News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin
1. U.S. imposes visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese technology companies that abuse human rights
2. America's campaign against Huawei is finally paying off
3. Taiwan thwarts Chinese 'invasion' in five-day live-fire drill
4. America should prepare for a double pandemic
5. Why the Trump administration's win over Huawei could be bad news for TikTok
6. FDD | Big increase of Palestinian terrorist members, supporters in Germany
7. Esper issues new diversity memo but leaves out topic of Confederate flag, other divisive symbols
8. Anger in Japan as US army bases report mounting Covid-19 outbreak
9. America's eerie lack of debate about China
10. The damage of disinformation: A glaring omission in the U.S. global health security strategy
11. Banning Huawei's 5G tech in the UK was the easy bit. Now it gets messy
12. The truth about the US-China Thucydides trap
13. Congress considers adding cyber security position in the White House
14. The United States needs a new foreign policy
15. Sharpening the U.S. military's edge: critical steps for the next administration
16. Lost cause: A special forces soldier's case for leaving Afghanistan
17. Wrestling with fog: on the elusiveness of liberal order
18. A combat role for the Space Force: Why the newest armed service should own cyber warfare
19. A hard year in a long war without end
20. Column: My daughter isn't going back to college. I am relieved and heartbroken
21. Book review - fire in the jungle (Resistance in the Philippines WWII)
1. U.S. imposes visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese technology companies that abuse human rights
state.gov · by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State · July 15, 2020
2. America's campaign against Huawei is finally paying off
Bloomberg · by Eli Lake · July 16, 2020
Diplomacy is hard work. I am sure this took some real finesse to make this happen. Or the UK just had an epiphany.
3. Taiwan thwarts Chinese 'invasion' in five-day live-fire drill
The Guardian · by Agence France-Presse · July 16, 2020
War in Taiwan will be bloody, brutal, and terrible. I hope deterrence works.
4. America should prepare for a double pandemic
defenseone.com · by Ed Yong
A fascinating read that should cause us to think critically about the current and future global health challenges. I think things will get worse (and may not get better - or at least may not return to life as we knew it).
5. Why the Trump administration's win over Huawei could be bad news for TikTok
CNN · by Brian Fung
The "predatory" app deserves some bad news.
6. FDD | Big increase of Palestinian terrorist members, supporters in Germany
fdd.org · by Benjamin Weinthal · July 15, 2020
This headline makes me think of the 1970s and 1980s. I will never forget my one time being pulled over in a civilian vehicle at a checkpoint with the Polizei. It was quite an experience. We were returning from an exercise in a rental van (non-US military) and although we were in uniform, we had M16 rifles and other military equipment in the back. It took about 45 minutes for them to determine we were in fact US military personnel. It was the longest 45 minutes of my life as every time I turned my head to one side (with my hands on the vehicle and feet spread) I could see the MG34 machine gun pointed directly at us.
7. Esper issues new diversity memo but leaves out topic of Confederate flag, other divisive symbols
The Hill · by Ellen Mitchell · July 15, 2020
The Department is moving ahead on trying to solve some racial discrimination issues.
8. Anger in Japan as US army bases report mounting Covid-19 outbreak
SCMP · by Julian Ryall · July 16, 2020
The Army gets blamed for everything. :-) How many Army bases are there in Japan (and especially on Okinawa)? I have not used all the fingers on one hand to count them all. But the headline editor does not know the details.
9. America's eerie lack of debate about China
Financial Times · by Janan Ganesh · July 15, 2020
Does that mean there is consensus that China is a revisionist power and will be treated as such?
But these statements are interesting (and important): "The absence of such voices now is disconcerting. For it means that policy is not being refined and stress-tested through argument." and "America's ultimate advantage is the raucousness of its public discourse." I did not know raucousness could be an advantage. But seriously, public discourses, debate, and disagreement is healthy for us. I like the concept of "stress testing" through argument. It seems to me our current form of public discourse prevents real arguments that can be productive. It is better described as attacking the other side.
10. The damage of disinformation: A glaring omission in the U.S. global health security strategy
thestrategybridge.org · July 16, 2020
Yes we should be very worried about this. But we are sometimes our own worst enemy. We have American who believe the disinformation and conspiracy theories. I cannot believe how much I observe on social media that seems to follow this disinformation.
11. Banning Huawei's 5G tech in the UK was the easy bit. Now it gets messy
Wired · by Matt Burgess · July 15, 2020
Note the potential power of Nokia and Ericsson.
12. The truth about the US-China Thucydides trap
geopoliticalfutures.com · by George Friedman · July 14, 2020
We can never get enough of the Thucydides Trap. An interesting conclusion from Mr. Friedman. "So I think the Thucydides concept, while valid, doesn't apply to this case."
13. Congress considers adding cyber security position in the White House
myfox8.com · by Shannon Smith · July 16, 2020
Can Congress really organize the President's NSC for him?
14. The United States needs a new foreign policy
defenseone.com · by William J. Burns
An initial interview for the SECSTATE position in a new administration? Seriously, this is a run down of Mr. Burns' assessment of the foreign policy challenges.
15. Sharpening the U.S. military's edge: critical steps for the next administration
cnas.org · by Michèle Flournoy and Gabrielle Chefitz
If there is change in administrations will Ms Flourney be our first woman SECDEF?
16. Lost cause: A special forces soldier's case for leaving Afghanistan
The Federalist · by Robert Gast · July 13, 2020
This is quite a critique with a powerful conclusion: "An immediate withdrawal must be demanded, and with no excuses. After 19 years, $2 trillion, more than 20,000 wounded, and almost 2,000 killed, it's time to end the war in Afghanistan". I can imagine the debates in Master Sergeant Gast's team room.
17. Wrestling with fog: on the elusiveness of liberal order
warontherocks.com · by Patrick Porter · July 15, 2020
Ah... the false promise of the liberal order (which is the title of the author's book). But I like the "wrestling with fog analogy. "
18. A combat role for the Space Force: Why the newest armed service should own cyber warfare
mwi.usma.edu · by Ethan Brown · July 16, 2020
This is quite an argument. So cyber has outgrown the combatant command but needs a service component for execution? But it is our combatant commands who conduct operations not service components.
19. A hard year in a long war without end
mwi.usma.edu · by Robert Cassidy · July 15, 2020
20. Column: My daughter isn't going back to college. I am relieved and heartbroken
Los Angeles Times · by Mary McNamara · July 15, 2020
Something so many of us are wrestling with (and yes this is probably also like wrestling with fog-I am going to use this analogy a lot I think.). Our daughter goes back to college in a month. We are worried.
21. Book review - fire in the jungle (Resistance in the Philippines WWII)
sof.news · July 16, 2020
I will be ordering this and adding it to my "to read" pile.
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"So the realm of strategy is one of bargaining and persuasion as well as threats and pressure, psychological as well as physical effects, and words as well as deeds. This is why strategy is the central political art. It is about getting more out of a situation than the starting balance of power would suggest. It is the art of creating power."
- Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History
"You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction."
- Alvin Toffler
"Do not feel entitled to anything you do not sweat or struggle for."
- Marian Wright Edelman