Another reminder that the 1619 project is not history, but is a nasty form of homegrown anti-American propaganda. The Russians couldn't have devised a project designed to create chaos and divisions in America with this much fake history.
While this American missile raises the bar on avoiding collateral damage, I worry the spinning-blades AGM-114R9X Hellfire is one step from the "read them their rights and cuff them" Hellfire.
Yes, any physical barrier can be breached. If you are truly determined. The point of a barrier is one, to deter the less determined; and two, for the determined, to impose delay with the barrier and allow friendly forces time to react. That's was true with the Great Wall of China and it remains true today.
The French continue to battle jihadis in Mali, nearly 7 years after their mini-blitzkrieg.
Thanks, but no. Hard pass, actually. Although the Army and Customs already have a full set.
Global warming crisis advocates like to assert that global warming is causing unrest. But perhaps it is more accurate to say that expensive (and pointless) Green policies are causing unrest. Wait to all those leftist 99-percenter types find out that Green policies enrich the already wealthy and pull up the drawbridges to keep the peasantry out of the castles. Tip to Instapundit.
The "double whammy" China took.
If the report released Monday by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz constitutes a “clearing” of the FBI, never clear me of anything. Holy God, what a clown show the Trump-Russia investigation was. Do read it all. To me the Russians have to be feeling pretty good. The FBI failed to stop the Russian election operation in 2016 and after it was over the FBI turned on Trump in a ham-fisted clown show of ineptitude. Bravo. As I've said, you can--although it strains credulity--make a case that starting the investigation was prudent with such a political unknown as Trump. But the duration and enthusiasm for continuing the farcical probe is another matter altogether. There was abuse of power and I think a figurative Roman decimation is in order to remind the remaining FBI employees not to act as the arm of a political party.
Although I don't think it is fair to say reporters lied about the Steele Dossier. What they did is rely on sources who were not trustworthy. And the reporters wanted to believe what they were told was true. In a sane world the reporters would stiff-arm those like-minded sources forever. That's a different subset problem of the "fake news" issue.
The Chinese say that all the Uighurs happily graduated from their vocational centers, contrary to the horrible accusations that the Chinese are running concentration camps. I guess it is true that work sets you free. Now those Uighurs love Big Han Brother! Although the Chinese insist everything is in order, they are working to prevent further leaks that would prove how effective their vocational education really is.
Pro-Iranian militias continue to kill activists in Iraq.
To be fair, they are lying, cheating bastards. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they killed Epstein. Tip to Instapundit.
Well that is certainly inconvenient.
Just as the House Democrats begin their BS impeachment we formally know the Steele dossier--which started the whole BS serial search for a nonexistent crime to justify an impeachment that they always wanted--was BS, and there was never any evidence that it was more than BS. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Russia wasn't trying to engineer an election outcome. They were trying to undermine American democracy and divide American society. And boy have they done that--with the enthusiastic role of the Democratic party the last three years. Shame on the Democrats. But then, they've spent many decades being Moscow's useful idiots.
Normalizing fanaticism. Tip to Instapundit.
If Congress gets requested information, the Air Force can buy F-15EX fighters to replace aging F-15Cs that can't be replaced by F-35s given production rates.
This author looks at the World War II Guadalcanal campaign as a window to Multi-Domain Operations. Yeah, I looked at the campaign two years ago in this Land Warfare Paper for the same purpose. But I warned that the pursuit of MDO should not lead the services to lose the focus of winning their own core domain because when each service wins in their domain the synergy pushes advantages into the other domains.
So the lesson is that when the left calls a Republican a monster the left is either lying or incapable of rational judgment. Tip to Instapundit.
The Army is seeking its own rare earths processing facilities, which would help counter China's efforts to corner the market on those vital elements.
We need to work on our naval surveillance capabilities if we want to actually hit our enemies. Which makes me feel better. If we have work to do our enemies have a lot more to do, I have little doubt.
So the lesson she wants to teach is that women are too emotionally fragile to be hired for counter-intelligence work? Tip to Instapundit.
More on China's embarrassing leaks, including the lack of Islamic world outrage over the Uighur punishment camps. With bonus material on Iranian leaks. The Chinese only need this heavy of a hand until ethnic Han immigration ethnically cleanses the province. If the Chinese get brutal on Hong Kong or invade Taiwan, expect a lot of the citizens of those places to be shipped off to Xinjiang (or Tibet) to kill two birds with one stone. I mentioned the China leaks earlier. And Iran. Also here, more on point.
When Biden's son married his brother's widow and then cheated on her--with a stripper he got pregnant--while cashing in on his dad's position as vice president with questionable business deals (all allegedly, I suppose), I don't want to hear one more damn word about red state white trash. Biden's family is a promo for the Jerry Springer show. Our elites are not smarter and more honorable.
We don't know what to do with the F-35s built for Turkey? I'd think plenty of customers would like them. Or we could break them for spare parts since that issue is apparently a problem for us.
Russia doesn't want peace with Ukraine. Russia wants chaos in Ukraine. Personally, I think it will come to the point when Ukraine needs to challenge Russia's lies that it isn't fighting inside the Donbas and launch an offensive to defeat the so-called separatists there. Would Russia risk exposing their role by fighting or step aside and let the increasingly shaky rebels get defeated?
If true, expect Pelosi to be the next Peloton ad star.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it is because the Europeans don't want to let sick murdering bastards into their countries. But I'm just a flyover country hick so what do I know? And to be clear, I'm sure the resistance is because Trump wants those countries to take the loons back. Honestly, I don't blame the Europeans for resisting his pleas. Remember, too, that these are the same countries that condemn America for Guantanamo Bay. But apparently those countries would rather the sick murdering bastards remain where they are, under our control ... forever.
OMG! I think I've seen the first sign that we may be getting close to or have arrived at Peak Stupid! Could it be? And remember, New York paid for their suit with taxpayer money and Exxon had to defend itself with customer money. That would be us. Because it takes a village to file a frivolous lawsuit that costs the people launching the suit exactly nothing (and keeps them on the government payroll, of course). By Trump-era Democratic logic, isn't that just a big illegal campaign finance donation to their reelection campaigns?
They're probably just glitches in the simulation code.
ACK! is one of those morons who doesn't have the decency to be aware that she is a moron.
Diplomats across a number of countries say Lebanon has to clean up its act before getting more aid. So much for the attempt to make our participation in that pressure a scandal. A government of "experts" is needed to restore trust and the economy, but Hezbollah's only expertise is killing Jews or Syrians.
Interesting essay on evolving energy geopolitics. I'll emphasize that American energy independence will not erase the need for America to be engaged in energy security given our dependence on healthy trading and alliance partners. The major impact of our energy independence is in a big shooting war because we will not have to spend military resources to secure long energy lines of supply back to America. Which is nice, to be sure. But it isn't the entire picture of the problem.
Wonderful, the Children's Crusade is blessed. Now go and emit no more. I'm sorry she got fifteen minutes of fame let alone credit for a full year. God save us from the fanatics.
We have another round of the "apocalyptic rhetoric liberals roll out whenever anyone proposes to adjust a welfare entitlement that has grown too extravagant, or is being exploited in ways that lawmakers never intended." I'm not sure how anybody can be left alive after George W. Bush killed everyone through cold-hearted neglect. And his evil is hard to imagine after Bill Clinton killed off everyone through cold-hearted neglect.
Let me clarify something about NATO. While the treaty says an attack on one member will be considered an attack on all members, the treaty also says that each member country can decide how it will react to that attack. So don't pretend that being attacked is like hitting a switch and watching every member race to the sound of the guns.
It takes a child to raze a village. Tip to Instapundit.
I'm not sure if Turkey is rebuilding their Ottoman-era influence in the former empire in the Arab world (but I'm not sure it was as great as Erdogan thinks it was), but it sure is annoying a lot of people.
Trump signs an executive order to protect Jews with the enthusiastic backing of Jewish leaders, and somehow this is Hitler's Germany reborn. Just ... wow. Seriously, I watched a Senator compare the action to the Soviets or even the Nazis. Wait until they find out Trump formalized the practice of Obama and Bush 43. And that the order mirrors a bipartisan bill.
This is an interesting article on the exercise Millennium Challenge 2002. I admit that I was wrong about the exercise. My impression was that complaints that the Red Team was hamstrung were overstated because the exercise was really intended to be more of a process exercise to test systems without nullifying that testing with Red victories. I should have been eager to join critics because I was a skeptic of Rumsfeld's view of the future military and I'm horrified that we send big ships into the Persian Gulf. But in fact the exercise was wrongly scripted and not a process exercise. On the bright side, despite the scripting the participants learned that the advanced tech ambitions were oversold.
Time magazine named Greta Thunberg her
Yes, deciding what not to cover is as much of a tell of media bias as is what is covered and how it is covered.
Is China looking to make Macao a secondary financial hub to replace Hong Kong in order to crack down on Hong Kong or because China sees itself losing Hong Kong? Nothing happens overnight on something like this, so it will be quite some time before Macao can carry out its role.
Last week the British people had to essentially re-vote their Brexit decision. That's not how rule of law works. That's not how it works at all. But that's how the EU sees democracy. Which is why Britain should be several years into their Brexit freedom rather than risk remaining in this proto-imperial body eager to ditch the prefix.
Russia's only aircraft caught fire while under repair. A true Russian patriot (or a merciful God) would burn it down to the waterline.
Good grief, do the other 49 states plus territories have to declare themselves "sanctuary" entities from California's taxes? Will other states defend their citizens in courts from this extraterritoriality?
Just another reminder that you don't have to like Trump very much to recognize that his Democratic alternatives are an order of magnitude worse in their own diverse ways. The Democrats have been trying to get rid of Trump since their effort to convince Electoral College voters to vote against him despite their duty. God help us, but Trump might just be the only adult in the political room.
When it comes to living their lives, nobody actually acts like they believe in the global warming doom mongering. You know, I went to basic training at Fort Wood when I was half way through my master's program. I believed the Soviet Union was a threat and that communism is evil, and it was my duty to defend our country. Sorting your garbage in meaningless rituals curbside in front of your 4,000-square foot home is not acting on your beliefs. In related news, the murderous thug bastards who promote communism are still around.
Missiles, and cannons, and bombs--oh my!
Well, no he won't. And he has achieved much despite the non-stop efforts to deny him his first. Still, it's hard not to see there's a point to the claim (made in jest?). Tip to Instapundit.
Just a note that politicians do things that benefit them. Bush 41 sold F-16s to Taiwan, with no small part of that a look at the political benefits of the contract, apart from the help to Taiwan. Bush 43 was accused by Democrats in the summer of 2003 of waging the Iraq War to benefit his reelection. Really. Obama had a "stimulus" in 2009 that wasn't a stimulus (there weren't actually shovel-ready infrastructure projects) as much as it was a reward to political constituencies in Democrat-leaning areas. Obama ordered a massive troop surge in Afghanistan yet did not follow through with the Pentagon's plans, getting through his reelection campaign with the aura of commander in chief glowing brightly. And let's recall the whole missile defense "flexibility" for quiet on the international stage bargain with Putin that Obama made. And even little things like the Cold War certificate that Bush 41 sent me or the certificate for Army service Bush 43 sent. So get over the fact that fighting Ukrainian corruption (which I've long wanted battled) and finding out if Biden is corrupt will also benefit Trump. A good economy will benefit Trump. Is that to be suspect, too? Actions have multiple consequences and when a government is as vast as our federal government is, it reaches a lot of areas. If you don't like that, shrink the size and scope of the federal government.
Before Erdogan when Turkey was a solid NATO ally, things like this would be blocked in recognition of their current value. No more.
Congress may let the Air Force get rid of the light attack plane and send it to Special Operations Command. I said light attack was just a means for the Air Force to ditch the A-10. And once the effort to kill the A-10 failed, the Air Force would abandon the light attack plane. So there you go.
Dating in Ann Arbor is a challenge. One woman on a dating site I've used said she can't date conservatives because as a very liberal woman she want to share her good fortune with others. She seems like a lovely and perfectly nice woman, but she is confused. As a conservative I would not want to block her from sharing her wealth and knowledge with the less fortunate. She is free to write checks and give advice that worked for her to the poor. But that isn't what she means. She wants the government to take other people's wealth and give it to the less fortunate. That's different. Also, she apparently (but wrongly) thinks conservatives don't want the less fortunate to share in the wealth and knowledge we (although I'm not wealthy--I'm far from Bernie-level tax rates--I'm doing fine) have. On the contrary. But we--if I may be counted among conservatives and speak for all for a moment--think that setting the conditions to allow the less fortunate to do better is a superior method of spreading wealth than redistribution. It is better for the less fortunate if they are not condemned to dependency and poverty for generations and can instead take pride in their work and progress. The truly incapable should be helped, of course. So that's what I deal with here. But perhaps I've shared too much.
Far be it for me to stand up to defend the French, but I think blame in West Africa should properly go to jihadis, the ideology that supports jihad, and corrupt governments that leave openings for jihadists to gain support. The French are trying to stop the jihadis, after all. Would the West Africans prefer to deal with this on their own?
The Air Force is testing land-based intermediate-range missiles. Here's the official statement. Maybe Russia and China will want an arms limitation treaty that covers these now that we are competing. Although how do we count our sea-based stuff? We can hardly say they will continue to be exempt. But given that I'd rather have our ships carry anti-ship missiles than land-attack stuff, limits on sea-based intermediate missiles would allow us to refocus our fleet on ship-killing.
The Dutch reduced their terror threat level for the first time since 2013. Meanwhile in Denmark.
Oh good grief. Is winning wars not hard enough? Unless killing jihadis is considered a carbon offset!
I'm not sure why any American conservatives have a positive view of Russia. It's just a thug state. Although the author goes too far in putting dark motives on people who oppose illegal immigration--or even too much legal immigration. As I've said, without assimilation it can be bad. Just ask Native Americans how they liked open borders without assimilation. With it, anyone can be an American regardless of origin. But I'm just as perplexed that so many more liberals had a positive view of the far worse USSR. As for Pat Buchanan, who is mentioned in the article, he was good in the Cold War but went off the rails once we won that contest. I honestly don't pay attention to him since then. As that author notes, Putin draws some fans for his "defense of Western values." Of course, traditional Western values are different than the Western values that include liberty that America imposed on Europe after World War II. We shouldn't want much of that restored.
It takes a jihad to raze some villages. I'm sure that Cameroon will be inundated with "why do they hate us?" debates any moment now. Jihadis kill everyone yet tunnel-vision Western liberals think somehow America uniquely has earned their murderous ire.
If Iran keeps up attacks on Americans, our allies, or our interests in Iraq, America will order a "decisive US response" I suggest killing pro-Iran militias commanders.
Behold! And be afraid.
With the Impeachment Show mini-series failing to convince anybody in Congress that this is more than a partisan show trial, I think the Senate should rapidly reject the charges when the process reaches them. Why risk undoing the sale that has already been made? If the Senate wants to look into other things in retaliation for the Democrats' obsession with the Great Orange Whale, do that apart from an impeachment trial.
While it goes without saying that our military personnel should be defended against jihadi attacks by foreign students in our own bases, it should also go without saying that training allied military personnel so they can kill jihadis or other foes is in our interest.
Brexit could embolden separatists in Great Britain? The Remainers don't quit, do they? Two election losses do not dent the Operation Fear smears. Just work for that third vote and all will be well, eh? But separatists were active before Brexit. And in my long-held opinion, the EU itself has an interest in separatism as a means of dividing and conquering their future imperial provinces. There are plenty of separatists to encourage. That first article is kind of funny, there was a vote of the British people in 2016 to Leave that the English overwhelming supported. So the author seems to raise the issue of whether a pseudo-electoral college should have decided the issue because Northern Ireland and Scotland were pro-Remain contrary to England and Wales. Of course an explicitly Brexit vote should be held, they say! Although I guarantee that if Johnson has lost the recent election the Remainers would have argued that the parliamentary election was exactly that kind of referendum on Brexit--and final.
Zimbabwe is not the "epicenter of the climate emergency." Zimbabwe is the epicenter of a corrupt government that has created an "economic crisis of spiralling inflation, unemployment, chronic fuel shortages, and the collapse of essential services" that has wrecked what was once a breadbasket of southern Africa and turned it into a fragile state vulnerable to any challenge that a healthy state could cope with. But no pampered Western teenager is campaigning against that problem.
I imagine the Virginia governor will have to deputize Antifa to get that job done. After sanctuary cities for illegal aliens Resistance games, is it fun now that the other side does it?
Just when the yellow vest protests seem to be losing media attention, the French provide pension protesters. To be fair to the French the system is financially unsustainable.
Hiftar's LNA continues to grind away at the official government's militias guarding Tripoli.
Turkey might shut down the Incirlik air base that NATO uses in retaliation for the Armenian genocide resolution, should it pass both chambers in Congress. It would almost be a relief to be ejected to clarify the issue, get our nuclear bombs out of there, and get on with finding another base to replace it. Cyprus would be nice. Maybe Jordan. Or even Iraq. Somebody would probably like our presence. Heck, Armenia might want to get a little maneuvering room with their over-reliance on Russian troops in their country.
