8/2/2020 News & Commentary – National Security
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse: populism, nativism, isolationism, and protectionism
2. DHS official whose office compiled ‘intelligence reports’ on journalists and protesters has been removed from his job
3. Pakistani separatist groups unite to target China’s Belt and Road
4. The captive mind and America’s resegregation
5. USDA identifies several seeds from mysterious China packets
6. Comparing protest movements
7. Are US cities seeing a surge in violent crime as Trump claims?
8. Let’s keep the NDAA focused on defense
9. Duterte says Beijing is ‘in possession’ of South China Sea
10. Army examining where to base new weapons in Indo Pacific
11. Boeing wins $265 million to build more special ops Chinook helios
12. AFRICOM begins search for new headquarters home
13. Duterte to skip AFP change of command ceremony
14. Black Lives Matter: “We will burn down this system” – Part II
15. Political junkies are killing our democracy
16. Research on voting by mail says it’s safe – from fraud and disease
1. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse: populism, nativism, isolationism, and protectionism
George W. Bush Presidential Center · July 21, 2020
A 25-minute video of Dr. Rice can be found here.
2. DHS official whose office compiled ‘intelligence reports’ on journalists and protesters has been removed from his job
Washington Post · by Shane Harris & Miroff · August 1, 2020
There is no excuse for this. A career official should know better. I have previously forwarded the Church Committee report as a reminder. Although there was no DHS back then, there is no excuse for DHS conducting this kind of intelligence collection on Americans and the press.
3. Pakistani separatist groups unite to target China’s Belt and Road
Nikkei Asian Review · by Adnan Aamir · August 1, 2020
An interesting development. It will be interesting to see how China handles this.
4. The captive mind and America’s resegregation
Wall Street Journal · by Andrew A. Michta · July 31, 2020
Is this the only choice? Or can we choose to live up to the ideals of our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
I think one major problem is that one partisan tribal faction is grouping all protesters and all people who have grievances or who support solving those grievances into the neo-Marxist narrative group. Those partisans describe the actions of the neo-Marxists as an insurgency. That may be correct, but one of the basic tenets of counter-insurgency is to separate the population from the insurgents. One of the ways of doing that would be to address the legitimate grievances, which it seems the majority of the American population seems to believe exists. But instead, there are those who will use the broad brush to paint all protesters as radicals, rather than recognizing that it is not only the right of the people to assemble to protest their grievances, but that it is an American tradition that should be respected and cherished. Unfortunately, those in power simply view it as a monolithic threat and act accordingly (and incorrectly), which only fans the flames.
5. USDA identifies several seeds from mysterious China packets
Axios · by Ursula Perano · August 1, 2020
Don’t brush this off as a “brushing scam.”
6. Comparing protest movements
Korea Times · by Donald Kirk · July 30, 2020
When I was in Korea from 86-88 I remember the smell of tear gas as being quite common.
But I wonder about Don’s description of violence in the US.
7. Are US cities seeing a surge in violent crime as Trump claims?
BBC · by Jake Horton · August 2, 2020
Some interesting data to consider.
8. Let’s keep the NDAA focused on defense
Real Clear Defense · by Dakota Wood · August 1, 2020
It would be nice, but I think Congress finds the “flexibility” of the NDAA useful to further its agenda.
9. Duterte says Beijing is ‘in possession’ of South China Sea
Nikkei Asian Review · by Cliff Venzon · July 27, 2020
This seems to me to be logic similar to those who say we need to accept North Korea as a nuclear state.
I do like the chart below that says we have 20 aircraft carriers. Must be including amphibs and counting “flat decks.”
10. Army Examining Where to Base New Weapons in Indo Pacific
National Defense · by Mandy Mayfield · July 31, 2020
Which friends, partners, and allies will allow us to base long range precision missiles? I wonder if any will if we make them pay us to host them. I am pretty sure if we negotiate to base them somewhere, the host nation will probably demand the concession that they will provide no funds to support them since they are the ones assuming risk and since we are basing them there because it serves US interests (as do all our forces in theater).
11. Boeing wins $265 million to build more special ops Chinook helos
Defense News · by Jen Judson · July 31, 2020
The MH-47: one of the best helicopters ever built.
12. AFRICOM begins search for new headquarters home
Stars & Stripes · by John Vandiver · July 31, 2020
13. Duterte to skip AFP change of command ceremony
ABS-CBN News · August 2, 2020
Not really surprised and, as the article notes, not really necessary that he be present for the change of command. Surely it is an indication of how he views the military.
14. Black Lives Matter: “We will burn down this system” – Part II
Gatestone Institute · by Soeren Kern · August 2, 2020
As I have written, there are people who view BLM and antifa as insurgent organizations. Certainly, the author of this piece does. There are four key tasks in conducting counterinsurgency:
- Deny insurgent sanctuary
- Deny Insurgent mobility
- Deny insurgent access to resources
- Separate the population from insurgents
If we believe that BLM is an insurgency, we should consider the correct application of counterinsurgency principles, the most important being separating the people from the insurgents (and, specifically, the radical leadership). Instead, this author and others (despite weak denials) are lumping all protesters together and want to counter them by such cries as “rule of law” (when they really mean rule by law to maintain their own power). The most important action our government could take right now is to acknowledge the grievances, commit to solving them, and, thus, in taking steps to undermine the radical ideology outlined below, separate the population from the radical leadership. Unfortunately, our current actions are driving some of the population toward the radical ideology.
That said, protesters who are protesting legitimate grievances (of which there are a number of them) also have a responsibility to disavow the ideas below if they are Americans who value individual liberty, freedom, liberal democracy, free market economy, rule of law, and human rights. They have a responsibility to separate themselves from the subversive ideology below, and they should be advised to do so. To have any effect, the advice should be respectfully provided while acknowledging that their grievances are respected and understood.
The bottom line is that, based on reports of polls, it seems the vast majority of Americans support solving the grievances of the BLM movement. The vast majority of those Americans do not support the radical ideology below and, if we make it seem as if they do, if we do not respect their right to protest, and – most importantly – if we do not address those legitimate grievances because of our fear of the radical ideology below, then we are in for real difficult times ahead.
15. Political junkies are killing our democracy
The Bulwark · by Claire Potter · August 2, 2020
Reflect before react. Good advice.
16. Research on voting by mail says it’s safe – from fraud and disease
The Conversation · by Edie Goldenberg · July 16, 2020
“Guerrilla Strategy is the only strategy possible for an oppressed people.”
-Kao Kang (quoted in Mao’s On Guerrilla Warfare)
“Guerrilla war is a kind of war waged by the few but dependent on the support of the many.”
-B.H. Liddel Hart
“If historical experience teaches us anything about revolutionary guerrilla war, it is that military measures alone will not suffice.”
-Brig Gen S.B. Griffith in the Introduction to Mao’s On Guerrilla Warfare, 1961