News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. ‘Really diabolical’: inside the coronavirus that outsmarted science
2. Eyeing China, Taiwan urges alliance against 'aggressive actions'
3. A new free trade agreement opportunity for Taiwan
4. Russia and China wield dull wedges
5. Four years on, Philippine President Duterte is still struggling to show the benefits of being pro-China
6. Revealed: Royal Navy trained China for free at five-star hotel
7. China slams US defense secretary's article on Chinese army
8. How a Soviet triple agent recruited new spies in the West
9. WHO: mass COVID vaccinations unlikely before middle of 2021
10. Trump accuses Pentagon leaders of wanting to 'fight wars' to make defense companies rich
11. China to launch initiative to set global data-security rules
12. A Snowden pardon could have a snowball effect on protecting national security secrets
13. Congress must stop the closure of the Uniformed Services University
14. In 2020, Eisenhower is a lantern in the dark
15. The problem with Mulan: why the live-action remake is a lightning rod for controversy
16. Disney's Mulan was filmed in Xinjiang amid cultural genocide
17. Coming soon: LUSV, the U.S. Navy's drone mothership (and much more)?
18. Transforming Athena: educating military officers during an rra of great change through experiential learning
19. The missing, irregular half of great power competition
20. Last year, he was the country’s top military officer. Now, he is retired on the South Shore.
1. ‘Really diabolical’: inside the coronavirus that outsmarted science
Wall Street Journal · by Robert Lee Hotz & Natasha Khan · September 7, 2020
Scary. Just read the first paragraph.
2. Eyeing China, Taiwan urges alliance against ‘aggressive actions’
Reuters · by Ben Blanchard & Clarence Fernandez · September 8, 2020
I am sure Taiwan would accept an invitation to join the Quad Plus.
3. A new free trade agreement opportunity for Taiwan
National Interest · by Michael Mazza · September 8, 2020
Or it would simply "leave a mark" depending on the Chinese response.
4. Russia and China wield dull wedges
Wall Street Journal · by Walter Russell Mead · September 7, 2020
I hope he is right.
5. Four years on, Philippine President Duterte is still struggling to show the benefits of being pro-China
CNBC · by Yen Nee Lee · September 8, 2020
Brings to mind the sarcastic questions: "How's that working out for you?"
6. Revealed: Royal Navy trained China for free at five-star hotel
Declassified UK · by Phil Miller · September 7, 2020
Ouch!
7. China slams US defense secretary's article on Chinese army
China.org.cn · September 8, 2020
They doth protest too much.
8. How a Soviet triple agent recruited new spies in the West
Daily Beast · Anton Shekhovtsov · September 7, 2020
Can we trust such a "manual?" But some very interesting anecdotes in this article.
9. WHO: mass COVID vaccinations unlikely before middle of 2021
Chosun Ilbo · VOA News · September 7, 2020
Not good news.
10. Trump accuses Pentagon leaders of wanting to 'fight wars' to make defense companies rich
Task & Purpose · Jeff Schogol · September 7, 2020
I am sure people will be involving President Eisenhower's speech about the military industrial complex. Here is a link to it.
Excerpts from Eisenhower’s' military industrial complex speech from 1961:
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.
In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.”
11. China to launch initiative to set global data-security rules
Wall Street Journal · by Chun Han Wong · September 8, 2020
Of course, it does. It does not want to play by "good" rules. It wants to play by its own rules.
12. A Snowden pardon could have a snowball effect on protecting national security secrets
National Interest · by Sina M. Beaghley & Marek N. Posard · September 4, 2020
I hope the national security professionals in the administration can talk the President out of this. This would be a terrible mistake.
13. Congress must stop the closure of the Uniformed Services University
The Hill · by Tom Jurkowsky · September 4, 2020
Another mistake. We cut off our noses to spite our face. Some of the best doctors I know were educated and trained here.
14. In 2020, Eisenhower is a lantern in the dark
War On the Rocks · by Derek Chollet · September 8, 2020
An interesting conclusion.
15. The problem with Mulan: why the live-action remake is a lightning rod for controversy
The Guardian · by Jingan Young · September 7, 2020
I am usually not a movie critic, but this has some foreign affairs implications.
16. Disney's Mulan was filmed in Xinjiang amid cultural genocide
Axios · by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian & Sara Fischer · September 8, 2020
This gets more to the point on the film.
17. Coming Soon: LUSV, the U.S. Navy's drone mothership (and much more)?
National Interest · by Kris Osborn · September 7, 2020
Sounds like a very interesting concept.
18. Transforming Athena: educating military officers during an era of great change through experiential learning
Strategy Bridge · by Jonathan E. Czarnecki · September 8, 2020
19. The missing, irregular half of great power competition
Modern War Institute · by Eric Robinson · September 8, 2020
My sense:
Competition equals political warfare (most likely course of action)
State-on-state conventional warfare less likely (most dangerous course of action)
Problem: we face threats from political warfare strategies supported by hybrid military approaches.
All of the above may be exploited by gray zone conflict, hybrid conflict, unconventional warfare, counter-unconventional warfare, revolution, resistance, insurgency, terrorism, civil war, and great power competition.
It is not either/or. It is both/and.
We have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. We have to sustain a military that can deter the most dangerous course of action and, if deterrence fails, to fight and win. But, we cannot neglect the competition that is political warfare, which, of course, includes irregular warfare.
20. Last year, he was the country’s top military officer. Now, he is retired on the South Shore.
Boston Globe · by Brian MacQuarrie · September 6, 2020
Life after being the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
“Our society buries most of those that contribute above their station. It disbelieves them, labelling them whatever nickname will soil their reputation the most at the time. That's the standard protocol for political and economic warfare.'
- Anita B. Sulser, PhD, We Are One
"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence."
- Aristotle
“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
- George Bernard Shaw