11/10/2020 News & Commentary - National Security

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

1. Exclusive: Esper, on his way out, says he was no yes man

2. Here’s what you need to know about Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller

3. Trump's new military hire raises fears of last-minute military plans overseas

4. The danger of treating national security like a political sideshow

5. What do Chinese people think of the US election?

6. What today’s generals could learn from George Washington's evolution

7. 21st-century proxy wars

8.  International institutions still matter to the US

9. US Marines officially training in Taiwan for 1st time since 1979

10. Belt and road stakeholders don’t believe China uses ‘debt-trap diplomacy’

11. Why tough is not enough in foreign policy

12. COVID-19 and the U.S. military

13. Breaking the cycle: America’s challenges combatting irregular warfare in the 21st century

14. An Obama restoration on foreign policy? Familiar faces could fill Biden’s team

15. From Prussia with love: the origins of the modern profession of arms

16. Covid-19 may not have emerged in Wuhan, says leading virus hunter

17. Siege mentality: a tale of two Wus

 

1. Exclusive: Esper, on his way out, says he was no yes man

Military Times · Meghann Myers · November 10, 2020

Certainly, Secretary Esper has turned out to be a controversial SECDEF. The true test of a leader is how well an organization functions when he is no longer there. His leadership will be judged by how well DOD functions in the coming days, weeks, and months.

 

2. Here’s what you need to know about Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller

Task & Purpose · Jeff Schogol · November 10, 2020

My comments are below. As noted, I have confidence in Chris. 

As an aside I participated in a conference last evening and I heard a former senior defense official criticize Chris' appointment, saying he was a former Lieutenant Colonel (inaccurate as he retired as  full Colonel) and that he would not be able to make the service chiefs do anything because they would look on him with natural disdain. Such a comment is an insult to Chris as well as the service chiefs. But the implication is that they would not respect the Acting SECDEF because he did not attain sufficient uniformed rank is just incredible. First, there is likely no incoming SECDEFE who knows and understands the National Security and National Defense Strategies better than Chris. But what is really fascinating is that Esper retired as a Lieutenant Colonel who served the majority of his military career in the reserve components? Did the Service chiefs consider him simply a Lieutenant Colonel in civilian clothes? I think not. We should look at some of the past SECDEFs. Was Rumsfeld more qualified to be SECDEF (his first time) at 45 years old after being a Navy Lieutenant? Of course, the argument is while they might have been junior officers (or NCOs in Vietnam), their life experiences more than compensate for not having a career in the military (did McNamara's life and business experiences translate into making him a good SECDEF?). I would put Chris's experiences up against some of the SECDEFs. Of course, not every SECDEF can be a Marshall, Forrestal, or Mattis.

 

3. Trump's new military hire raises fears of last-minute military plans overseas

Sydney Morning Herald · David S. Cloud · November 10, 2020

I was unaware of this issue. I guess I assumed that only applied to general officers.

Another possible barrier to Miller's appointment is a law that prohibits anyone who has served as an officer in a regular branch of the armed services in the past seven years from becoming defense secretary.

Miller left the army in 2014, but it's not clear if the restriction applies. Legal experts said the statute does not distinguish between appointments as acting and permanent secretary. The law can be waived but only by the Senate.

 

4. The danger of treating national security like a political sideshow

Defense One · Kevin Baron · November 9, 2020

Scathing critique.

 

5. What do Chinese people think of the US election?

Diplomat · Aadil Brar · November 10, 2020

A useful survey of Chinese media (propaganda outlets) and social media.

 

6. What today’s generals could learn from George Washington's evolution

Defense One · Thomas E. Ricks · November 9, 2020

Are there any US generals in the modern era that Tom Ricks likes?  But the ability to "observe, reflect, and adjust" is sage advice.

As an aside, I do look forward to Ricks' new book. I will be interested in reading his take on the influence that Greek and Roman philosophers and leaders had on our founding fathers. While so many tout the influence of Judeo-Christianity, I think Greek and Roman philosophy had more influence on the development of US political philosophy than religion did.

 

7. 21st-century proxy wars

USNI · Captain Michael Hanson · November 2020

Interesting thesis.

Congress best describes what we need from irregular warfare in the 2018 NDAA: irregular warfare is conducted “in support of predetermined United States policy and military objectives conducted by, with, and through regular forces, irregular forces, groups, and individuals participating in competition between state and non-state actors short of traditional armed conflict.”

 

8. International institutions still matter to the US

Strategist · Joseph S. Nye · November 10, 2020

Yes, they do. Like our alliances are key to our national security, effective work within international institutions is key to exercising US national power.

 

9. US Marines officially training in Taiwan for 1st time since 1979

Taiwan News · Keoni Everington · November 11, 2020

SOF leading the way on engagement with Taiwan (MARSOC and SF). Economy of force use of SOF as well as for strategic messaging.

 

10. Belt and road stakeholders don’t believe China uses ‘debt-trap diplomacy’

Diplomat · Pradumna B Rana & Xianbai Ji · November 6, 2020

 

11. Why Tough is Not Enough in Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy Research Institute · Margaret Seymour · November 9, 2020

Some interesting food for thought.

 

12. COVID-19 and the U.S. military

War On the Rocks · Mark Cancian · November 10, 2020

USFK is a model.

 

13. Breaking the cycle: America’s challenges combatting irregular warfare in the 21st century

Small Wars Journal · Will Corry · November 9, 2020

 

14. An Obama restoration on foreign policy? Familiar faces could fill Biden’s team

New York Times · by Michael Crowley · November 9, 2020

 

15. From Prussia with love: The origins of the modern profession of arms

Modern War Institute · Mick Ryan · November 10, 2020

 

16. Covid-19 may not have emerged in Wuhan, says leading virus hunter

Telegraph · Nicola Smith · November 10, 2020

This must be taken with a grain of salt.

 

17.  Siege mentality: a tale of two Wus

Strategy Bridge · John F. Sullivan · November 10, 2020

More on Sun Tzu and his peers or contemporaries.

But do not miss this footnote:

[26] For instance, Colin Gray ranks Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, and Thucydides in the “First Division” (out of a total of four) of strategic theory classics, and notes that “membership in the First Division is beyond sensible argument.” Colin S. Gray, The Strategy Bridge: Theory for Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 240-1.

 

“You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity.”

- Robert A. Heinlein, The Green Hills of Earth

“Living beings everywhere compete for the means of existence. Competition takes the more intense form we call conflict when … contenders try to hamper, disable, or destroy rivals.”

- Jack Hirshleifer, The Handbook of Defense Economics, vol 1,  Keith Hartley and Todd Sandler, (eds).

“Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us therefore study the incidents in this [war] as philosophy to learn wisdom from and none of them as wrongs to be avenged.”

- Abraham Lincoln, November 10, 1864