8/30/2020 News & Commentary – National Security
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. READ: Congressional intel committees will no longer receive full briefings on election security
2. Submarine scare off Alaska may have been U.S. Navy, not Russian
3. ‘A hail Mary’: psychedelic therapy draws veterans to jungle retreats
4. French military officer investigated over suspected security breach
5. C.I.A. uncensors memoir of F.B.I. agent who protested torture of terrorists
6. Elon Musk unveils brain chip implant: ‘It’s like a Fitbit in your skull’
7. Remarks of Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen on malign foreign influence in U.S. elections
8. US officials: no signs of foreign targeting of mail-in vote
9. Twitter’s algorithm does not seem to silence conservatives
10. In Syria, the Pentagon got a real taste of Russian information warfare
11. Why the CyberLEAP act must pass
12. Deepfakes very convincing, effective in influencing people, Amsterdam researchers found
13. Trump’s international economic legacy
14. China’s Wang Yi tells other countries not to interfere in Chinese internal affairs
15. America can build peace better – if it includes women.
16. Joint maritime operations: Green Berets train in California
17. We ran our online election disinformation simulation game and there’s plenty to be worried about
18. For some military veterans, QAnon conspiracies offer comfort and belonging
19. Comfortably numb
1. READ: Congressional intel committees will no longer receive full briefings on election security
The Hill · by The Hill Staff · August 29, 2020
The letter is here.
I am always amused by those who say the US is a republic and not a democracy (I think we are a federal democratic republic). But, those who say we are a republic and not a democracy should be reminded that some of the core principles of a republican system of government is the separation of powers and a system of checks and balances to ensure that the power of the government does not reside in one branch of government. This action seems to me to be an affront to checks and balances.
That said, a question: will the provision of “intelligence products” versus “intelligence briefings” prevent leaks and prevent the politicization of intelligence?
I assume that while the Congress may not be able to compel “briefings,” they can in fact compel testimony from the leaders of the intelligence community.
2. Submarine scare off Alaska may have been U.S. Navy, not Russian
Forbes · by H I Sutton · August 30, 2020
I guess I am glad we did not initiate any defensive action against the submarine. But on a serious note, I imagine submarine analysis is damn hard.
3. ‘A hail Mary’: psychedelic therapy draws veterans to jungle retreats
New York Times · by Ernesto Londoño · August 30, 2020
Troubling perhaps. I think this is one indicator there are a lot of people who are not getting the mental health care they need or that the care they do receive is insufficient. I do fear some people may think psychedelic drugs are some kind of silver bullet.
4. French military officer investigated over suspected security breach
Reuters · by Maya Nikolaeva, Gwenaelle Barzic; William Maclean, & Pravin Char · August 30, 2020
My first thought as I learn of Russian recruiting efforts is that they must be doing pretty well (e.g., the recent US SF captain and now this French officer). My thought is that we hear about Russian efforts, but not much about US or western efforts against Russia. I hope that means we are doing better than the Russians and our assets are not getting compromised. I really wonder what is the score of “spy vs. spy.” Then I think about the Chinese and how our network was rolled up in China a few years back and I get really depressed.
5. C.I.A. uncensors memoir of F.B.I. agent who protested torture of terrorists
New York Times · by Charlie Savage & Carol Rosenberg · August 29, 2020
A long time coming. The comparisons are interesting. You can view the PDF with side by side page comparisons here.
As I look through the comparisons, it is hard for me to understand the logic for all the redactions. I think some areas are likely valid as they may have exposed some once classified information, but some of the redactions do not make sense to me. I think this document may be studied in graduate schools and intelligence programs for some years to come.
6. Elon Musk unveils brain chip implant: ‘It’s like a Fitbit in your skull’
ABC News · by Erin Schumaker · August 29, 2020
It is a brave new world. And the chip will connect to a store of information on servers in China (note sarcasm).
7. Remarks of Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen on malign foreign influence in U.S. elections
US Department of Justice · by Jerffrey A. Rosen · August 26, 2020
8. US officials: No signs of foreign targeting of mail-in vote
AP · by Eric Tucker & Christina A. Cassidy · August 26, 2020
9. Twitter’s algorithm does not seem to silence conservatives
Economist · by Economist · August 1, 2020
An interesting experiment. Of course, this will not convince those who believe otherwise. It is the subtitle that illustrates the real problem.
10. In Syria, the Pentagon got a real taste of Russian information warfare
National Interest · by Kris Osborn · August 29, 2020
11. Why the CyberLEAP act must pass
Venture Beat · by David Brumley · August 29, 2020
I forget that the real acronym masters are in Congress not the military. Congressional staffers are quite brilliant at coming up with names of bills that can be transformed into acronyms. This is an excellent example.
12. Deepfakes very convincing, effective in influencing people, Amsterdam researchers found
NL Times · by Janene Peters · August 24, 2020
13. Trump’s international economic legacy
Project Syndicate · by Jean Pisani-Ferry · August 27, 2020
This is an interesting critique and certainly not one I expected based on the title and the usual criticism of Trump.
14. China’s Wang Yi tells other countries not to interfere in Chinese internal affairs
Reuters · by John Irish, Maya Nikoleava, & William Maclean · August 30, 2020
Okay. Does the China and the CCP pledge not to interfere in the internal politics of other countries? I think he doth protest too much.
15. America can build peace better – if it includes women.
United States Institute of Peace · by Amanda Long & Kathleen Kuehnast · August 19, 2020
Blessed are the peacemakers.
16. Joint maritime operations: Green Berets train in California
Fort Carson Mountaineer · by Public Affairs Office · August 29, 2020
17. We ran our online election disinformation simulation game and there’s plenty to be worried about
TechDirt · by Mike Masnick · August 27, 2020
It takes a critically thinking electorate to defend against this threat.
18. For some military veterans, QAnon conspiracies offer comfort and belonging
ConnectingVets.com · by Jack Murphy · August 28, 2020
This is truly a sad situation. I hope all the veterans I know will shun QAnon and its idiotic, but apparently enticing and dangerous, messages.
19. Comfortably Numb
Claremont Review of Books · by Charles Murray · Summer 2020
An interesting book review. This is a powerful conclusion that we should reflect upon. Where is our civic virtue these days?
“”Divisions…under my command…fought on a front of seven hundred miles, in four groups, separated by great distances, with no lateral communications between them and beyond tactical support of one another…. Commanders at all levels had to act more on their own; they were given greater latitude to work out their own plans to achieve what they knew was the Army Commander’s intention. In time they developed to a marked degree a flexibility of mind and a firmness of decision that enabled them to act swiftly to take advantage of sudden information of changing circumstances without reference to their superiors…. This acting without orders, in anticipation of orders, or without waiting for approval, yet always within the overall intention, must become second nature in any form of warfare.”
– Field Marshall (British Army) William Slim, Defeat Into Victory
“The staff knew so much of war than I did that they refused to learn from me of the strange conditions in which Arab irregulars had to act; and I could not be bothered to set kindergarten for their benefit.”
– T.E. Lawrence
“Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect.”
– Marcus Aurelius
