Small Wars Journal

11/16/2020 News & Commentary - National Security

Mon, 11/16/2020 - 12:03pm

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.

1. Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine Is 94.5% effective, early results show

2. China's new wolf warrior diplomacy is a Maoist resurrection

3. Hopes and doubts in Beijing

4. How Biden and Xi can keep the new cold war from turning hot

5. More than 100K federal employees have had COVID-19

6. Coronavirus cases are spiking at federal agencies

7. Scoop: Trump plans last-minute China crackdown

8. The new world order that President Biden will inherit

9. Hollyanne Milley, wife of Joint Chiefs chairman, saves veteran's life at Arlington

10. SEALs, green berets join large defense drill in Sweden

11. Who is Michelle Flournoy? Meet Biden’s likely pick to head the Pentagon

12. America’s forgotten marine highway network that could green global freight transport

13. In the mercenaries’ own words: documents detail TigerSwan infiltration of Standing Rock

14. Woman who compiled SAS 'war crimes' report breaks her silence

15. Father and son, both active-duty officers, graduate Ranger School exactly 35 years apart

16. Special Operations Warrior Foundation leaves no child of America’s fallen special operators behind

 

1. Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine Is 94.5% effective, early results show

Wall Street Journal · Peter Loftus · November 16, 2020

We should be very hopeful. But now the challenge begins. We have got to get this out to the world to break the hold the virus has on all of us. But we cannot become complacent, because the rate of positive cases and hospitalizations is rising so fast.

 

2. China's new wolf warrior diplomacy is a Maoist resurrection

Sydney Morning Herald · Anne-Marie Brady · November 16, 2020

 

3. Hopes and doubts in Beijing

Foreign Affairs · Cheng Li · November 13, 2020

I just hope no one produces a "reset button."

 

4. How Biden and Xi can keep the new cold war from turning hot

Bloomberg · Niall Ferguson · November 15, 2020

We need to successfully compete across the spectrum while not allowing the cold war to turn hot. We have to be able to conduct a superior form of political warfare.

 

5. More than 100K federal employees have had COVID-19

News Max · Eric Mack · November 15, 2020

 

6. Coronavirus cases are spiking at federal agencies

Defense One · Eric Katz · November 15, 2020

More details on key agencies.

 

7. Scoop: Trump plans last-minute China crackdown

Axios · Jonathan Swan & Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian · November 15, 2020

This is one area (among many) that should require transition coordination.

 

8. The new world order that President Biden will inherit

New York Times · Editorial Board · November 15, 2020

Some of the scariest words: “New World Order." Recall when President George H.W. Bush used them after the fall of the USSR, how they were blown out of proportion by extremists who think they meant a global government structure.

 

9. Hollyanne Milley, wife of Joint Chiefs chairman, saves veteran's life at Arlington

Military.com · Richard Sisk · November 13, 2020

Hooah. Kudos to Mrs. Milley.

 

10. SEALs, green berets join large defense drill in Sweden

Military.com · John Vandiver · November 15, 2020

Implementing the Resistance Operating Concept. Good work. Here is a summary of the concept. 

 

11. Who is Michelle Flournoy? Meet Biden’s likely pick to head the Pentagon

Fortune · Lolita C. Baldor, Robert Burns, & the AP · November 15, 2020

 

12. America’s forgotten marine highway network that could green global freight transport

Forbes · Nishan Degnarain · November 15, 2020

 

13. In the mercenaries’ own words: documents detail TigerSwan infiltration of Standing Rock

Intercept · Alleen Brown · November 15, 2020

Very interesting story.

 

14. Woman who compiled SAS 'war crimes' report breaks her silence

Daily Mail · Alana Mazzoni · November 15, 2020

Tragic story from Australia.

 

15. Father and son, both active-duty officers, graduate Ranger School exactly 35 years apart

Army Times · Harm Venhuizen · November 15, 2020

The family business. How many parent-children military personnel do we have?

 

16. Special Operations Warrior Foundation leaves no child of America’s fallen special operators behind

Coffee or Die · Nolan Peterson · November 15, 2020

One of the important charitable organizations to which I give every year.  Kudos to Clay Hutmacher.  (and heartfelt thanks to Ross Perot and his vision)

 

"Propaganda vs. Truth. How can I tell them apart? The answer is simple: If you agree with it, it is the truth. If you don't agree, it's propaganda."

- Psychological Warfare, Second Edition, by Paul Linebarger, Combat Forces Press, Washington D.C. 1954

General Melchett: “If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.”

- “Blackadder Goes Forth”

"The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have solved this by defying their parents and copying one another."

- Quentin Crisp

Categories: News