THE FAILED GRAND STRATEGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST By Walter Russell Mead

DeM Banter:  However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. -Sir Winston Churchill Wall Street Journal August 24, 2013 Pg. C1 The Saturday Essay In the beginning, the Hebrew Bible tells us, the universe was all "tohu wabohu," chaos and tumult. This month the Middle East seems to be reverting to that …

Mideast Issues/Global Crisis? 18 Aug 2013: Multipul Sources and DeMarco Banter

DeM Banter:  Ponder a map of the Middle East today... and where there is trouble.  Off the top of my bald head... we know there is an Egyptian "situation," there is Syria (not getting much press over the past couple days), there is Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan (albeit not true mid east), Pakistan, Yemen, Libya (forgotten), …

Former Air Force Chief ‘Embarrassed’ By Study Panel By Leigh Munsil

DeM Banter: So many issues here...Gen Fogleman is an amazing leader, big brain, and innovator...but is this the right place for a debate? As always there is much behind the scenes I am sure... so perhaps this is the right time and place. Second...we lean so heavily on the ANG and Reserves now...can we lean …

What Makes Silicon Valley Unique? by Greg Satell

DeM Banter:  Interesting piece and something I think the military really needs to ponder.  It also harkens back to something I have been pondering for a long time. Microclimates.... and Disruptive Thinking.... innovationexcellence.com / Greg Satell / view original In a recent interview, tech guru Marc Andreessen noted that, although Beijing has great potential to be the next Silicon Valley, it …

How and Why to Be a Leader (Not a Wannabe) by Umair Haque

DeM Banter: WOW!  Powerful stuff here...Don't know how to say it any better...well, I have an issue with Umair's piece on vision below...but that's  pretty small.  It is all about love... could not agree more.  I penned a piece on love and leadership and never published...I guess it is time to dust that off.  Thoughts? …

Has The Pentagon’s Strategy Shop Gone MIA? By Gordon Lubold

DeM Banter: wait....there's supposed to be a strategy? Who's responsibility is the National Security Strategy from which all other strategies are branched from? See the gear chart... ForeignPolicy.com July 1, 2013 At the cash-strapped Defense Department, the bean counters now have the upper hand. When then U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates began a series of …