When I think parts of America have gone insane over the Xi Jinping Flu, I think about Australia. It can always be worse, eh?
Trying to carry British infantry without making them sick.
A Big Lie. Really, Blue Anon is far more widespread (and crazy) than Q Anon. Tip to Instapundit.
The death of the expat states of cultural freedoms: "The sun is setting, for now, on a certain kind of nomad’s idyll. In Hong Kong, reabsorption into China is the issue. In Singapore, it is the pandemic and a new commitment to the nation’s “core”. Even the United Arab Emirates, facing disease and domestic unemployment, has shooed out legion expats." Mind you, the politics remained oppressive and even randomly caught in the gears of the state apparatus would grind you to dust. But at least a foreign passport might help evade that within limits.
Mercenaries. I've discussed this past and future--compiling a number of posts in this volume (and only 99 cents!). It's back to the future. Veterans of Colombia's long counter-insurgency are available for hire now. That is nothing new around the world and through history.
The "integrity" of the January 6th House committee. Tip to Instapundit.
Did the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health erase references to Covid-19's origin in China because the fact represents bias?? Tip to Instapundit.
We should celebrate the American athletes who are competing for America. He's right. But it takes very little manure to ruin a gallon of ice cream. Like much of American sports this last year, the Olympics has lost me for their tolerance of woke BS.
Honestly, Bezos should take the FAA's refusal to bestow the title of "astronaut" on him as a marketing device to show just how safe and routine it is to ride his spaceship. Personally, I think it is very productive to make space flight a common thing that anyone can do. The fact is, the "honor" is now obsolete because space flight is no longer such a rare thing when even wealthy individuals can build a space program. Who builds the first "Model T" spaceship? Tip to The Morning Briefing.
Maybe send them an effing clue. And some masks. Tip to The Morning Briefing.
Well let's just say wokeness is consistent with "a foreign plot to weaken America." Tip to Instapundit.
And they want nukes: "Officials in North Korea carried out murder, torture, and acts that could constitute genocide against certain groups of people, including Christians, a report released last week revealed." But it's a "dog bites man" story, so move along, nothing to see.
The biggest success in the short run from the Arab Spring has struck a road block on the road to rule of law: "Tunisia's president dismissed the government and froze parliament on Sunday in a dramatic escalation of a political crisis that his opponents labelled a coup, calling their own supporters to come onto the streets in protest."
The water shortage adds to the problems if Iran's mullah ruling elite sustaining control.
The difference between Covid-19 vaccine resistance caution and vaccine resistance spite. It's pretty easy to distinguish, actually.
Is everybody getting fed up with Pakistan?
Defense budgets don't get the bang for the buck we'd hope. I just hope enemies have worse problems.
"Breakthrough" Xi Jinping Flu infections of the vaccinated are rare despite the hype. With all due respect to lagging data, this is insanity. Tip to PJ Media.
China is working on using commercial vessels to launch amphibious vehicles into the sea. I keep warning not to judge Chinese amphibious capacity by the U.S. Navy's amphibious warfare ship standards.
The Philippines has an airlift problem. Which should be fixed to sustain an American-led effort to break China's naval militia blockade of Philippines' islands.
Did the seasonal flu disappear last yer because the test for the Xi Jinping Covid-19 virus detected it along with the virus that may have originated in a Wuhan, China lab? Tip to Instapundit.
"Does America like losing wars?" Pardon me, but what the ef is that author talking about? Instead, I'll ask "Do American writers like refusing to admit America wins wars?"
Getting stuck in the Suez Canal with inferior management.
Well, this oddly uniform messaging is certainly consistent with (to borrow a term from Hunter Biden laptop deniers) a foreign disinformation campaign to sap our morale.
I find this hilarious: "Dell has stopped shipping certain highly energy-intensive gaming computers to customers in six states with new electricity consumption regulations." Enjoy your new, green lifestyle. Tip to Instapundit.
Fifty Shades of AOC? Or just a shameless liar, I suppose. Her continued self-proclaimed trauma from not being anywhere near a brief riot is amazing.
Is the proposed Light Amphibious Warship concept a mistake? I think the concept is fine but the ships are flawed. I have a different (old) idea, as I discussed in Proceedings. And planes could supplement ships.
Can we network our allies in INDOPACOM across the conflict spectrum in war and peace?
Water wars? I think access to sea water will be enough with new technologies to avoid such things.
California designed a marijuana sales system that can't make money in California. It isn't just a California problem, of course. But in California quantity of effing things up has a quality of its own. But we can trust government to run all of the economy wisely, they say.
Queen Elizabeth in troubled waters.
Learn from war games before we burn from enemies.
Democrats are so over the notion that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Tip to The Morning Briefing.
Our military now marches on its stomach batteries: "The Chinese Communist Party has spent the last 20 years making
investments to control every single stage of the advanced battery supply
chain." Tip to Instapundit.
Russia frowns: "The Ukrainian Navy has accepted delivery of the first Bayraktar TB2 drone from Turkish defense company Baykar, according to Ukraine’s Defence Ministry." And Turkey becomes a little less of a black sheep ally. I suspect Erdogan has done enough damage to Turkey (or he reflects the damaged Turkey) to mean it will take some time to bring Turkey all the way back in from the cold. But it is worth the patience.
Good: "The top diplomats of India and the United States pledged Wednesday to expand their multilateral security partnership[.]"
I assume the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is just suspended and not over.
Secretary of Defense Austin stands up for Taiwan and other allies: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States will continue to
help Taiwan and other allies in the Pacific defend themselves against
aggression from China even as he said a new, more transparent
relationship with Beijing is desired. " And he reached out to new friend Vietnam which dangerously borders China. Cooperation isn't hurt by the Xi Jinping Flu-which came from China--rolling through Vietnam.
The panic over the Delta variant of the Xi Jinping Flu is mind boggling to me.
The colonial power schemes to return.
A plan that conveniently defies efforts to judge it: "Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday that efforts to address root causes of migration from three Central American countries won't produce immediate results as she unveiled a broad strategy that avoids detailed targets and deadlines." Also, addressing root causes is fine. But until the brilliant plan can address the root cause you need to address the immediate cause of a porous southern border.
Let the robots plant mines close to China.
The Iranians are better negotiators: "The US is warning Iran's incoming president, Ebrahim Raisi, that the 2015 nuclear deal could soon be beyond saving, according to an Axios report." The Iranians know Biden is desperate for a deal and so Iran just has to sit back and wait for the American concessions to roll in. Ah, Smart Diplomacy.®
Returning to the penal colony it once was? God help us if our Constitution is the only obstacle here. Our left would pack the Supreme Court to overcome that line of defense. Remember, freedom is a feature--not a bug.
How Europe can help rebuild Lebanon. First of all, no rebuilding can last as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah is the most powerful actor in the territory able to veto with violence any action it doesn't want. Will Europe do that first?
When leftists bombed the Capitol Building. Of course, Reagan was a decent enough man and honorable president, so he didn't use it as an excuse to purge Democrats from society. Tip to Instapundit.
Covid-19 deaths are at the lowest levels in America since March 2020. Yet Democrats are promoting panic over the Xi Jinping Flu Delta variant:
We've beaten this virus. Stop the nonsense.
Turkey will provide 2 corvettes partially completed to Ukraine. The Putin-Erdogan bromance is over.
Iraqis announce American troop presence. Now new and improved! With no direct combat missions!
Iran strikes in the ongoing Israel-Iran quasi war at sea. Apparently a "suicide" drone.
The cradle of the anti-Assad revolt in Daraa province is restless.
Please notify Jussie Smollett: It seems like Russia is faking NATO naval intrusions into waters Russia claims. A lot. This is MAGA NATO country! What is Russia's major malfunction?
Recovery Summer! Tip to Instapundit.
But we can totally believe Russia's serial high-tech wonder weapon announcements: "A new Russian space-station module malfunctioned after it docked on Thursday. The module, called Nauka, starting unexpectedly firing its thrusters — which moved the entire station out of position."
And when the American public is called upon to rally around the flag in an actual crisis, our elites will wonder why: "Instead of keeping calm and carrying on, the American elite flouted the norms of governance, journalism, academic freedom—and, worst of all, science. They misled the public about the origins of the virus and the true risk that it posed. Ignoring their own carefully prepared plans for a pandemic, they claimed unprecedented powers to impose untested strategies, with terrible collateral damage. As evidence of their mistakes mounted, they stifled debate by vilifying dissenters, censoring criticism, and suppressing scientific research." Pitchfork wielding mobs shouting "The science!" suppressed actual inquiry that called into question the commandments passed down from Saint Fauci. God help us if we face a truly lethal virus across the general population in the near future. Who will listen to these clowns?
The Chinese roll out the unwelcome mat for the British carrier task force global pageant.
You're seeing my tears of laughter, I swear:
Well that sure screams "Have confidence in American vaccines rather than the crap China wants to sell you", eh? Tip to The Morning Briefing.
Prehistoric movie theater? Fascinating.
Bad, but not a threat to America, and over quickly: "While the Capitol riot was a national disgrace, it did not represent a
serious threat to America’s constitutional system of government. Rioters
broke through the strangely weak police lines and breached the Capitol,
but the senators and congressmen evacuated safely. Vice President Mike
Pence did not bow to pressure, Congress resumed a few hours after the
violence, and both chambers certified the Electoral College results,
declaring that Joe Biden would be the next president."
Lockdown collateral damage. Tip to Instapundit.
A sailor has been charged with starting the fire that totaled Bonhomme Richard.
Weaponizing the Anschluss: "Belarus' authoritarian president said Friday he's prepared to invite Russian troops into the country if such a move is necessary to ensure the security of both Belarus and Russia."
Yeah:
Large-scale Chinese poaching.
The British will deploy two offshore patrol vessels in the Pacific: "The HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, both River-class vessels, will deploy in August and 'will be supported by partners during their operations, including Australia, Japan and Singapore,' according to an email from the ministry to Stars and Stripes on July 21." Interestingly enough, each ship carries 50 Marines along with the crew of 45. I mentioned this presence intention some time ago. It fits with post-Brexit Britain's global policy.
The Germans will send a frigate to the Pacific. As long as the Russians remain all Putin-y, I'd be happier if the Germans could control the Baltic Sea.
While Russia still emphasizes nuclear deterrence against a wide range of threats, Russia seems to be moving towards non-nuclear deterrence with precision conventional weapons. Well, if the Russians have a Potemkin nuclear deterrent, that would be wise.
ISIL continues to kill in Iraq.
A United Nations compound in Afghanistan was attacked. I assume by the Taliban. Jihadis drove the UN out of Iraq long ago when its help mattered. Why not now, too?
Good: "Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to fully restore a key military pact with the United States more than a year after he threatened to end the U.S. security agreement." I assume the Duterte thought Secretary of Defense Austin was a visiting space alien given Austin's combination vaccination/cloth mask/face shield. Because if Austin wasn't mistaken for an alien, Duterte would have lost all confidence in American defense guarantees after seeing that.
China warned Britain's carrier task force to behave in the South China Sea.
China's rise is uneven and a problem for the rulers should be peasants truly become revolting: "China has surged by creating a vast and significant economy. The majority of society not part of the coastal elite that manages international trade, banking and investment, or that is part of the military-industrial structure, live lives at least comparable to their equivalents in the United States. The large majority in the interior of the country lead lives on the order of Equatorial Guinea. Few Americans live lives on that order, although undoubtedly some can be found." Despite the military threat China poses to our interests around its periphery, China in many ways is a Third World country. Upper Volta with nuclear rockets and computers, I suppose.
What does this say about Macron's chances in the April 2022 election? "Tens of thousands of French protesters took to the streets for a third consecutive weekend on Saturday, to protest against the government's decision to greatly extend the use of the health pass and introduce compulsory vaccination for some professions."
An outbreak of the Xi Jinping Flu Delta variant in China. It seems smallish. But if that news leaked out is it really much worse? Tip to Instapundit.
Taiwan needs to broadly improve its military to resist China: "Taiwan must take the necessary steps to ensure its own defenses – from
upgrading air and missile defenses and raising reserve forces’ readiness
to protecting vital infrastructure like its water supply – to keep
China at arm’s length, three experts on Pacific security said Wednesday." While Taiwan needs to spend smart, my view is that Taiwan's needs are so great that simply spending more must be the first priority.
Using the National Guard is always a risk for retention. This has been a problem ever since the reserves began to be used as an operational reserve to supplement a smaller post-Cold War active force routinely. As a strategic reserve it was only for major war or for short local crises. But recruiting and retention has been fine even when the Guard and reserves were going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Heck, I remember writing a letter to the editor in the late 90s worrying about the problem. But it has not yet become a problem. I find it hard to believe the last year really strained the Guard that much. Although that isn't to say the usage was always appropriate.
ISIL continues to be active in Sinai. By "active" I mean killing Egyptian security forces.
The Michigan National Guard is hosting the Northern Strike multinational exercise. It's purpose is to train with "joint combined arms live-fire training and close air support, joint fire support, coordinated maneuvers and air mobility including command, control, communications, computers and intelligence of theater air-ground system in action scenarios."
The United States and the southwestern Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles signed a pact to prevent crime in Seychelles waters. I assume this applies to massive Chinese fish poaching fleets.
NATO fighters intercepted Russian planes flying dangerously dark over the Baltic Sea. I assume the Russians wanted to attract and record F-35 signatures.
I assume this would be a useful skill to keep Taiwan's sea lines of communication open on Taiwan's east coast: "Three U.S. Navy task forces joined in the South China Sea to form a Surface Action Group for countermine operations, the 7th Fleet said on Wednesday."
We're from the government and we're here to help: "The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them." If you think the sun comes up because the rooster crows, you just might be a government planner.
I miss the age when "yellow journalism" stoked tensions abroad to sell their product rather than stoking conflict at home. I'm much happier a year into not having cable TV and living 95% without broadcast news or entertainment. I don't want the false notion pounded into me that the visible activist minority reflects the majority. Although, yes, the old journalism was blatantly partisan in domestic politics, too. But it didn't have the national reach of today's social and standard media.
To be fair, who hasn't suspected that working to advance Democratic legislation is a dirty job that Americans won't do? Tip to Instapundit.
