Small Wars Journal

08/05/2020 News & Commentary – National Security

Wed, 08/05/2020 - 9:56am

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.         

1. FDD | Lebanon Is Collapsing and Urgent Reform Is Desperately Needed

2. Navy SEALs cut ties with museum over Colin Kaepernick video

3. Distilling the Essence of Strategy

4. What's Modern About Modern Strategy?

5.  The China Hawks Got It Mostly Right

6. NSA Warns Cellphone Location Data Could Pose National-Security Threat

7. Trump should honor Lee, call Tsai, send Nimitz to Taiwan Strait

8. Arm Taiwan - but Skip the Nukes

9. The Elites Fiddle While America Burns

10. Why are there so many territorial disputes in Asia?

11. Points of Progress: Where women are seeing gains, globally

12. The Coronavirus Is Never Going Away

13. 'We're in for a bad and rocky ride:' Ex-WHO doctor who helped eradicate smallpox predicts COVID-19 turmoil for years

14. The media’s TikTok blindspot

15. China's Rise Is MacArthur's Vindication

16. How Might the Sleeper Agents From “The Americans” Interfere in the Election?

17. Incoming Pentagon official slams the US Navy’s fleet plans as “not a credible document”

18. The Crozier Affair through Chinese Eyes

19. Special operations forces and great-power competition in the 21st century

 

1. FDD | Lebanon Is Collapsing and Urgent Reform Is Desperately Needed

fdd.org · by Jonathan Schanzer· August 4, 2020

And it will only be made worse by yesterday's tragic explosion.

 

2. Navy SEALs cut ties with museum over Colin Kaepernick video

navytimes.com · by James LaPorta · August 4, 2020

I am sure we will see new regulations about affiliations with non-military controlled museums (which could have implications for other museums such as the Airborne and Special Operations Museum).

 

3. Distilling the Essence of Strategy

warontherocks.com · by Frank Hoffman · August 4, 2020

I nominate Frank Hoffman to carry on Colin Gray's legacy.  This is an important essay for those who want to be strategists and think strategically.  Wise words here: "There is nothing guaranteed in the realm of human affairs, but strategists who recognize these considerations will increase the likelihood that their strategy will be “good enough.”

 

4. What's Modern About Modern Strategy?

warontherocks.com · by Francis J. Gavin · August 5, 2020

Will there be a third edition of Makers of Modern Strategy?

 

5. The China Hawks Got It Mostly Right

Bloomberg · by Tyler Cowen · August 3, 2020

Spoiler alert: "In other words: The China hawks were right about everything, except how to deal with China."

 

6. NSA Warns Cellphone Location Data Could Pose National-Security Threat

WSJ · by Byron Tau and Dustin Volz· August 4, 2020

A public service announcement.  We should be paying attention.

 

7. Trump should honor Lee, call Tsai, send Nimitz to Taiwan Strait

The Hill · by Joseph Bosco, opinion contributor · August 4, 2020

Kind of a clickbait headline - it is not the Lee you might think.

 

8. Arm Taiwan - but Skip the Nukes

Foreign Policy · by Bradley Bowman, Andrea Stricker · August 4, 2020

From my FDD colleagues.  Can we make the cost of taking Taiwan too high for China?

 

9. The Elites Fiddle While America Burns

WSJ · by Gerard Baker · August 3, 2020

Quite a critique.  Paradoxically I think both Trump and the Bernie Sanders progressives (any populists) benefit from this line of thinking and analysis.

 

10. Why are there so many territorial disputes in Asia?

thenational.ae · by Sholto Byrnes · August 4, 2020

Because geography matters.

 

11. Points of Progress: Where women are seeing gains, globally

The Christian Science Monitor · by Ann Scott Tyson · August 3, 2020

Points of Progress: Where women are seeing gains, globally

 

12. The Coronavirus Is Never Going Away

defenseone.com · by Sarah Zhang

Pretty depressing analysis. I guess we need to prepare for this new normal.

 

13. 'We're in for a bad and rocky ride:' Ex-WHO doctor who helped eradicate smallpox predicts COVID-19 turmoil for years

USA Today · by Ken Alltucker

 

14. The media’s TikTok blindspot

spectator.us · by Stephen L. Miller · August 3, 2020

 

15. China's Rise Is MacArthur's Vindication

realcleardefense.com · by Francis P. Sempa

This should generate some discussion (and probably some emotions) I am not sure I can make this leap of logic.  What would the use of nuclear weapons against China have accomplished in the Korean War?  Would the National Chinese been able to achieve significant effects?  Would we have a better or worse China today?

 

16. How Might the Sleeper Agents From “The Americans” Interfere in the Election?

lawfareblog.com · by Herb Lin and Steven Weber · August 4, 2020

I guess we should watch The Americans again to observe for strategy and TTPs.  Everyone living in the DC area has a Jennings family living in their neighborhood.

 

17. Incoming Pentagon official slams the US Navy’s fleet plans as “not a credible document”

Defense News · by David Larter and Joe Gould · August 4, 2020

 

18. The Crozier Affair through Chinese Eyes

usni.org · by James Holmes · August 4, 2020

 

19. Special operations forces and great-power competition in the 21st century

AEI · Hal Brands and Tim Nichols · August 4, 2020

I am afraid the authors have a narrow view of SOF and do not grasp the full range of SOF missions and capabilities.  I sense the same kind of thinking in the post-Vietnam Cold War era when SOF was trying to search for relevance and they are really only viewing SOF through the lens of Afghanistan and Iraq. It pains me when authors discount and minimize the importance of unconventional warfare (only addressed in terms of the "SOF identify crisis") and SOF support to political warfare.  While influence is mentioned it is not sufficiently addressed from a SOF contribution perspective.  Governance is not mentioned at all and while irregular and partner forces are mentioned in the context of "through, by, and with”. there is insufficient discussion of how important this is in the context of great power competition.  And lastly, the idea that a focus on CT allows the USG to focus on other things makes JSOC the economy of force mission.

 

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"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

- Confucius

 

“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.”

- Plato

 

"A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew."

- Herb Caen

Categories: News