“The subordination of the political point of view to the military would be contrary to common sense, for policy has declared the war; it is the intelligent faculty, war only the instrument, and not the reverse.”
-Carl v Clausewitz
Marshall said of World War II "I doubt there was any one thing, except the shortage of LSTs, that came to our minds more frequently than the political factors."
General George C. Marshall, future Secretary of State.
Every conflict where we translated military success into long-term success was because we had warrior-diplomats who brought together all elements of national power to do so.
A staggering statement from former Washington Post editor Marty Baron: "This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations."
On July 22, 1950 a little known FSO on the State Department policy planning staff named George Butler wrote a 24 point memo almost describing verbatim every inflection point in the Korean War in the coming months. So why did his insights have so little influence over policy? My first piece of 2026⬇️
You want a military tradition worth venerating? We took immigrants who grew up in rough neighborhoods and the culture of football and ran through the SS like shit through a goose.
Bunch of Canadian plough jockeys and lobster fishermen in uniform in Normandy weren’t that impressed with those Nazi fucks either. Mostly the SS were good at shooting POWs and being blown apart by 25 pdrs.
My Second Breakfast co-host and SF vet Justin McIntosh and I teamed up this week to write an article on effective military training vs performative lethality:
“You can’t be lethal if you’re dead from stupid.”
open.substack.com/pub/breaking...
Polish and Dutch fighters, directed by Italian early warning aircraft, German air defenses on alert. Dutch PM: “I’m glad that Dutch F35 fighter jets were able to provide support. The Netherlands stands shoulder to shoulder with our NATO ally Poland.” Common defense working as designed.
The “unpaid special deputy” that murdered him also shot and critically wounded Daniel’s fellow civil rights worker Catholic priest Richard Morrisroe.
He would be murdered a few days later on 20 Aug 1965. It happened when he took a shotgun blast meant for a 17 year old black girl. However, it is on the day of his arrest for marching for civil rights in Alabama, 14 Aug, that Jonathan Daniels is recognised by the US Episcopalian church as a martyr.
I've mentioned this before but commanders in ukraine will tell you they want more 155 and tubes if given the choice between that and more drones
drones of many types clearly are useful on the battlefield but as a complement to heavy metal, not a replacement for it
NEW: How a little-known Japanese American battalion freed Jews from a Nazi death march 80 years ago.
Some of the soldiers had been in relocation camps in the U.S. In Europe, they helped liberate prisoners on a Dachau death march.
Their example resonates today.
wapo.st/44x0Ig6
I'll just take this moment to point out that the US Institute of Peace, just a few weeks ago, contained one of the finest concentrations of US expertise on India and Pakistan, and crisis management in South Asia.
It occurs to me that the Pope has almost certainly been to Wawa. Weird.*
*If you don’t know Philly, please just ignore.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
---that Jesus guy everyone is going to celebrate tomorrow.
Meme showing the Confederate flag ("show me the real confederate flag", a white flag ("I said the real Confederate flag"), and ashes (Sherman saying "perfection").
Happy Appomattox Day to all who celebrate and I expect each and every one of you to celebrate.
Russia is destroying Ukraine’s present while denying the country its future.
Only justice will give every Ukrainian family the peace of mind they need to rebuild their lives.
Extract from my speech at #EPlenary ↓
Don’t forget that NATO Defense College is hiring a researcher / curriculum planner - deadline 14 April.
www.ndc.nato.int/download/for...
Georgetown has put together resources for federal workers who may be facing a transition in jobs. These include various seminars and workshops, as well as tuition scholarships providing a discount on many master's programs and certificates. Please spread the word to anybody who might benefit.
It arrived into my Kindle. Looking forward to the read.
Please add me.
