ago while at Hoover/Stanford. But what is interesting here is how the enemy evolves...and that is key...where we see innovation is needed to counter innovation....but our innovation is hindered by an Industrial …

Former General McChrystal Speaks About Complex World By Torsten Ove

DeM Banter: need to find the transcripts as the article seems a bit shallow, but could not agree more with the General ... "It's the tsunami coming." Drones are an issue and our education system is well beyond "in crisis." More than anything we need Strategy, Vision, and Leadership...still...wondering where the lions are.....thoughts? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette …