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

1. Trump Signs Proclamation Commemorating End of Korean War

2. Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020 | The White House

3. N.K. leader confers pistols to officers on armistice anniversary

4. Declare your ideology (South Korea)

5. North Korea Reports 1st Suspected Case Of Coronavirus

6. US ambassador shaves off mustache to stay masked in summer amid pandemic

7. United Nations Command launches official website

8. Bill Gates Says Korea Taking Lead in COVID-19 Vaccine Development

9.  Korea aims to maximize its newfound global popularity

10. Tear down the DMZ

11. The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home

12. Guns and glory : two Koreas mark armistice

13. North Korea's Kim marks war anniversary amid virus concerns

14. Trump stresses 'ironclad alliance' with Seoul in armistice proclamation

15. Gov't, military hit for poor security, defector management

16. North Korea shock: Kim Jong-Un’s sister asserts authority with new childbirth plan

1. Trump Signs Proclamation Commemorating End of Korean War

defense.gov · by David Vergun

Let us never forget the sacrifices of all those who defended freedom in Korea.  And let us also never forget the blood of some 5 million souls in the hands of Kim Il Sung and the Kim family regime.

2. Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020 | The White House

whitehouse.gov · by President Donald J. Trump· July 24, 2020

3. N.K. leader confers pistols to officers on armistice anniversary

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · July 27, 2020

Some of the north Korean generals might need some muzzle awareness.  Quite the "oaths" from these officers: "solemn pledges, looking up to the Party flag, to hold close to their hearts the commemorative pistols conferred upon them by the Supreme Leader until their death,"  Not like our oaths to support and defend the Constitution.  And we stand before our national flag, not the "party flag."

4. Declare your ideology (South Korea)

The Korea Times · by David Tizzard · July 26, 2020

Sigh... I think Professor Tizzard is giving the ruling party line here.  Ideology is important because it guides actions. Look at what new members of Moon's national security team have been jailed for.  Anyone who have violated the national security law should be thoroughly examined for suitability by the National Assembly. 

5. North Korea Reports 1st Suspected Case Of Coronavirus

NPR · by Doreen McCallister · July 26, 2020

The other thing this accusation against a defector returning from South Korea does it to pave the way for acceptance of medical aid from the SOuth to help combat the coronavirus.  Now the Propaganda and Agitation Department will say South Korea must atone for its sin of allowing the coronavirus to spread into north Korea.  So the South will have to now provide aid and meet all the demands of the north.

6. US ambassador shaves off mustache to stay masked in summer amid pandemic

koreaherald.com · by The Korea Herald · July 27, 2020

Everyone must do their part to #killthevirus.

7. United Nations Command launches official website

koreaherald.com · by The Korea Herald · July 27, 2020

Well it is about time.  Now the ROK/US Combined Forces Command needs its own web site.  This has long been one of the problems with the USFK server hosting both UNC and ROK/US CFC.  It is what gives the impression that the US controls the ROK forces apportioned to ROK/US CFC. It is why the ROK press always refers to USFK as the higher command and even makes such erroneous statements as ROK forces "falling under the control" of USFK.  Especially in preparation for OPCON transition the ROK/US CFC should establish its own web site not connected to USFK.

8. Bill Gates Says Korea Taking Lead in COVID-19 Vaccine Development

english.chosun.com

9. Korea aims to maximize its newfound global popularity

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com· by Yoon So-Yeon· July 26, 2020

Wise moves by Korea.

10. Tear down the DMZ

The Korea Times · July 26, 2020

It saddens me to read this.  Yes I want to "tear down" the DMZ.  I have said the following many times:

* I support a diplomatic solution to the north Korean nuclear threat
* I support ROK engagement with the north
* I do not support a weakening of the ROK and ROK/US defensive capabilities
* I believe there cannot be success for US, ROK, and Japanese interests without strong ROK/US and Japan/US alliances
* Despite the above I think we have to accept that north Korea may have a continued hostile strategy and therefore while we prioritize diplomacy we have to remain prepared for the worst cases.  I hope I am wrong here and that Kim Jong-un will dismantle his nuclear weapons and seek peaceful co-existence.

I am not one who is willing to gamble and remove troops before unification and the establishment of a United Republic of Kora. (UROK).  If we remove troops while the Kim family regime is still in power there will be conflict and war.  Yes it is true I cannot prove that will happen. But the truth is no one can disprove it either.  I am not willing to gamble the lives of 85 million Koreans and hundreds of thousands of Americans.  It is in US interests to prevent war on the Korean peninsula.

11. The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home

BBC · July 27, 2020

On the 67th anniversary of the Armistice we should not forget those who never came home because of the evil nature of the Kim family regime and the Chinese Communist Party.  This was the most contentious issue of the Armistice negotiations: the return of and accounting for POWs.

12. Guns and glory : two Koreas mark armistice

24matins.uk · July 27, 2020

Which side wants peace and which side wants to use its military to dominate the peninsula?  Which side honors its veterans and the sacrifice of a nation?  Which side makes its military and the population worship at the feet of its dictator?

13. North Korea's Kim marks war anniversary amid virus concerns

AP · by Hyung-Jin Kim · July 27, 2020

The more I read these reports and think about the situation the more I think either the north is having a large outbreak or it soon will because it is unable to contain it and/or it knows it can no longer contain the information about it which is just as dangerous for the regime.

If I were advising the ROK/US CFC I would recommend they incorporate instability scenarios into next month's training.  And this is why readiness has to take precedence over the OPCON transition process.  On the other hand if we have a contingency in north Korea it would be best if the ROK/US CFC was led by a Korean general.  If the situation ever evolves to the point where the peninsula is on the path to unification, military operations in support of the unification process need to be led by a Korean general.  This is one of the reasons why I support the OPCON transition process.  While I make a distinction of readiness over OPCON transition process in reality we have to figure out they can be "both/and" versus "either/or."

14. Trump stresses 'ironclad alliance' with Seoul in armistice proclamation

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

Good words from the President but it is becoming difficult to make the Koreans believe we have an ironclad alliance rather than a transactional house of cards as I wrote here last year: 

It is always interesting that he did not mention north Korea in this proclamation.

15. Gov't, military hit for poor security, defector management

The Korea Times · July 27, 2020

As I have written, escapees (defectors) should be treated as South Korea national assets.  They should be protected and they should be provided the opportunity to work toward unification in pursuit of the United Republic of Korea.

16. North Korea shock: Kim Jong-Un’s sister asserts authority with new childbirth plan

Express · by Ted Jeffery · July 27, 2020

What is Kim Yo-jong up to?  She seems to have her hand in every aspect of north Korea these days.

-------------------------

July 27, 1953

Agreement between the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's volunteers, on the other hand, concerning a military armistice in Korea.

Preamble

The undersigned, the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers, on the other hand, in the interest of stopping the Korean conflict, with its great toil of suffering and bloodshed on both sides, and with the objective of establishing an armistice which will insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved, do individually, collectively, and mutually agree to accept and to be bound and governed by the conditions and terms of armistice set forth in the following articles and paragraphs, which said conditions and terms are intended to be purely military in character and to pertain solely to the belligerents in Korea:

...

Article IV

Recommendations to the Governments Concerned on Both Sides

60. In order to insure the peaceful settlement of the Korean question, the military Commanders of both sides hereby recommend to the governments of the countries concerned on both sides that, within three (3) months after the Armistice Agreement is signed and becomes effective, a political conference of a higher level of both sides be held by representatives appointed respectively to settle through negotiation the questions of the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea, the peaceful settlement of the Korean question, etc

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

1. Global report: China reports biggest Covid-19 rise in months as Australia sets new infections record

2. Second wave of coronavirus in Asia prompts fresh lockdowns

3. Trump's troop drawdown from Germany will take 'years,' says Inhofe

4. The Future of Unconventional Warfare (2035 - 2050)

5. New Army Assessment Program Will Challenge Colonels on Their Biases

6. What the "Defunding the Pentagon" Articles Don't Tell You

7. Just Because We Can Cut Military Spending Doesn't Mean We Should

8.  Jihadist plots used to be U.S. and Europe's biggest terrorist threat. Now it's the far right.

9. Here's How We Can Save $1 Trillion In Military Spending Over Ten Years

10. Want a More Restrained Foreign Policy? Take Away the Pentagon's Toys

11. Two Men & A Bot: Can AI Help Command A Tank?

12. Why is the US accusing China's Houston consulate of spying?

13. Military to Leverage New Biotech Fields to Gain an Edge

14. FDD | To stop China's crimes against humanity, hit its pride and pocketbook

15. A conspiracy theory goes to Washington: Three questions about QAnon

16. How the Defense Department is reorganizing for information warfare

17. There's a Bigger Threat Than Big Tech. It's Big China

18. Senate passes defense bill without funding for Stars and Stripes

19. Let's Cut the Army Budget: We Need Ships, Not Land Forces, To Fight China

20. Perspective | The federal police in Portland don't even understand what 'arrests' are

21. What Camus's The Plague can teach us about the Covid-19 pandemic

1. Global report: China reports biggest Covid-19 rise in months as Australia sets new infections record

The Guardian · by Alison Rourke · July 27, 2020

Not a good sign for the Asia-Pacific or the world.

2. Second wave of coronavirus in Asia prompts fresh lockdowns

Reuters · by Stephen Coates · July 27, 2020

It must be because of global travel or at least that is one contributing factor.

3. Trump's troop drawdown from Germany will take 'years,' says Inhofe

Defense News · by Joe Gould, Sebastian Sprenger · July 24, 2020

No surprise here.  They just do not get on a plane and fly home. Withdrawal is a complicated and complex process whether in Germany, Japan, or Korea.

4. The Future of Unconventional Warfare (2035 - 2050)

groundedcuriosity.com · by Jess Ward · July 25, 2020

An interesting discussion though I think they take the broad view of anything that is not conventional warfare is unconventional warfare.

5. New Army Assessment Program Will Challenge Colonels on Their Biases

military.com · by Matthew Cox · July 24, 2020

Think about the statistic at the end of this article.  Out of 770 officers (MAJs and LTCs) only 25 were found unfit to command, what does that say about our promotion system?  Is it bad that 25 "slipped through?"  Or is the quality of the officers high and the promotion process actually sound?  Or is this new program not rigorous enough? From those I have heard from who have participated in this program it sounds very rigorous.  But if it seems to be simply validating that the promotion process is sound I wonder how long it will last.  It will be interesting to see how the Colonels do in September.

6. What the "Defunding the Pentagon" Articles Don't Tell You

realcleardefense.com · by Thomas Spoehr

General Spoehr makes the argument that the "defunders of the Pentagon" (conservative and liberal) are making arguments without all the facts.

7. Just Because We Can Cut Military Spending Doesn't Mean We Should

The National Interest · by Mackenzie Eaglen · July 27, 2020

MacKenzie Eaglen knows her stuff about defense spending and priorities.  And the subtitle says it all.  Our leadership has to make hard choices and set priorities. We should not use cuts as the method to restrain foreign policy.  We remove options and we put our national security at risk when we do.

8. Jihadist plots used to be U.S. and Europe's biggest terrorist threat. Now it's the far right.

NBC News · by Willem MarxWillem Marx · July 27, 2020

This will be upsetting to those who see left wing terrorists everywhere.

9. Here's How We Can Save $1 Trillion In Military Spending Over Ten Years

The National Interest · by Dan Grazier · July 26, 2020

Perhaps most threats we face are deterred by our military capabilities.  There are various versions and interpretations) and controversies) of this quote but this one seems apt: 'Those who have swords, and know how to use them, but keep them sheathed, shall inherit the world."

10. Want a More Restrained Foreign Policy? Take Away the Pentagon's Toys

The National Interest · by Benjamin H. Friedman · July 27, 2020

Again, taking options (and toys?) to restrain foreign policy is to abdicate leadership responsibility for foreign policy and national security.. The Pentagon's "toys" are not the problem.  But it is these kinds of arguments that will put US national security at great risk. I hope someone is keeping score because those who make these arguments have no business working in positions of power and influence in the national security community.

11. Two Men & A Bot: Can AI Help Command A Tank?

breakingdefense.com · by Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

"Gunner, sabot,  tank." "Identified." "Up." "Fire." "On the way."  I have flashbacks to Graf in the 1980's as a young infantry Captain serving as the Range OIC for the 3d ID's Tank Table VIII and Tank Table XII.  I can still hear those fire commands and the NCOs evaluating those tank crews and tank platoons.  So can AI command, spot, identify, load, drive, or fire? :-). What happens when one of the two crewmen is wounded or injured?  There is no depth in the crew.  That said I am not at all opposed to the innovation this effort will develop.

12. Why is the US accusing China's Houston consulate of spying?

ABC.net.au · July 26, 2020

13. Military to Leverage New Biotech Fields to Gain an Edge

nationaldefensemagazine.org · by Mandy Mayfield· July 26, 2020

14. FDD | To stop China's crimes against humanity, hit its pride and pocketbook

fdd.org · by Craig Singleton· July 24, 2020

Human rights is a moral imperative and a national security issue.

15. A conspiracy theory goes to Washington: Three questions about QAnon

The Christian Science Monitor · July 23, 2020

I find it really hard to take anyone seriously who believes in this stuff.  I cannot believe we have people in positions of power and influence who believe this stuff.

16. How the Defense Department is reorganizing for information warfare

Defense News · by Mark Pomerleau · July 26, 2020

Four words are not used in this article: psychological operations and influence and human (they do not even use MISO!).  The emphasis, like most everything in the American way of war, is on the technical aspects of information warfare and not on the human domain.

17. There's a Bigger Threat Than Big Tech. It's Big China

defenseone.com · by Emily De La Bruyere

My belief: China seeks to export its authoritarian political system around the world in order to dominate regions, co-opt or coerce international organizations, create economic conditions favorable to China alone, and displace democratic institutions.

18. Senate passes defense bill without funding for Stars and Stripes

stripes.com· by Caitlin Kenney· July 26, 2020

I have heard the House will restore the funding for Stars and Stripes when it goes to conference.  Like USAGM and Voice of America and Radio Free Asia that are funded by the US Government, their existence and  freedom to report all the news, warts and all,  without government interference sends a powerful message about American values and our belief in the absolute necessity for freedom of the press. We believe in it so strongly that we fund news organizations that are allowed to report critically without fear of retribution by the government.  This sets the example for freedom of the press around the world.

19. Let's Cut the Army Budget: We Need Ships, Not Land Forces, To Fight China

The National Interest · by Gil Barndollar · July 26, 2020

We need the strongest Navy in the world to protect US national security.  Like Air Superiority/Supremacy we cannot conduct effective military operations with freedom of the seas.

I also agree with the Princess Bride movie and the advice that you must never fight a land war in Asia.  

Unfortunately the author provides no analysis and rationale for his statement such as "stationing Army troops in Europe should be rejected" and "the ratio of active and reserve forces should go higher" (more forces in the reserve components) and "the continued viability of a huge attack helicopter fleet should be examined."   I also wonder how Canada likes being described as a "militarily weak" friend.

20. Perspective | The federal police in Portland don't even understand what 'arrests' are

The Washington Post· by Andrew Manuel Crespo · July 22, 2020

If we think these protest movements are "insurgencies" we sure are going about dealing with them in the wrong way. 

21. What Camus's The Plague can teach us about the Covid-19 pandemic

Vox · by Sean Illing · July 22, 2020

A little existential philosophy to start off the week.

-----------------------

July 27, 1953

Agreement between the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's volunteers, on the other hand, concerning a military armistice in Korea.

Preamble

The undersigned, the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers, on the other hand, in the interest of stopping the Korean conflict, with its great toil of suffering and bloodshed on both sides, and with the objective of establishing an armistice which will insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved, do individually, collectively, and mutually agree to accept and to be bound and governed by the conditions and terms of armistice set forth in the following articles and paragraphs, which said conditions and terms are intended to be purely military in character and to pertain solely to the belligerents in Korea:

...

Article IV

Recommendations to the Governments Concerned on Both Sides

60. In order to insure the peaceful settlement of the Korean question, the military Commanders of both sides hereby recommend to the governments of the countries concerned on both sides that, within three (3) months after the Armistice Agreement is signed and becomes effective, a political conference of a higher level of both sides be held by representatives appointed respectively to settle through negotiation the questions of the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea, the peaceful settlement of the Korean question, etc

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

1. What China learned from Cold War America

2. China’s catastrophic success: US strategic blunders fuel rivalry

3. New white paper on China's full-spectrum information operations

4. Public asked to report receipt of any unsolicited packages of seeds

5. America isn’t a racist country

6. Leaf-blower wars: how Portland protesters are fighting back against tear gas and forming ‘walls’ of veterans, lawyers, nurses

7. Who gets to be a ‘naked Athena’?

8. Pompeo’s surreal speech on China

9. Mike Pompeo just declared America's new China policy: regime change

10. Officials push U.S.-China relations toward point of no return

11. As the world gets tougher on China, Japan tries to thread a needle

12. Coronavirus: patient who travelled from NZ to Korea tests positive for Covid-19

13. The U.S. wants India as a real ally, not another helpless dependent

14. If you’re not terrified about Facebook, you haven’t been paying attention

15. Being fluent in diversity: a 'Hamilton' lesson that cuts across generations

16. With a potential Iran-China deal, time for Israel to reassess its policy

1. What China learned from Cold War America

Wall Street Journal · by David P. Goldman · July 24, 2020

And the question is: what is our strategy? Here is our new strategic approach. Can it be applied to what has been laid out in the article? Can we effectively compete?

2. China’s catastrophic success: US strategic blunders fuel rivalry

The Interpreter · by John Culver · July 24, 2020

Has it really had catastrophic success? If China believes that the US will actually pursue the overthrow of the CCP as an end goal, it is going to make for some really difficult times ahead.

3. New white paper on China's full-spectrum information operations

Stanford Internet Observatory · by Renee Diresta et al. · July 20, 2020

The 62 page white paper can be downloaded here.

I think this is a must read for PSYOP professionals and all those who study and work on informational influence activities strategy and campaigns. This covers overt and covert propaganda (making overt propaganda social), key organizations, the United Front, and the Central Propaganda Department. It looks at three contemporary case studies: Hong Kong, the Taiwan election, and CVID 19.

4. Public asked to report receipt of any unsolicited packages of seeds

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services · July 24, 2020

What is this all about? Is this some kind of Chinese campaign to sow the seeds of chaos? A biological warfare campaign? If this is happening, why is there not a nation aide alert and why is this only from the Virginia Department Agricultural and Consumer Service?

5. America isn’t a racist country

Wall Street Journal · by Ward Connerly · July 24, 2020

I am sure this will upset a lot of people. However, I am reminded of the words of Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. He has said what makes America exceptional is that we correct our mistakes. And, of course, our Constitution is one of the best examples of our ability to correct our mistakes.

6. Leaf-blower wars: How Portland protesters are fighting back against tear gas and forming ‘walls’ of veterans, lawyers, nurses

Washington Post · by Marissa J. Lang · July 26, 2020

I have to admire the ingenuity of the protesters. But if, as many seem to believe, these protests are part of an insurgency, the federal law enforcement personnel conducting operations in Portland are failing on multiple levels. They are an abject failure. The fact they have to adopt the same tactics invented by the protestors shows their lack of training and readiness. And, as can be seen by the response of mothers, fathers, and veterans, their tactics are causing an increase in resistance in Portland by more than the "usual suspects."

7. Who gets to be a ‘naked Athena’?

New York Times · by Mitchell S. Jackson · July 25, 2020

Musings on the subject of 'weirdness" in Portland. (But the author says that he is not arguing that whiteness leads to weirdness)

8. Pompeo’s surreal speech on China

The Atlantic · by Thomas Wright · July 25, 2020

Another critique of the new approach to China.

I think we should recall this excerpt in the White House's new strategic approach to China:

“Even as we compete with the PRC, we welcome cooperation where our interests align. Competition need not lead to confrontation or conflict. The United States has a deep and abiding respect for the Chinese people and enjoys longstanding ties to the country. We do not seek to contain China’s development, nor do we wish to disengage from the Chinese people. The United States expects to engage in fair competition with the PRC, whereby both of our nations, businesses, and individuals can enjoy security and prosperity”

9. Mike Pompeo just declared America's new China policy: regime change

The National Interest · by Gordon G. Chang · July 25, 2020

This is quite an interpretation from Gordon Chang.  He never pulls any punches. He provides a key point: up to now, many pundits have thought we can and must deal with China with traditional diplomacy. Do we now believe we cannot? 

Again, this is what the new approach says:

“Even as we compete with the PRC, we welcome cooperation where our interests align. Competition need not lead to confrontation or conflict. The United States has a deep and abiding respect for the Chinese people and enjoys longstanding ties to the country. We do not seek to contain China’s development, nor do we wish to disengage from the Chinese people. The United States expects to engage in fair competition with the PRC, whereby both of our nations, businesses, and individuals can enjoy security and prosperity.”

10. Officials push U.S.-China relations toward point of no return

New York Times · by Edward Wong & Steven Lee Myers · July 25, 2020

Hyperbole? Are we really pushing to the point of no return? 

11. As the world gets tougher on China, Japan tries to thread a needle

New York Times · by Motoko Rich · July 25, 2020

Japan, please do not waiver from the "alliance of democracies." But we have to respect the tightrope it must walk and the needle it must thread.

12. Coronavirus: patient who travelled from NZ to Korea tests positive for Covid-19

Stuff · by George Block and Brittany Keogh · July 26, 2020

Perhaps no nation can completely eradicate the coronavirus until we get a vaccine.

13. The U.S. wants India as a real ally, not another helpless dependent

The American Spectator · by Doug Bandow · July 26, 2020

But does India want to be an ally of the US? I am sure if there ever was an alliance between the US and India, Mr. Bandow would turn on it as well. He is not in favor of any alliance for any reason and he thinks all alliance partners are free loaders and dependents of the US. 

14. If you’re not terrified about Facebook, you haven’t been paying attention

The Guardian · by Carole Cadwalladr · July 26, 2020

But we cannot give it up.

15. Being fluent in diversity: A 'Hamilton' lesson that cuts across generations

San Francisco Chronicle · by Dave Murphy · July 25, 2020

I have noticed this with our college age daughter. Perhaps it’s because she has diverse parents of different

16. With a potential Iran-China deal, time for Israel to reassess its policy

Newsweek · by Jacob Nagel & Mark Dubowitz · July 26, 2020

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye."

- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, in Frankenstein (1818)

"The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost;

to be everywhere is nowhere."

- Michel de Montaigne

"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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

1. N.K. leader adopts 'maximum emergency system' after defector returns with coronavirus symptoms

2.  S. Korea, U.S. to stage scaled-down summertime combined exercise next month: sources

3. NIS director-nominee says another Trump-Kim summit possible before Nov. election

4. Gov't to mark UN Forces Participation Day

5. North Korea declares emergency in border town over first suspected COVID-19 case

6. North Korea reports its first apparent covid-19 case

7. S. Korea sees 'high chances' of defector's border crossing into N. Korea

8. New virus cases tumble on sharp fall in imported cases

9. A porous border

10. World War 3: how 'monumental' CIA blunder 'handed N. Korea and Iran nuclear bomb secret'

11. Hanwha ships prototype fighting vehicles to Australia in W5tr Redback deal

12. North Korea's convenient but remarkable admission of likely Covid-19 case

13. Kim Jong Un cracks down on outside cultural influences

1. N.K. leader adopts 'maximum emergency system' after defector returns with coronavirus symptoms

Yonhap News Agency · by Yi Wongju · July 26, 2020

This is interesting. I wonder if they are using this to try to scare people from defecting. Blaming the defectors can have multiple uses with the most obvious still being able to keep a lid on the information about the outbreak. What I really wonder about is if there is an outbreak they can no longer hide so this is designed to cover it.

2. S. Korea, U.S. to stage scaled-down summertime combined exercise next month: sources

Yonhap News Agency · by Oh Seok-min · July 26, 2020

Again, readiness of the combined command and combined components must take precedence of the full operational capability assessment for the OPCON transition.

3. NIS director-nominee says another Trump-Kim summit possible before Nov. election

Yonhap News Agency · by graceoh@yna.co.kr · July 25, 2020

I wonder where he gets his information to make this kind of assessment. I would not bet money on this.

4. Gov't to mark UN Forces Participation Day

Korea Times · by Jung Da-min · July 24, 2020

It is nice of the ROK government to "honor the heroic efforts of the UN Command."

5. North Korea declares emergency in border town over first suspected COVID-19 case

Reuters by Sangmi Cha & Josh Smith3 Min Read · July 25, 2020

A slight admission to attempt to perpetuate a continued cover-up. Blame a returning defector and imply that he or she carried it from South Korea. This provides multiple propaganda lines of narrative to include blaming South Korea for an outbreak.

6. North Korea reports its first apparent covid-19 case

Wall Street Journal · by Timothy W. Martin · July 26, 2020

Again, per my previous comments, this is interesting. The regime probably can no longer hide the fact that it has had an outbreak. This will be their attempt to continue to relatively cover it up by admitting it but also minimizing it and blaming the outside world, namely South Korea and defectors. Note the lockdown of Keasong, where there likely is some residual South Korean personnel presence even after the destruction of the liaison building and, if not, it is likely a measure to prevent the remaining Koreans from the North from transmitting the infection after assumed or alleged infection from the South. They can develop a lot of propaganda out of those two themes against multiple target audiences internally and externally.

But the real worry is that, if it is getting bad, what will be the effects on the people, the military, and ultimately the regime. Could an outbreak significantly destabilize the regime?

7.  S. Korea sees 'high chances' of defector's border crossing into N. Korea

Yonhap News Agency · by Choi Soo-hyang · July 26, 2020

Whoa! This is problematic. First, for a defector to cross the DMZ is still difficult - it must be very hard to penetrate the South Barrier fence line as I would assume that is still heavily guarded and patrolled by the ROK military even if guard posts within the DMZ have been reduced. Of course, if he swam across the Han River estuary (twice - once in 2017 to the South and once again in 2020 by swimming North), we have to ask about the status of the anti-infiltration capabilities such as the anti-swimmer nets that used to be in place. If someone like Defector Kim can do it twice, what would we think North Korean SOF can do?

The second problem is the ROKG seems to be confirming what I think is most likely a propaganda story from the North. And even if a defector did cross the DMZ and was carrying the coronavirus, the ROK should not be giving them additional "ammunition" for the propaganda story. The next we will see is that this was a deliberate biological warfare event by the ROK military to transmit the infection to the North. (NO, I do not believe the South did that, but I expect North Korean propaganda could spin it that way).

8. New virus cases tumble on sharp fall in imported cases

Yonhap News Agency · by ksnam@yna.co.kr · July 26, 2020

But the numbers could go right back up with the next international flight arriving at Incheon airport.

9. A porous border

Korea JoongAng Daily · by Editorial Board · July 26, 2020

I am dumbfounded as well. This short op-ed addresses a number of problems with escapee (defector) management and not just security at the DMZ.

The editorial board should know the DMZ is 4KM wide: it is 2KM on the South side and 2 KM on the North side of the Military Demarcation Line.

10. World War 3: how 'monumental' CIA blunder 'handed N. Korea and Iran nuclear bomb secret'

Express · by Callum Hoare · July 25, 2020

11. Hanwha ships prototype fighting vehicles to Australia in W5tr Redback deal

Korea Herald · by Choi Si-young · July 26, 2020

12. North Korea's convenient but remarkable admission of likely Covid-19 case

North Korea Economy Watch · by Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein · July 26, 2020

I think there is an outbreak and I think this is one attempt to shift the blame to the South. I worry about how bad the spread will affect the population, the military, and the regime. As I have written previously, this could cause suffering on a scale greater than the Arduous March or famine of 1994-1996.

13. Kim Jong Un cracks down on outside cultural influences

New York Post · by Melissa Klein · July 25, 2020

One of the biggest threats to the regime is the existence and example of the South as a free and prosperous nation.

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye."

- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, in Frankenstein (1818)

"The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost;

to be everywhere is nowhere."

- Michel de Montaigne

"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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

1. Communist China and the free world’s future

2. An army transformed: USINDOPACOM hyper-competition and US Army theater design

3. Memes, the pandemic and the new tactics of information warfare

4. Social media braces for a deluge of voter misinformation

5. Stamps and spies: the CIA’s involvement in postage design

6. US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation

7. Aegis Ashore and Japan's constitutional debate

8. Chinese dream: Xi’s attempted coup against Pakistan

9. Huge Pacific exercise centered on Guam brings allies together amid growing China threat

10. Trump bypasses arms control pact to sell more large armed drones

11. No, the Air Force's shadowy surveillance test plane wasn't spying on Portland protesters

12. Was China’s Houston consulate trying to steal the coronavirus vaccine?

13. The two China fires: is America prepared for a cold war with China?

14. America is losing its ‘apple pie’

15. Is it time to defund the Department of Homeland Security?

16. To fight coronavirus disinformation, health care professionals must speak out | Expert Opinion

17. Australia says China's South China Sea claims are unlawful

18. The tale of four cities battling the virus

19. Biden declares asymmetric warfare on election meddling

1. Communist China and the free world’s future

US Department of State · by Michael R. Pompeo · July 23, 2020

Rather than make the world safe for democracy, we need to make existing democracies safe. I know it is controversial, but I think we need to focus on building something like an "Alliance of Democracies" that will provide for collective defense against the revisionist and rogue powers as well as the violent extremist organizations that will continue to threaten freedom loving countries.

2. An Army transformed: USINDOPACOM hyper-competition and US Army theater design

US Army War College (SSI) · by Nate Freier et al.

Nate Freier has done a tremendous job leading student research into important Army and national security problems.  This is another important project and report (the 122 page report can be downloaded at the link above).

3. Memes, the pandemic and the new tactics of information warfare

Defense News · by Mark Pomerleau · July 23, 2020

I wonder if memes have become the primary tool for disinformation. They are funny, pithy, easy to produce, attention getting, and easy to retransmit. And the producers can easily monitor their spread among target audiences.

4. Social media braces for a deluge of voter misinformation

Bloomberg · by Naomi Nix · July 24, 2020

We all need to brace for this. Now more than ever all Americans need to heed these words in our National Security Strategy :

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

5. Stamps and spies: the CIA’s involvement in postage design

War on the Rocks · by Matin Modarressi · July 21, 2020

Some interesting history. Information and influence activities take many forms.

6. US and Australia set to launch campaign to counter disinformation

Sydney Morning Herald · by Anthony Galloway & Eryk Bagshaw · July 24, 2020

This is good.  But we need the entire "alliance of democracies" to take collective action on this.

7. Aegis Ashore and Japan's constitutional debate

East Asia Forum · by Tom Corben · July 25, 2020

I think the constitutional debate is more important than the Aegis ashore cancelation.

8. Chinese Dream: Xi’s attempted coup against Pakistan

Asia Times · by Ali Salman Andani · July 25, 2020

Sounds like an application of elements of China's three warfares in support of its political warfare strategy.

9. Huge Pacific exercise centered on Guam brings allies together amid growing China threat

The Drive · by Jamie Hunter · July 24, 2020

Good work from 3 members of what should be the "alliance of democracies."

10. Trump bypasses arms control pact to sell more large armed drones

The Hill · by Ellen Mitchell · July 24, 2020

11. No, the Air Force's shadowy surveillance test plane wasn't spying on Portland protesters

The Drive · by Joseph Trevithick · July 24, 2020

It is amazing what can be found on open source aviation tracking services and other open source reporting.

My thought is what military training may have been taking place in these areas that this aircraft might have been supporting? Was the aircraft supporting some unannounced training exercise?

12. Was China’s Houston consulate trying to steal the coronavirus vaccine?

Foreign Policy · by Jack Detsch & Amy Mackinnon · July 24, 2020

Again, Chinese R&D = steal to leap ahead.

13. The Two China Fires: is America prepared for a cold war with China?

New York Times · by Bret Stephens · July 24, 2020

I will take a cold war over a hot war. But we need to execute our own political warfare strategy to effectively compete in the cold war and prevent a hot war.

14. America is losing its ‘apple pie’

Asia Times · by Michael MacDonald · July 23, 2020

One of many critiques.

15. Is it time to defund the Department of Homeland Security?

New Yorker · by Jonathan Blitzer · July 24, 2020

I think DHS will come under increasing scrutiny and Congress may come under pressure to disband it. After all, Congress created it. There are many questions that need to be evaluated to determine if DHS is worth the cost and the political challenges it creates.

16. To fight coronavirus disinformation, health care professionals must speak out | Expert Opinion

Philadelphia Inquirer · by Jeffrey. C. Lerner · July 17, 2020

And we need to re-establish our faith in science and scientists and public health professionals. But we also have to realize that, in an uncertain environment, the science will be revealed over time, knowledge will expand, and original assessments and diagnoses may have to evolve. Political leaders have to shoulder the responsibility to make decisions, but they (and the American people) are wise to trust the counsel of the professionals.

17. Australia says China's South China Sea claims are unlawful

Reuters · by Melanie Burton & Robert Birsel · July 25, 2020

A bold move by Australia. It seems to be playing an aggressive role in the great power competition with China.

18. The tale of four cities battling the virus

Asia Times · by Jeff Pao · July 24, 2020

We should be studying the pros and cons of the various approaches and learning from them.

19. Biden Declares Asymmetric Warfare on Election Meddling

Bloomberg · by Hal Brands · July 23, 2020

I am not sending this out for any partisan message. I am sending it because of Hal Brand's assessment and discussion of asymmetric warfare in the context of the election.

"To be born free is an accident. To live free is a privilege. To die free is a responsibility."

- Brig. General James Sehorn

"Heart is that by which the general masters. Now order and confusion, bravery and cowardice, are qualities dominated by the heart. Therefore the expert at controlling the enemy frustrates him and then moves against him. He aggravates him to confuse him and harasses him to make him fearful. He thus robs the enemy of his heart and his ability to plan." 

- Chang Yu, 1000

"Cold Wars cannot be conducted by hotheads. Nor can ideological conflicts be won as crusades or concluded by unconditional surrender." 

- Walter Lippmann: The Russian-American War 1949

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

1. North Korea accused of breaching UN sanctions to beef up nuclear and ballistic missile programs

2. Stop disparaging N. Korean defectors

3. Unification ministry to begin probe into activist groups from mid-August

4. Exclusive: more than 40 countries accuse North Korea of breaching U.N. sanctions

5. N. Korea's elite look to foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines for salvation

6. India extends medical assistance worth about USD 1 million to North Korea

7. Moon hails development of new ballistic missile

8. Can Korea attract companies fleeing Hong Kong?

9. Former Ethereum researcher seeks a change of venue for North Korea court case

10. Spiking imported cases put S. Korea's containment efforts in peril

11.N. Korean students collect sand for school revamps in Hyesan

12. Kim Yo Jong leads stipend scheme to encourage more child births

13. After a COVID-19 lull, North Korea gets back to sanctions-busting as China turns a blind eye

14. China's illegal fishing vessels displacing local boats in North Korean waters: Report

15. North Korean ghost ships washed up in Japan are aging fishing vessels

16. KCTV brings new perspectives to Pyongyang construction progress

1. North Korea accused of breaching UN sanctions to beef up nuclear and ballistic missile programs

Fox News · by Caitlin McFall · July 24, 2020

No kidding. This is what North Korea does. It is good to see this action by the UN.

No one should be under any illusion about North Korean intentions. The North's nuclear and missile programs are a fundamental part of the regime's strategy. Kim Jong-Un has no intention of giving them up unless his own elite and the military pressure him to do so.

2. Stop disparaging N. Korean defectors

The Dong-A Ilbo · July 25, 2020

Not only must this stop, the ROK should be treating escapees (defectors) as national assets as many will make key contributions to the end of the regime and the unification of the Korean peninsula. In our report, Maximum Pressure 2.0: A Plan for North Korea, we made this recommendation (we used defector versus escapee only because it is the commonly accepted term – but defector is a bad description because it connotes a traitor to his country. Rather, they have escaped from one of the most oppressive regimes in the world to come to their home country of which they were already citizens) (and note IIA is information and influence activities):

Establish a Korea Defector Information Institute (KDII): there is no single organization in the United States or South Korea that harnesses the information of defectors to support IIA. If both nations worked together to establish a KDII, it could serve as a repository for defector information to inform policymakers, strategists, and those responsible for developing IIA themes and messages. This institute should utilize defector knowledge and advice in devising appropriate messages and communications techniques. It could also encourage North Koreans to defect, particularly members of Office 39 (also known as Department 39), who are knowledgeable of the Kim family regime’s finances.

We also recommended this:

Develop organizational infrastructure to facilitate IIA: The United States and South Korea lack a single organization to direct IIA against North Korea. Washington and Seoul should establish institutions that would work together to plan and shape combined IIA. Fortunately, as discussed earlier, the United States already has numerous tools at its disposal, such as the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Voice of America; and Radio Free Asia. The United States should centralize these activities under an oversight organization. This organization would coordinate all agencies and departments and work with non-government organizations.

Under the Moon administration, there will likely be concerns that IIA could upset diplomatic conditions. Admittedly, an IIA campaign targeting Pyongyang could risk stirring additional short-term tensions with Pyongyang. But U.S. diplomats should remind their ROK counterparts that those tensions may ultimately forge a path to the peaceful denuclearization of North Korea. U.S. diplomats also need to remind their South Korean allies that Seoul’s persistent use of concessions has not elicited progress with Pyongyang.

Implement aggressive IIA targeting the North Korea regime: After building a baseline consensus, the United States and South Korea should implement increasingly aggressive IIA targeting the North Korean regime. These activities should inform North Koreans of their universal human rights and civil liberties that the regime is failing to respect. This will undermine the legitimacy of the Kim family regime and give hope to the people living in the North. Alternate sources of information can put regime propaganda in perspective.

This campaign could also help lay the initial groundwork for emergent leaders who could replace Kim and who might seek to unify with the South as equal partners under the values of individual liberty and freedom, liberal democracy, and a free market economy. At a minimum, this campaign could help persuade Kim that the status quo poses a greater threat than good faith negotiations with the United States and South Korea. The ultimate goal is to create internal divisions and threats that will influence Kim to denuclearize.

Increase exposure of North Koreans to the outside world: IIA must exploit North Koreans’ growing access to DVDs, USB drives, and smart phones from outside the country.These media devices can carry content popular among North Koreans, such as South Korean dramas, which can implicitly help Koreans in the North better understand the difference between the regime they have and the government they deserve.

Encourage Moon’s government to increase intra-Korean people-to-people exchanges: Washington should encourage intra-Korean engagement by sponsoring people-to-people educational and cultural exchanges. Such exchanges could expose North Korea’s intelligentsia and emerging elites to democratic concepts as well as personal relationships with South Koreans.

Provide military support to ROK-U.S. government programs for IIA: S. Psychological Operations (PSYOP) forces should be deployed on a permanent basis to support ROK PSYOP forces as part of a national-level alliance IIA campaign. ROK and U.S. PSYOP forces should advise and assist defector organizations to synchronize themes, messages, and dissemination methods to ensure unity of effort.

3. Unification ministry to begin probe into activist groups from mid-August

Yonhap News Agency · by julesyi@yna.co.kr · July 24, 2020

Again, I cannot say this enough: this is wrong. It should be stopped. The ROKG is making a huge mistake.

4. Exclusive: More than 40 countries accuse North Korea of breaching U.N. sanctions

Reuters by Michelle Nichols · July 24, 2020

I do have to say this is one of the reasons for North Korean paranoia and why it plays the victim card saying, "everybody is against us." Then again, it would not be this way if North Korea acted as a responsible member of the international community rather than the rogue revolutionary wannabe power that it is.

5. N. Korea's elite look to foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines for salvation

Daily NK · by Jeong Tae Joo · July 24, 2020

Even the elite has no trust in the regime.

6. India extends medical assistance worth about USD 1 million to North Korea

Outlook · by PTI · July 25, 2020

Through the WHO for TB.

7. Moon hails development of new ballistic missile

The Chosun Ilbo · by Ahn Jun-yong · July 24, 2020

This is good. President Moon could have used some stronger language but as he said he was mindful of the cameras and security concerns. I hope Kim is afraid, very afraid though perhaps not because he will think this conflicts with Moon's peace strategy.

8. Can Korea attract companies fleeing Hong Kong?

Korea JoongAng Daily · by Kang Ki-Heon & Choi Sun-Wook · July 24, 2020

I think all countries who are part of the "alliance of democracies" should seek to take in Hong Kong businesses.

9. Former Ethereum researcher seeks a change of venue for North Korea court case

Coin Telegraph · by Benjamin Pirus · July 24, 2020

Because the District Court of Southern District of New York is the court most capable of trying a complex case like this.

10. Spiking imported cases put S. Korea's containment efforts in peril

Yonhap News Agency · by colin@yna.co.kr · July 25, 2020

Oh no. More to learn from our Korean allies.

11. N. Korean students collect sand for school revamps in Hyesan

Daily NK · by Ha Yoon Ah · July 24, 2020

No one talks very much about the use of child labor in North Korea, but apparently the regime is sensitive to the image of school children being forced to do manual labor.

12. Kim Yo Jong leads stipend scheme to encourage more child births

Daily NK · by Mun Dong Hui · July 24, 2020

Kim Yo-Jong seems to be getting involved in every aspect of North Korea life. Perhaps the Propaganda and Agitation Department will start touting her as the Dear Mother or Supreme Mother or Great Mother or some other mother moniker of North Korea for trying to raise the birth rate in the North.

The buried lede: the stipend scheme is intended to build trust in the socialist health care system. Note the problems with the "scheme."

13. After a COVID-19 lull, North Korea gets back to sanctions-busting as China turns a blind eye

NBC News · by Dan De Luce · July 25, 2020

Should be no surprise that China turns a blind eye (or more).  Front companies registered in China - Department 39?

14. China's illegal fishing vessels displacing local boats in North Korean waters: Report

Republic World · by Prerna Vijayeni Panda · July 25, 2020

Selling the fishing rights to China takes priority over North Korean fishing. The regime benefits more from selling the rights to China (in violation of sanctions) than from protecting North Korean fishermen, who can help feed the Korean people living in the North.

15. North Korean ghost ships washed up in Japan are aging fishing vessels

Daily Mail · by Amelia Wynne · July 24, 2020

This is what the Kim family regime and China are doing to the North Korean fishing fleet. This is important news and information that needs to be reported to the Korean people in the North. They need to know what the Chinese and Kim Jong-Un are doing.

16. KCTV brings new perspectives to Pyongyang construction progress

38 North · by Martyn Williams · July 24, 2020

This is the regime priority: take care of Pyongyang at the expense of the Korea people in the North.

"To be born free is an accident. To live free is a privilege. To die free is a responsibility."

- Brig. General James Sehorn

"Heart is that by which the general masters. Now order and confusion, bravery and cowardice, are qualities dominated by the heart. Therefore the expert at controlling the enemy frustrates him and then moves against him. He aggravates him to confuse him and harasses him to make him fearful. He thus robs the enemy of his heart and his ability to plan." 

- Chang Yu, 1000

"Cold Wars cannot be conducted by hotheads. Nor can ideological conflicts be won as crusades or concluded by unconditional surrender." 

- Walter Lippmann: The Russian-American War 1949

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

1. Mike Pompeo Urges Chinese People to Change Communist Party

2. 'Nightmare scenario' confronts China as Asian aggression opens doors for U.S.

3. Opinion | Why we should invite Hong Kong businesses to move to the United States

4. US senators introduce legislation to counter China on multiple fronts

5. China's Deep State: The Communist Party and the Coronavirus

6. Indo-Pacific Commander Details Regional Deterrence Efforts

7. China Aims Missiles At Guam. How Should the Pentagon Defend America’s Pacific Bomber Base?

8. Republican-Controlled Senate Defies Trump, Passes Defense Spending Bill Removing Confederate Names From Military Bases

9. That Other Virus (spoiler alert: Anarchy)

10. INDOPACOM Wants Billions To Build, As Pentagon Plans Cuts To Overseas Presence

11. House, Senate pass bills to study the number of cancers striking military pilots

12. In Defense of A Strategy of Not-Losing

13. What If It Doesn’t End Quickly? Reconsidering US Preparedness for Protracted Conventional War

14. Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to posing as heroic Navy SEAL to get $300,000 in veterans benefits

15. Hybrid Warfare: How Cancel Culture Can Fuel a War

16. Exclusive: How Carlos Ghosn Escaped Japan, According to the Ex-Green Beret Who Snuck Him Out

17. The Strange Defeat of the United States: A French Historian’s Message for Pandemic Times

18. Special Forces Operatives are 'High Functioning Psychopaths': What Happens When they are Deployed to 'Democratic Cities'?

1. Mike Pompeo Urges Chinese People to Change Communist Party

WSJ · by Kate O’Keeffe and William Mauldin

We should send the Chinese people Gene Sharp's From Dictatorship to Democracy.

2.  'Nightmare scenario' confronts China as Asian aggression opens doors for U.S.

washingtontimes.com · by Mike Glenn

Can we exploit China's problems and mistakes?

3.  Opinion | Why we should invite Hong Kong businesses to move to the United States

The Washington Post · by Opinion by Jonathan Schanzer and Eric Lorber

4. US senators introduce legislation to counter China on multiple fronts

SCMP · by Robert Delaney

How will this align with the White House's new strategic approach to China? Here it is.

5. China's Deep State: The Communist Party and the Coronavirus

lowyinstitute.org · by Richard McGregor

I think Richard MacGregor's book The Party is still one of the best books on the Chinese Communist Party. It is about 10 years old but I think it remains a valuable read for understand the party.

6. Indo-Pacific Commander Details Regional Deterrence Efforts

defense.gov · by Jim Garamone

7. China Aims Missiles At Guam. How Should the Pentagon Defend America’s Pacific Bomber Base?

Forbes · by David Axe · July 23, 2020

Good question. 

8. Republican-Controlled Senate Defies Trump, Passes Defense Spending Bill Removing Confederate Names From Military Bases

Forbes · by Rachel Sandler · July 23, 2020

It seems Congress does have enough votes to override a veto.

9. That Other Virus (spoiler alert: Anarchy)

legion.org · by National Commander James "Bill" Oxford

A short, thought provoking essay.

10. INDOPACOM Wants Billions To Build, As Pentagon Plans Cuts To Overseas Presence

breakingdefense.com · by Paul McLeary

Even if we go to more of a rotational force presence we will still need facilities.

11. House, Senate pass bills to study the number of cancers striking military pilots

missoulian.com · by Tara Copp McClatchy · July 23, 2020

Just pilots?  I know there are other cancer issues for service members.

12. In Defense of A Strategy of Not-Losing

thestrategybridge.org · July 23, 2020

I could not help adding these quotes: “The conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerilla wins if he does not lose.”  Henry Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, Jan 1969

“You will kill ten of our men, and we will kill one of yours, and in the end it will be you who tires of it” Ho Chi Minh (1969)

13. What If It Doesn’t End Quickly? Reconsidering US Preparedness for Protracted Conventional War

mwi.usma.edu · by Patrick Savage · July 23, 2020

Mao did write a little book on Protracted Warfare.

And Sun Tzu reminds us:

"Therefore, I have heard of military campaigns that  were clumsy but swift, but I have never seen military campaigns that were skilled but protracted.

No nation has ever benefited from protracted warfare."  Sun Tzu.

14. Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to posing as heroic Navy SEAL to get $300,000 in veteran’s benefits

taskandpurpose.com · by Robert Moran, The Philadelphia Inquirer

It is amazing that people do these things. I hope the judge throws the book at him.

15. Hybrid Warfare: How Cancel Culture Can Fuel a War

securityboulevard.com · by Daniel Smith on July 22, 2020 · July 22, 2020

I do not know if Hybrid Warfare is that difficult to define.  Frank Hoffman provided us with a useful definition:

"Any adversary that simultaneously and adaptively employs a fused mix of conventional weapons, irregular tactics, terrorism and criminal behavior in the battle space to obtain their political objectives." 

16. Exclusive: How Carlos Ghosn Escaped Japan, According to the Ex-Green Beret Who Snuck Him Out

Vanity Fair · by May Jeong

Interesting background on another crazy story about someone from the SF Regiment.

17. The Strange Defeat of the United States: A French Historian’s Message for Pandemic Times

Foreign Affairs · by Robert Zaretsky · July 20, 2020

I bet you did not expect to read about the Phoney War, the Maginot Line, the fall of France at the beginning of WWII and about someone who served in the French Resistance..  An interesting read with advice for historians.

18. Special Forces Operatives are 'High Functioning Psychopaths': What Happens When they are Deployed to 'Democratic Cities'?

bylinetimes.com · by CJ Werleman· July 23, 2020

Ugh...I offer this screed purely for propaganda education.  The author notes his complete lack of credibility when he tells us none of his "research" has ever made it onto the pages of a manuscript.  This kind of "research could never make it through a peer review.

-------------------

"We are all inevitably someone's adversary."

- Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."

- Samuel Adams

"Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith."

- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America