Category Archives: Military

Ukraine: Update

Here’s the latest assessment on the situation in Ukraine, from ~finnem capital: Our latest analysis on the “counteroffensive”: Despite claims that the counteroffensive “has not begun,” in fact, after the Armed Forces of Ukraine were stalled by highly effective strikes on brigade level depots of fuel and munitions, not to mention troop concentrations behind the […]

All Hat And No Cattle

Here’s Colonel Douglas MacGregor once again, giving a blistering interview to George Galloway regarding this idiotic war and the West’s ruinous decades of prideful stupidity.

A Bodyguard Of Lies

Following on our recent posting of ~finnem’s assessment of the situation in Ukraine, here’s a podcast in which she and a colleague interview retired U.S. Army colonel Douglas MacGregor. We also have for you a three-part interview of Colonel MacGregor by the military historian and scholar Michael Vlahos, recorded back in December. MacGregor, a widely […]

Ukraine: Winners And Losers

From the abstract of an analysis of the Ukranian war recently published by ~finnem, an online acquaintance of mine: In this research letter we intend to make the case that the present effort to obscure an essentially inevitable set of events represents the most significant contrarian thesis in several generations, and that, as the bitter […]

Airstrikes In Syria

36 days in. Here we go.

Somebody’s Gotta Do It

The key weakness of liberalism — which, to be fair, has at times done much to improve society — is that it must assume as “given” the existence, and the continuing existence, of the society it hopes to improve. But liberalism, by its very nature — its pacifism, its sentimentalism, its opposition to hierarchy, its […]

Thread Of The Day

Here’s Twitter’s most interesting and unusual feed, @ThomasWictor, on Niger and Benghazi.

C6ISR

Here’s an interesting Twitter thread, from Thomas Wictor: the world’s leading authority on WWI flamethrowers, and a most unusual fellow.

The Thucydides Trap

In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes wrote the following about why humans fight: ”˜So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory. The first maketh men invade for gain; the second for safety; and the third for reputation. The first use violence, to make themselves masters […]

Can We Talk?

During last night’s debate Carly Fiorina, whose chances are roughly equal for the Republican nomination and Prva HNL Player of the Year, suggested that we ought to make her President because she’s a woman. Let’s leave aside the reaction were a male candidate to try such a thing, and try to get the gist of […]

Natura Abhorret A Vacuo

Big day in the Mideast: now that the Iranian deal is done, Russia is swiftly consolidating its control over Syria, and is demanding that we leave. As reported in the Jerusalem Post, the Russians are busily establishing a secure zone in the eastern Mediterranean. It appears that they are also mounting airstrikes, but not against […]

Nothing Is Real

Here is an excellent piece on why putting women in combat is such a bad idea. I’d post an excerpt, but you really should read the whole thing. See also this older item by Fred Reed. Throughout history, wise societies have realized that women, as the source of, and natural limit to, future generations, are […]

The Great Game, 2015

From the indefatigable JK: video of a U.S. air-to-ground attack. Here. – Erratum: I had originally referred this as a “drone team”. Thanks to commenter El Gringo for the correction.

This Ain’t The Movies

Perhaps the silliest response to the Ferguson incident is one I’ve heard at least a dozen times, both publicly and privately: “Why didn’t the officer just wound him?” The speaker is invariably an Eloi hoplophobe who wouldn’t know a Ruger from arugula. It’s fatiguing. With a hat tip to the indefatigable JK, here’s Michael Yon […]

A Slight Air Of Unreality

Today we will have the Senate’s report on the use of harsh interrogation methods by the CIA. There will be a great spasm of hand-wringing — indeed, there already has been — and no doubt the report will be further confirmation, for those who scarcely need it, of the fundamental vileness of the United States […]

Did This Happen?

Having unbosomed myself of that dyspeptic political rant yesterday, it’s time to change the subject. Here is an unsettling story about an encounter that the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), an Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer, had with a Russian SU-24 in the Black Sea last April. I have only just learned about this, and while it […]

Not Very Sporting, What?

DARPA apparently has a .50-caliber sniper round, called EXACTO, that can adjust its trajectory in-flight to stay on target. I wonder how it works.

Nightly News Notes New Nork Nuke; Nearby Nations Nervous

So, it seems that North Korea has detonated another atomic weapon. I wonder if there will be any room for this in tomorrow’s SOTU, in between calling for new “investments” and introducing all the Lenny Shotniks I’ve heard will be attending.

Worlds In Collision

Here’s the late Chris Kyle being interviewed by one Belinda Luscombe, an editor at Time. The gulf between them is obvious. It seems to me that to her he is almost incomprehensible, as if he belonged to some alien species. (Which probably isn’t very far from the truth: I expect that Mr. Kyle had very […]

Chris Kyle, 1974-2013

We’ve just heard that the renowned Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most effective sniper in American military history, has been murdered in Texas. Details are scant. Our deepest condolences to his young family.

Isn’t It Romantic?

More on why women in combat units is a really bad idea. Will somebody remind me again why this is necessary? (HT- Laura Wood.)

Heavens!

There’s a truly shocking news item making the rounds: an inspection of Air Force facilities has turned up — you’d better sit down first — inappropriate material. There were calendars with scantily clad women, R-rated movies, and even — it’s hard for me to bring myself to tell you this, readers, but in the interest […]

The Council Of One

With a hat tip to Bill Keezer, here’s a look at the Obama administration’s increasingly routine use of kill lists and drone strikes to prosecute foreign policy. I excerpt two notable quotes from this post. The first is by its author: Benghazi illustrates the problem of the President having the authority for everything and the […]

The New Navy

I’ve been hearing a lot lately about defense-spending cuts. All I can say is they’d better not cut this.

Rara Avis

A reader sends us an impressive clip of Russia’s SU-30 multi-role fighter in flight. This is what matches up against our Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning “Joint Strike Fighter”. As formidable as this thing is, the tip of the spear as far as Russian air power is concerned is the fifth-generation Sukhoi PAK-FA (T-50). The matchup […]

Wow, Pretty Super

Well, it looks as if the deficit-reduction “supercommittee” is about to fail. Political analyst Larry Sabato tweeted: Could it really be that 12 able legislators will fail utterly at the most important task they’ll ever be asked to do? Yeah, I’m sure he’s shocked, along with the rest of us. U.S. government spending is an […]

China’s Blue-Water Navy

For you strategic-security wonks, here’s a meaty item: an in-depth discussion between foreign-policy expert Robert Kaplan and STRATFOR’s George Friedman on the changing balance of sea power between the U.S. and China.

Cross-fire

In Afghanistan, enemy fighters routinely shoot at our MEDEVAC helicopters — which, as a matter of Defense Department policy, fly unarmed, in conformance with Geneva Convention guidelines. The war correspondent Michael Yon has written an open letter to the President and the DOD arguing that this policy is absurd, and must be changed. Read it […]