Colin Powell on why he doesn’t regret a thing by Nigel Farndale

telegraph.co.uk / view original / Nigel Farndale DeM Banter:  an American Hero... Reagan and Bush trusted him. Bill Clinton feared him. Opponents of the war in Iraq blamed him. But why didn’t Colin Powell seize power when he had the chance? Having read that General Colin Powell insists on punctuality, I arrive an hour before my appointment at …

Unmanned aerial vehicles Death From Afar: The Economist

DeM Banter: more discussion and debate...wonder when this will all come to a head? And what event will cause it? The Economist November 3, 2012 America uses drones a lot, in secret and largely unencumbered by declared rules. Worries about that abound, not least in the administration Drones are hardly synonymous with harmony. But in …

Think Tank Recommends Ways To Rein In Military Pay, Benefits By Kellie Lunney

DeM Banter: something has got to give...no? If Mil Pay is to be adjusted, does this make sense? GovExec.com November 1, 2012 The government must reform military pay and benefits to help the Defense Department rein in spending, according to a new report from a left-leaning think tank. The Center for American Progress praised Pentagon …

Open Seas: The Arctic is the Mediterranean of the 21st century. By James Holmes

DeM Banter: is this anything? I tend to think so. It's not hard to envision the US being wrapped around the axle with climate change while other nation exploit opportunity. In the past, U.S. leaders who felt the tug of the sea -- notably Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Alfred Thayer Mahan -- glimpsed …

The American Boy by Theodore Roosevelt (and the Art of Manliness)

DeM Banter: The Art of Manliness, a stellar blog that has grown into books, a storefront and beyond. I started reading the blog years ago....and introduced Luke to it. As the years go on, Luke asked me if I had continued to read....and I had to admit it slipped from my "crosscheck." Well, it's back... …

We Know What War Looks Like Here. But What Does It Look Like Here? By Ellen Nakashima

DeM Banter: a tough one to be sure, especially after the US admitted to Stuxnet. This is akin to drones...can we get upset when we are doing the same? Nakashima asks when the attack becomes an act of war? We set another precedent when our embassy was attacked 11Sep 2012, US sovereign territory and the …