DeM Banter: a little ink for the USAF and issues we share with the USN. Many issues here, from a lack of strategy to a decrepit acquisitions system that must adapt and change soon, but as noted by retired Gen Wald in an earlier post...we can to it all cheaper and more efficiently, but there …
Should ‘The Generals’ Get Fired More Often? By NPR Staff
view original / npr.org DeM Banter: Reading Thomas E Ricks' book now... it sure it getting a lot of ink...any one else picked it up yet? One issue that has received little attention in this year's presidential race is the war in Afghanistan. But according to Thomas E. Ricks, we should be paying attention — specifically …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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The Long Third War By Micah Zenko
DeM Banter: yup! But...no mention of the future and 2nd/3rd order effects....or when other nations decide this is a good idea...and we try to say no. Not sure I see the policy changing, but we need to spend some time pondering a future of drone war. ForeignPolicy.com October 30, 2012 No matter who wins in …
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 …
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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... …
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America’s Capsizing Naval Policy By Mark Helprin
DeM Banter: I continue to find it interesting that the "horse and bayonet" comment resonates, but lets take the politics out of this. The numbers below are very shocking and in usual DeMarco Banter...even more shocking we don't have a strategy to match the downsizing. Well, there is the phantom pivot....We all hear the fact …
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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 …
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