06/04/2020 News & Commentary – National Security

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin.

1. Thomas Jefferson signed the Insurrection Act in 1807 to foil a Plot by Aaron Burr

2. Washington looks to Five Eyes to build anti-China coalition

3. Trump must exploit Xi's new imperialism

4. FDD | Military and Veteran Groups decry ICC Investigation

5. An Appeal to the National Security Community to fight Racial Injustice

6. We are the Useful Idiots: How Our Nation divided is playing straight into the Hands of Our Greatest Enemies

7. Meet the Drone Startup scoring Millions in Government Surveillance Contracts

8. Hong Kong at risk of a repeat of Tiananmen

9. "Operation Overlord: OSS and the Battle for France"

10, A divided America cannot compete in a superpower duel with China

11. Service Chiefs acknowledge Racism in the Ranks, Pledge Dialogue, Change

12. The Endangered Asian Century: America, China, and the Perils of Confrontation

13. The End of Europe's Chinese Dream

14. 'Wolf Warrior Diplomacy': Israel's China Strategy in Peril

15. On the Path to Intellectual Overmatch

16. SOCOM looking to bake in AI Requirements on Every New Program

17. The United States and the New World Disorder: Retreat from Primacy

18.  How the World Views the Protests in America

 

1. Thomas Jefferson signed the Insurrection Act in 1807 to foil a Plot by Aaron Burr

history.com · by Dave Roos

It is always useful to review some history to help guide us in the future.

2. Washington looks to Five Eyes to build anti-China coalition

Financial Times · by Katrina Manson · June 3, 2020

Allies are critical to US national security and foreign policy.

3. Trump must exploit Xi's new imperialism

washingtontimes.com · by Gary Anderson

To exploit the situation, we have to play our superior form of political warfare. I still think we can take some lessons from George Kennan's policy planning memo.

4. FDD | Military and Veteran Groups decry ICC Investigation

fdd.org · by Orde Kittrie Senior Fellow · June 3, 2020

The ICC is a threat to US military and government personnel.  It is good to see these veteran's organizations step up to oppose the ICC investigations.

5. An Appeal to the National Security Community to fight Racial Injustice

Foreign Policy · by Bishop Garrison, Jon Wolfsthal · June 2, 2020

An interesting argument. Everyone should be united in protecting American values: individual liberty and freedom, liberal democracy, free market economy and human rights. Our national security and foreign policies rest on those values. There are two things we should keep in mind. Our nation was founded on an idea and ideals (which makes us one of a kind) and what has made America exceptional is we have admitted and more importantly corrected our mistakes. And we have to continue to correct our mistakes to make the American experiment work in order to strive to form a more perfect union.

6. We are the Useful Idiots: How Our Nation divided is playing straight into the Hands of Our Greatest Enemies

havokjournal.com · by Alice Atalanta · June 2, 2020

Yes, this is a clickbait title. But I do think too many of us are useful idiots. But read on.  

(note that from there are six types of "Useful Idiots from the article at this link: https://unherd.com/2018/06/six-types-useful-idiot/. -  The Seeker. The Utopian, The Power Worshipper, The Relativist, The Stability-Fetishist, The Nostalgist) - it is amazing how many of these types we see on social media. We should be on the lookout for them and most important we should make sure we are not one of them).

Chris Costa hits the nail on the head here. 

But after insulting us (note sarcasm) Dr. Atalanta provides some practical advice. 

7. Meet the Drone Startup scoring Millions in Government Surveillance Contracts

Forbes · by Thomas Brewster · June 3, 2020

It is a brave new world and Big Brother's capabilities are growing.

8. Hong Kong at risk of a repeat of Tiananmen

taipeitimes · by Hsiao Hsu-hsing 蕭徐行 · June 2, 2020

I suppose the key indicator will be when the PLA rolls tanks into Hong Kong. 31 years ago today (June 4, 1989) I was in the field conducting training when Tiananmen happened. Our communications sergeant tuned into the news on our PRC-70 radio and we listened to the reports and wondered if this would cause greater resistance in China but of course the PLA crushed it.

9. "Operation Overlord: OSS and the Battle for France"

To commemorate the 76th anniversary of D-Day, The OSS Society will release "Operation Overlord: OSS and the Battle for France" on June 6th. This film tells the story of Allied special forces whose daring exploits changed the course of WW2. https://youtu.be/_3Do20mH2us

10, A divided America cannot compete in a superpower duel with China

Financial Times · by Janan Ganesh · June 3, 2020

A view from the UK. I wonder if our adversaries recall the Napoleon dictum: “Never interrupt your enemy have he is making a mistake."  And we need to remember our President Lincoln: "A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

11. Service Chiefs acknowledge Racism in the Ranks, Pledge Dialogue, Change

defenseone.com · by Marcus Weisgerber, Kevin Baron, and Bradley Peniston · June 3, 2020

Are we going to see a civil-military relations crisis?

12. The Endangered Asian Century: America, China, and the Perils of Confrontation

Foreign Affairs · by Lee Hsien Loong · June 4, 2020

An interesting read. Asian countries do not want to choose between the US and China. China cannot replace the US as a security partner and the US cannot replace China as an economic. The old adage of "Europe is the continent of the past, America is the continent of the present, and Asia is the continent of the future "may still not hold true according to the author. But it seems like US-PRC confrontation is going to drive foreign policy and strategy for some years to come and the future of Asia will be dependent on the strategic decisions made by the US and the PRC.

13. The End of Europe's Chinese Dream

project-syndicate.org · by Mark Leonard · May 26, 2020

Can Europe decouple of at least reduce dependence on China? This is the recommended way ahead for the EU.

14. 'Wolf Warrior Diplomacy': Israel's China Strategy in Peril

middleeastmonitor.com · by Ramzy Baroud · June 3, 2020

The relationship between Israel, China, and the US is an interesting one. The author argues the Israeli strategy of being able to play both sides may no longer be possible.

15. On the Path to Intellectual Overmatch

warontherocks.com · by Adam Oler · June 3, 2020

More on professional military education. In my mind it is not the institution but the individual. That is why I am fond of Eric Hoffer's quote here: "Education should implant a will and a facility for learning; it should produce not learned but learning people. In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."  - Eric Hoffer

16. SOCOM looking to bake in AI Requirements on Every New Program

breakingdefense.com · by Paul McLeary

I do not think T.E. Lawrence was anticipating AI when he said this: "Irregular warfare is far more intellectual than a bayonet charge." However, while we focus on the high end technology and "bake" AI into ll programs, sometimes you still need to be able to conduct a bayonet charge depending on the conditions.

17. The United States and the New World Disorder: Retreat from Primacy

carnegieendowment.org · by Aaron David Miller, Richard Sokolsky

The authors argue Russia and China are here to stay but they cannot lead. I like his description of "small tribes, big powers." They argue Iran and north Korea has successfully pushed back on the US. Finally, the authors ask if the US is divided at home will it lead in international affairs?

18.  How the World views the Protests in America

Bloomberg · by Robert Burgess · June 3, 2020

A survey of views of writers in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

 

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"In this sad world of ours sorrow comes to all and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible except with time. You cannot now believe that you will ever feel better. But this is not true. You are sure to be happy again. Knowing this, truly believing it will make you less miserable now. I have had enough experience to make this statement." 

 - Abraham Lincoln

 

The history that lies inert in unread books does no work in the world.
If you want a new idea, read an old book.
`Tis the good reader that makes the good book.
A book is like a mirror. If an ass looks in, no prophet can peer out.

- The "maxims" quoted come from Clark Becker, Lord Lytton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Georg Lichtenberg quoted in Jay Luuvas' "Military History: Is It Still Practicable? " 

"Education should implant a will and a facility for learning; it should produce not learned but learning people.  In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." 

- Eric Hoffer