An ironically named committee is being assembled to conquer the new corona virus. What is warp speed? There is the science fiction concept first introduced by John F. Campbell in his novel from 1931, Islands of Space, as a technique for traveling faster than light. Then there is Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which, upon casual interpretation indicates that matter (having mass) cannot travel at the speed of light. It would require an infinite amount of energy. So here we . . .
Category: Military
Kill Chain?
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the last of the trophy generals) reported to congress in 2018 that the U.S. is not involved in the “kill chain” in Yemen, but we are supplying the bombers, laser guided bombs, intelligence, and mid-air refueling to the Saudis and Emiratis who are involved. Is not being in the “kill chain” meant to assuage our sense of murderous guilt? Maybe , but this is little consolation to the thousands of innocent Yemeni . . .
Our Friends?
It is good to have friends but sometimes you need to tell them the truth, if for example, they have used poor judgment or are exhibiting destructive behavior. Now might be the time! Nigerian Army killing protestors: Firing directly into an unarmed crowd at close range as they tried to flee. President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to control military abuse and restore security but has done very little since elected in 2015. In fact, the military has detained children, raped . . .
Mercenary War Globalism
Talk about Globalism: Blackwater or as it has called itself since 2011, Academi, is now a division of Constellis Holdings based in Reston, Virginia. Marketing Description of Services: “integrated security and technical operations, domestic and international training, security assessment and analysis, risk mitigation, and technology solutions.” In plain words: Runs an army for the United Arab Emirates using recruits from Latin America, Sudan and elsewhere to prosecute the Saudi led war in Yemen with a wink and support from the . . .
Big Enough?
How much is enough? Let’s face it as a species we misbehave. We require the police to maintain daily decorum and using history as a predictor, we need a military just in case. The DoD request for 2019 for $716 Billion says they need more: “To address the scope and pace of our competitors’ and adversaries’ ambitions and capabilities, we must invest in modernization of key capabilities through sustained, predictable budgets. Our backlog of deferred readiness, procurement, and modernization requirements . . .
Lethality
Who are we? According to our Defense Secretary (he’s the thoughtful one): “Everything we do must contribute to the lethality of our military” National Defense Strategy Document: “Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in U.S. national security”. China is the primary adversary and although Russia is more forceful it is a much more limited threat, then there are the lesser threats of North Korea and Iran. “As China continues its economic and military ascendance, asserting power . . .