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06/09/2020 News & Commentary – National Security

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06.09.2020 at 03:40pm

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin.

1. America is giving up on the Pandemic

2. WHO says pandemic ‘far from over’ as daily cases hit record high

3. Coronavirus spread by people with no symptoms ‘appears to be rare,’ WHO official says

4. How the Pentagon could cut forces in Germany, and which bases might be affected

5. Trump’s troop cut in Germany blindsided senior U.S. officials

6. Observers skeptical over reports on planned US troop withdrawal from Germany

7. Exclusive: U.S. Navy test shows 60 percent of carrier crew have coronavirus antibodies

8. Radio Beijing (Tiananmen Protests): June 4, 1989

9. Novel coronavirus may have been spreading in China in August, Harvard research indicates

10. Hal Brands – China, US, India and the Landscape of the 21st Century

11. Gordon Chang: America must ‘un-teach’ years of ‘bad lessons’ to China

12. The Covert Art of China’s Military Activity in the East China Sea

13. China reins in nationalists clamoring for an invasion of Taiwan

14. The rise of strategic corruption – How states weaponize graft

15. Senate panel says U.S. telecoms failed for decades to prevent Chinese spying

16. Army adjusts ‘leader first’ policy, plans to integrate women into last 9 brigade combat teams this year

17. Four areas SOCOM’s chief information officer wants to modernize

18. Special Operations Command wants to upgrade its data analytics platform

19. The Principles of Resignation: A Primer

20. Netflix snags Space Force trademarks ahead of US military

1. America is giving up on the Pandemic

defenseone.com · by The Atlantic · June 8, 2020

It ain’t over ’til it’s over. We become complacent about or ignore this risk at our peril. As of this morning the US has 1,961,185 cases and suffered 111.007 deaths. (world wide 7,136,366 cases and 406,813 deaths).

2. WHO says pandemic ‘far from over’ as daily cases hit record high

Reuters · by Stephanie Nebehay, Emma Farge · June 9, 2020

Just saying.

3. Coronavirus spread by people with no symptoms ‘appears to be rare,’ WHO official says

CNN · by Jacqueline Howard · June 9, 2020

But I think those who are pre-symptomatic (who do not have symptoms but do develop the infection) are contagious versus those who are asymptomatic and then never develop the infection. But we cannot know whether someone is asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic unless the person is tested and then we can only know the status of that person’s infection or no-infection at the time of the test. I believe this is why we need to continue measures to limit the transmission of the virus.

4. How the Pentagon could cut forces in Germany, and which bases might be affected

Stars and Stripes · by John Vandiver · June 8, 2020

This will be a complex challenge. Has anyone asked Congress for the funds to do this?

5. Trump’s troop cut in Germany blindsided senior U.S. officials

Reuters · by Jonathan Landay, Andrea Shalal, Arshad Mohammed · June 9, 2020

Did we have contingency plans for this? Surely we must by now have known that this was likely to come based on the President’s words over the past 3 1/2 years. Maybe we did not know the specific number but surely we have planned for this. The next question is have we planned for near simultaneous withdrawals from both Germany and Korea? What if POTUS directs withdrawal from both theaters by the end of the year? Can he get Congress to fund the withdrawals?

6. Observers skeptical over reports on planned US troop withdrawal from Germany

DW · by Deutsche Welle · June 8, 2020

I am sure anyone trying to slow roll this action will be dealt with severely. And these kinds of reports will only harden POTUS’ resolve to get it done. Any chance of getting him to reverse this decision becomes unlikely with reports like these.

I imagine the bureaucracy might try to wait him out and see how the November elections turn out. And the issue will be this might be so logistically challenging that it might not be able to be accomplished by the end of the year so it will give the appearance that there are people who are trying to slow-roll, stymie, or reverse this action.

But the question is what forces (number and types) does the EUCOM commander need to accomplish his missions across the spectrum of contingencies and potential conflict?

7. Exclusive: U.S. Navy test shows 60 percent of carrier crew have coronavirus antibodies

Reuters · by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart · June 8, 2020

I will leave this to the medical professionals and scientists to evaluate but this seems like an incredible number. I suppose this is due to the close confines in which the crew lives and work. I wonder if this can be exploited somehow to develop solutions to the coronavirus problem.

8. Radio Beijing (Tiananmen Protests): June 4, 1989

shortwavearchive.com · by Tom Gavaras · May 17, 2020

You can listen to the English language broadcast at the link. The transcript is below.

9. Novel coronavirus may have been spreading in China in August, Harvard research indicates

Reuters · June 9, 2020

Of course, China is dismissive. Or perhaps lie, defy, and deny. Or admit nothing, deny everything, and make counter-accusations.

10. Hal Brands – China, US, India and the Landscape of the 21st Century

english.aawsat.com · by Hal Brands · June 9, 2020

A useful summary of the situation and conditions surrounding the US, India, and PRC relationship. Dr Brands offers some useful practical advice for American policy makers.

11. Gordon Chang: America must ‘un-teach’ years of ‘bad lessons’ to China

foxnews.com · by Julia Musto · May 28, 2020

The bottom line from Gordon.

12. The Covert Art of China’s Military Activity in the East China Sea

The National Interest · by Michael Auslin · June 8, 2020

This is the key point from Michael Auslin. He provides a historical, theoretical, and geopolitical survey of China’s actions.

13. China reins in nationalists clamoring for an invasion of Taiwan

Los Angeles Times · by David Pierson · June 9, 2020

Militant Nationalists? Aren’t those the ones in the Chinese Communist Party? 

14. The rise of strategic corruption – How states weaponize graft

Foreign Affairs · by Philip Zelikow, Eric Edelman, Kristofer Harrison, and Celeste Ward Gventer · June 9, 2020

The authors argue the weaponization of graft by states into an instrument of national power is a new phenomenon which has caused a shift in international politics. Now the fight against corruption can no longer be marginalized.  hey introduce some new terms (new to me anyway): “Strategic corruption” and “grand corruption” and I think. we have already known about “bureaucratic corruption.” In the end they argue the corruption scandal in Ukraine should reset the policy agenda and they call it a warning concluding that states are “vulnerable to a new form of political warfare, a strategy that takes advantage of freedoms in order to discredit them.”

15. Senate panel says U.S. telecoms failed for decades to prevent Chinese spying

The Washington Post · by Joseph Marks

16. Army adjusts ‘leader first’ policy, plans to integrate women into last 9 brigade combat teams this year

armytimes.com · by Kyle Rempfer · June 8, 2020

In a year or so this will be old news and the new normal.

17. Four areas SOCOM’s chief information officer wants to modernize

c4isrnet.com · by Andrew Eversden · June 8, 2020

The four areas:

A new software development platform

Improving data efficiency

Overcoming the talent shortage

COVID-19 changes

18. Special Operations Command wants to upgrade its data analytics platform

c4isrnet.com · by Andrew Eversden · June 9, 2020

19. The Principles of Resignation: A Primer

ausa.org · by Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik · June 6, 2020

Given the state of civil-military relations I think it is useful to read this “primer” from LTG Jim Dubik who is arguably one of the leader thinkers on ethics in the military.

20. Netflix snags Space Force trademarks ahead of US military

cnet.com · by Shelby Brown · June 8, 2020

I wonder if this issue will be parodied in a future episode of Space Force on Netflix. How would the writers do that? :-). The show irreverently parodies current events. I am sure it will figure out how to parody this. 

What I want to know is if they get the rights to the name in the US and the show is a failure and is not renewed what will happen to the trademark? Although I find the show hilarious my daughter tells me it is not at all popular among Generation Z.

 

———–

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” 

– Evelyn Beatrice Hall in The Friends of Voltaire (1906)

“A fact is a simple statement that everyone believes. It’s innocent, unless found guilty. A Hypothesis is a novel suggestion that no one wants to believe. It’s guilty, until found effective.” 

– Edward Teller

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.”

– William Faulkner

 

 

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