10/5/2020 News & Commentary - National Security

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

A note on consuming information and the news…

1.  The U.N. turns 75, and the Chinese Communist Party gaslights the world

2. US preps for ‘irregular warfare’ with China, Russia

3. How the US-Sino trade war is impacting global companies

4. Political aides investigate VOA White House reporter for anti-Trump bias

5. For veterans, bonds forged in battle are tested by 2020’s rancor

6. High-end warfare in the Indo-Pacific theater will require distributed sensing

7. Russians ‘have committed’ to not interfering in elections, Trump aide insists

8. The incapacitation of a President and the twenty-fifth amendment: a reader’s guide

9. H.R. McMaster and the fight to defend the free world

10. Is the United States in the midst of an insurgency?

11. Democracy under lockdown: the impact of COVID-19 on the global struggle for freedom

12. Ban on Chinese apps has a currency war angle

13. Towards an epistemology of grand strategy

14. Why leaders need to learn the skill of writing

 

A note on consuming information and the news…

Ad Fontes Media

I hope people will find this chart useful. I provide some additional information on my methodology and sources below.

H/T Chris Taylor. This seems pretty accurate to me. 

The website above studies media bias and produces the “Media Bias Chart.” Here is a 4-minute video from the founder, Vanessa Otero, who explains the origins of the chart. The video is very much worth the time.

Concerning my personal info/news consumption habits…

I have subscriptions to The Economist, Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and The Daily Beast. Note: not on the list are Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy, to which I also subscribe. Also, not on the list are The National Interest and The National Review.

I regularly watch, read, and listen to ABC (I still like the 30 minute nightly broadcast, which I have been watching since I was a kid as that is what we watched growing up), NPR (I am a contributing member of WAMU and have listened to NPR since All Things Considered began in the 1970s when I was in college), CNN, CBS (primarily for 60 Minutes) Fox, The Hill, VOX, Guardian, Financial Times, and Axios as well as The Washington Examiner, Epoch Times (anti-China) and the NY Post.

I do read the fringe elements when they pop up in the news feeds (e.g. American Thinker, Slate, PJ Media, Salon, etc.).

And not covered on this are all the Korea news sites I use (e.g. Yonhap [semi-official news], Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, Korea Times, Korea Herald, Asia Times, The Diplomat, East Asia Research Center, and The Daily NK. And, of course, the two most important sources are the Korean services of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.

Also not included on the above are all the think tanks (my own, FDD, as well as CSIS, CNAS, Brookings, AEI, Carnegie, Heritage, and ICKS & ICAS [I belong to both of these as well]). Then there are all the web sites on national security. Grounded Curiosity from Australia provides the best resource for national security and military related news sources. Here is the link to an excellent resource on the best Professional MIlitary Education Websites around the world.

I am a practitioner of what Thomas Friedman called "information arbitrage" in his book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Here is one summary description.

 

1. The U.N. Turns 75, and the Chinese Communist Party Gaslights the World

National Review · Jimmy Quinn · October 4, 2020

We should understand China's strategy and how it seeks to undermine international institutions and remake them to support its interests. The dilemma for us is whether we want to cede influence and let China have its way with these organizations or whether we want to protect these institutions and ensure they function for the global good. Of course, all so-called anti-globalists simply say good riddance.

 

2. US preps for ‘irregular warfare’ with China, Russia

Asia Times · Dave Makichuk · October 4, 2020

I am pleased with the new unclassified summary of the unclassified irregular warfare annex, but the plane on which we need to compete with Russia and China is that of political warfare.

 

3. How the US-Sino trade war is impacting global companies

Yahoo! Finance · Suban Abdulla · October 4, 2020

 

4. Political aides investigate VOA White House reporter for anti-Trump bias

NPR · David Folkenflik · October 4, 2020

You either support the freedom of the press one hundred percent or you do not (which means you do not support and defend the Constitution of the United States).  And you should especially support the freedom of the press for Voice of America. Steve Herman is a good man and a good journalist. These so-called political aides? Not so much. These attacks on the press, and especially on VOA, are getting tiresome and, of course, they are a danger to our Republic.

 

5. For veterans, bonds forged in battle are tested by 2020's rancor

New York Times · Dave Philipps · October 4, 2020

I see this every day on social media, including within the various veteran's groups. There is only one criterion for veterans (and all citizens of course): do you support and defend the Constitution? If so, you must be able to tolerate political differences and political conflict, because our Constitution is set up to take it into account. If you fail to tolerate those differences, you are not living up to the ideals of the Constitution and the political philosophy of the United States as designed by our Founding Fathers and outlined in the Federalist Papers.

 

6. High-end warfare in the Indo-Pacific theater will require distributed sensing

Real Clear Defense · Dan Gouré · October 3, 2020

Necessary, yes. But, if we effectively compete in the political warfare realm, we can deter high-end warfare. Ceding the political warfare space to China (and Russia, Iran, and North Korea) makes us more vulnerable.

 

7. Russians 'have committed' to not interfering in elections, Trump aide insists

New York Times · David E. Sanger · October 4, 2020

Ceding the political warfare space?

 

8. The incapacitation of a President and the twenty-fifth amendment: a reader's guide

Just Security · Harold Hongju Koh, et al. · October 4, 2020

This is a reprint and an academic treatment of the issue without a discussion of current events.

Before the 25th should be invoked, a President can make the decision to temporarily transfer power while he or she is being treated. The President can use his or her own judgment to determine that authority should be passed temporarily to the Vice President to ensure continuity of and confidence in our government as well as the national security of the US. To me, this is what leadership is all about, making these kinds of tough decisions and doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

 

9. H.R. McMaster and the fight to defend the free world

FDD · Clifford D. May · October 2, 2020

An excellent podcast episode.

 

10. Is the United States in the midst of an insurgency?

American Thinker · Matt Rowe · October 4, 2020

What is never addressed in these types of essays is that, when an "insurgency" is the latent or incipient phase, the best way to counter it is through effective politics, which include appropriate political accommodation. What political accommodations is the government making to solve political grievances, thereby employing the most effective tool to undermine the legitimacy of the "insurgent" leadership? Instead, we turn political opposition into enemies and, thus, make it a zero sum game. This is shown when the government's sole focus becomes law and order, which simply breaths energy into the insurgency.  It is necessary to conduct appropriate security and law enforces operations. But without a political component, security and law enforcement operations alone will not solve the problem.

I do not believe Black Lives Matters and ANTIFA are insurgencies. Yes, there are some charismatic leaders who may be employing insurgent techniques and they may have the desire to create chaos. But I do not believe either are coherent organizations (yet). If effective and proper political action is taken to alleviate real grievances, the air will be sucked out of these movements. Vilifying those who are protesting and only focusing on law and order only makes things worse.

I have a key excerpt from a point paper on insurgency below, which I wrote for my fellow CGSC (and later SAMS) students in 1995 since there was little-to-no focus on insurgency in the 1990s.

5. Some additional notes on insurgency for consideration.

                        a.  Consider that there are generally four "elements" that may be involved in the insurgency:

(1) The insurgent

(2) The population

(3) The counter-insurgent (the existing government or occupying power)

(4) The peace enforcer or peacekeeper (external nation or forces)

b.  Key to understanding insurgency is that it is a political problem first and foremost which has implications for the military.  However, an insurgency will ultimately be successful if the underlying political and socio-economic causes are not addressed,

                        c.  The insurgent, the counter-insurgent, and the peacekeeper/enforcer have only two fundamental tools to work with to accomplish their goals:

(1) The enhancement of popular perceptions of legitimacy.

(2) The credible capability to coerce

                        d.  Success or failure is determined by each side’s understanding, application, and the mixture of these tools (which is determined by the political leadership NOT the military leadership)

e.  Remember that no armed political disturbances begin without significant lead times.

f.  When is the US military committed to counterinsurgency?  Usually during the guerilla warfare or, at worst, the war of movement phase.  Guess what?  The war is already lost especially if a thorough Phase I has been conducted.  It is generally too late for the established government to initiate the political reforms necessary to defeat the insurgency.  Therefore, the US military ends up conducting a military operation to counter a political problem which just adds strength to the perceived legitimacy of the insurgency.  The signs of a latent insurgency are too often overlooked and unrecognized.

g.  Some fundamental considerations needed for the mindset of dealing with insurgencies.

(1) Encourage improvisation by subordinates (can lead to valuable tactics and techniques; i.e., SF CIDG program in Vietnam or the USMC Combined or Civic Action Platoons (CAP in Vietnam).

(2) Orient on the "human terrain".  Think in terms of cultural historical, and psychological terms.

(3) The killing (military operation) is clearly subordinate to the psychological and political.

(4) Replace "shoot, move, and communicate” with "presence, patience, and persistence."  Someday, if you are successful, the mission will disappear, like a river flowing into a swamp.

 

11. Democracy under lockdown: the impact of COVID-19 on the global struggle for freedom

 

Freedom House · Sara Repucci & Amy Slipowitz · October 4, 2020

 

12. Ban on Chinese apps has a currency war angle

Sunday Guardian Live · James Lee · October 3, 2020

 

13. Towards an epistemology of grand strategy

Real Clear Defense · Maurizio Recordati · October 5, 2020

Can the US conduct grand strategy? I think we can and must. I think this article presents an interesting discussion of the stereotype and the ideal type.

 

14. Why leaders need to learn the skill of writing

From the Green Notebook · Joe Byerly · October 3, 2020

I am reminded of Truman's quote: "not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." Not all writers are leaders, but all leaders are writers (or, at least, have good writing skills).

 

"The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world."

- Alexander von Humboldt

"If you define leadership as having a vision for an organization, and the ability to attract, motivate, and guide followers to fulfill that vision, you have Bill Donovan in spades."

- Fisher Howe, special assistant to Gen. William Donovan

“... insurgency and counterinsurgency... have enjoyed a level of military, academic, and journalistic notice unseen since the mid-1960s. Scholars and practitioners have recently reexamined 19th- and 20th-century counterinsurgency campaigns waged by the United States and the European colonial powers, much as their predecessors during the Kennedy administration mined the past relentlessly in the hope of uncovering the secrets of revolutionary guerrilla warfare. The professional military literature is awash with articles on how the armed services should prepare for what the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) refers to as “irregular warfare,” and scholars, after a long hiatus, have sought to deepen our understanding of the roles that insurgency, terrorism, and related forms of political violence play in the international security environment.”

--William Rosenau, “Subversion and Terrorism: Understanding and Countering the Threat” (2006)