News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. As the U.S. copes with multiple crises, partisans disagree sharply on severity of problems facing the nation
2. Secretary of Defense’s (Dr. Mark T. Esper) guidance on public display or depiction of flags in the Department of Defense
3. B-1 bombers deploy to Guam as Navy carriers continue readiness training in South China Sea
4. China is done biding its time - the end of Beijing's foreign policy restraint?
5. I'm a black police officer. Here's how to change the system.
6. Federal agents deployed by Trump spirit away protesters. What country is this?
7. Is the Saudi Government plotting against another U.S.-based critic?
8. Veteran U.S. diplomat Richardson fails to secure release of Americans jailed in Venezuela
9. Unidentified federal agents are detaining protesters in Portland
10. A Green Beret's perspective on defunding the police and answer to America's growing polarization.
11. Naval power is the ultimate strategic enabler in our competition with China
12. Are US-Japan relations on the rocks?
13. DARPA pays $1 million for an AI app that can predict an enemy's emotions
14. Federal employees can express support for Black Lives Matter, watchdog says
15. The troll: a fake flag burning at Gettysburg was only his latest hoax
16. Iranian spies accidentally leaked a video of themselves hacking
17. How COVID-19 disinformation goes viral
18. Wednesday's hack shows that the whole world is in your Twitter DMs
19. Japan accuses China of spreading 'disinformation' during coronavirus
1. As the U.S. copes with multiple crises, partisans disagree sharply on severity of problems facing the nation
Pew Research Center · by Amina Dunn · July 14, 2020
This divide is a national security issue. Division is normal and healthy. Our political system does not function without it and it was designed to function with it. The questions are: 1) are we willing to respect the divisions and those on the opposing sides and 2) are we willing to make the necessary political accommodations for our system to continue to survive and thrive? However, some of these issues should not have such a wide division. And some of the divides shows the irrational influence of partisan politics.
I am hopeful that in two areas the divide is relatively small - ethics in government and the federal deficit (and terrorism and violent crime as well, though both sides think these are relatively low).
2. Secretary of Defense’s (Dr. Mark T. Esper) guidance on public display or depiction of flags in the Department of Defense
US Department of Defense · July 17, 2020
The memo can be downloaded here.
Here is my tweet back to the SECDEF (replying to @EsperDoD and @DeptofDefense) when he tweeted this out yesterday:
Excellent guidance, sir. As an aside, this is how you deal with an "insurgency" in the latent or incipient stage. You make the right political accommodations to undermine the legitimacy of the radical leadership of the insurgent or resistance movement.
3. B-1 bombers deploy to Guam as Navy carriers continue readiness training in South China Sea
Stars & Stripes · by Wyatt Olson · July 17, 2020
Good. We need to see more of the Bone in the Pacific.
4. China is done biding its time - the end of Beijing's foreign policy restraint?
Foreign Affairs · by Kurt M. Campbell & Mira Rapp-Hooper · July 15, 2020
Another audition for Secretary of State in a new Administration? :-)
5. I'm a Black Police Officer. Here's How to Change the System.
New York Times · by David Hughes · July 16, 2020
Some important recommendations in this essay. We should listen to Major Hughes.
6. Federal agents deployed by Trump spirit away protesters. What country is this?
Los Angeles Times · by Scott Martelle · July 17, 2020
I am not sure why all those who fear government overreach and its trampling on civil liberties are not up in arms about this. If we truly believe in all 10 Amendments/Bill of Rights, we should not be allowing this to happen.
7. Is the Saudi government plotting against another U.S.-Based critic?
The New Yorker · by Dexter Filkins · July 16, 2020
We have got to put pressure on the Saudi government to stop this kind of behavior against Americans.
8. Veteran U.S. diplomat Richardson fails to secure release of Americans jailed in Venezuela
Reuters · by Makini Brice, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Orlofsky, & Jonathan Oatis · July 17, 2020
I do not think anyone should be surprised by this failure.
9. Unidentified federal agents are detaining protesters in Portland
New York Magazine · by Adam K. Raymond & Chas Danner · July 17, 2020
Hmmm...
10. A Green Beret's perspective on defunding the police and answer to America's growing polarization.
Medium · by Matt Visnovsky · July 17, 2020
There is a lot to digest in this essay. Unfortunately, it will not format for email so please go to the link to read the entire piece. And some interesting photos there too.
11. Naval power is the ultimate strategic enabler in our competition with China
National Review · by Seth Cropsey & Harry Halem · July 15, 2020
We need our strong Navy more than ever.
12. Are US-Japan relations on the rocks?
The Hill · by Michael J. Green & Jeffrey W. Hornung · July 17, 2020
Just think about this for a moment. What if our both linchpin and cornerstone alliances in Northeast Asia and the INDOPACIFIC are in trouble? What does that do for the Free and Open INDOPACIFC and our national security strategy toward the revisionist and rogue powers?
13. DARPA pays $1 million for an AI app that can predict an enemy's emotions
Forbes · by Thomas Brewster · July 16, 2020
Interesting. One of the things we do best in America is to search for technical solutions to problems of human nature, culture, language, etc. (not that we always find technical solutions for complex problems).
14. Federal employees can express support for Black Lives Matter, watchdog says
New York Times · by Michael Levenson · July 16, 2020
This will be upsetting so some. In a way it is smart because to push back on this will only harden the resolve of some people. It also can be useful in undermining the legitimacy of the radical leadership who has tried to co-opt a protest movement. It is important to try to separate the people who have grievances from the radical leadership who seek to exploit those people for their own political power and agenda. The radical leadership does not have the interests of those with grievances at heart. If, as some has postulated, we are in the latent or incipient stage of an insurgency it is important to make the right political accommodations.
15. The troll: a fake flag burning at Gettysburg was only his latest hoax
Washington Post · by Shawn Boburg · July 17, 2020
These are the kinds of threats we need to deal with these days. We have to be vigilant. We have to think critically about what we see and read on social media and throughout the Internet. Whether progressive, liberal, or conservative, we cannot allow ourselves to be duped by these trolls.
16. Iranian spies accidentally leaked a video of themselves hacking
Wired · by Andy Greenberg · July 16, 202
Hmm....I hate it when that happens! :-)
17. How COVID-19 disinformation goes viral
Union of Concerned Scientists · by Anita Desikan · July 16, 2020
I suspect this is one of the reasons why we are having problem with developing a united resistance to the COVID 19 pandemic in the U.S.
18. Wednesday's hack shows that the whole world is in your Twitter DMs
Defense One · by Patrick Tucker · July 16, 2020
Very interesting target list for this hack.
19. Japan accuses China of spreading 'disinformation' during coronavirus
Daily Mail · by Jemma Carr · July 14, 2020
"Having a strategy suggests an ability to look up from the short term and the trivial to view the long term and the essential, to address causes rather than symptoms, to see woods rather than trees."
- Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History
"Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
- T. S. Eliot
"Do not be impatient with your seemingly slow progress. Do not try to run faster than you presently can. If you are studying, reflecting and trying, you are making progress whether you are aware of it or not. A traveler walking the road in the darkness of night is still going forward. Someday, some way, everything will break open, like the natural unfolding of a rosebud."
- Vernon Howard
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