Don't forget the NORAD Santa tracker for your little ones!
Repairing damaged credibility is hard: "In the aftermath of the chaotic exit from Afghanistan in August, when the U.S. clearly signalled it has little appetite for foreign wars, the challenge for an administration still in its first year is to indicate it will act if red lines, which Putin likes to test, are crossed." And restoring credibility is dangerous.
The White House panicked over a map of China and Taiwan. I'd expect China to do something like this--not America.
Top military and intelligence people didn't have the decency to resign in protest before or in shame after the Afghanistan skedaddle debacle. So fire them. If such massive failure isn't punished, we'll get more.
The poor have no heat? Let them burn cake! Tip to Instapundit.
Hahahahahaha! "DeSantis budgets $8 million to transport illegal aliens sent to Florida to places like Delaware and Martha’s Vineyard[.]" Via Instapundit.
Since 2014, I've certainly pointed this out when writers wonder if Russia will invade Ukraine: "In reality, of course, Russia has already invaded Ukraine." Why the West is shy about that is beyond me.
Winter is coming. And Ukrainian reservists are preparing: "If Russian forces do invade, they will be up against a much more formidable opponent than the ragtag army they faced in 2014."
The left has not been any less nutball crazy since Trump left office.
Despotism: Legally purchased yet illegally possessed. Welcome to China. When everyone is a criminal, anyone can be sent to prison. Why would anyone visit China?
I enjoyed how Senator Klobuchar joined Jake Tapper in complaining about Senator Cruz not wearing a mask while sitting next to Klobuchar. Klobuchar is wearing her mask pulled below her nose. What's the difference? Although she was better than the chin-mask guy behind them. Tip to Treacher.
To deter Russia from invading Ukraine, it is unrealistic to expect Turkey or Georgia to take the steps suggested. Nor will NATO conduct an act of war--which is what a blockade is--to deter war.
What does "ending" the Korean War do for our security? I don't understand the recent fetish with "ending" wars that keep going.
Teach women not to rape? Someone had to be beaten with the clue bat. But get a clue, she did.
Someone died "with" and not "from" the Omicron variant of the Xi Jinping Flu. How long before it is "near"?
The Left: "Health care is a human right!" Also the Left: "People who didn't get vaccinated shouldn't be treated!" So, what treatment do we deny to smokers, the obese, bad drivers, and rock climbers?
China has more territorial ambitions and financial problems.
An Iranian rocket is preparing for a ICBM test space launch.
China has a way to go to make their spaceplane operational: "They conceivably could also be used to attack enemy satellites, aircraft, or ground targets from orbit, striking faster than ground-based missile systems and/or eluding standard defenses due to their speed and maneuverability. Thus, the line between spaceplanes and hypersonic orbital gliders grows thinner." About those ground targets.
I think the Biden administration's push for a nationwide electric vehicle recharging system is a massive gift to the upper middle class--subsidized by blue collar workers--who buy the subsidized EVs.
I've stated I was only worried about the pandemic for the first couple months when uncertainty was high. Upon reflection, I was worried when stores were opened up again that first summer. But I faced that worry and went back into them. And then went to Las Vegas. I wore masks. But I did face my fears. And I'm glad I did.
Once again I say Californians can enjoy what they vote for. Via Instapundit.
The United Arab Emirates halted talks over buying F-35s. America was concerned about the UAE's ties to China. Indeed. I still don't know why the UAE needs F-35s when Iran is their likely foe. Maybe this just makes France--which just inked a deal for French fighters there--feel better about the whole AUKUS submarine deal.
A "systemically racist" country sure requires a lot of fake hate crimes to maintain that fiction. Tip to Instapundit.
The French elites are still jerks. But at least they aren't stupidly suicidal.
Getting closer to a moat and draw bridge to battle gang smash-and-grab pillaging. Vote for this and you'll keep getting this.
The Democrats have gone even more nuts. To be clear: 1) Capitol Building riot bad. 2) It was not an insurrection. And 3) Democratic attempts to portray the riot as an insurrection are worse than the riot. Democrats went nuts and stayed there. Tips to Instapundit. How can the damage be undone? Seriously, just how was the so-called insurrection--that used no firearms--supposed to work?
Swarm attacks and defending against them: "The U.S. Army and Navy know enemy robot swarms are a threat. They are developing high-powered 'microwave cannons' that can burn drone 'brains' and protect armored units and Navy ships from swarm attack." But, as I explored in Army magazine, what about protecting the infantry--who can't carry around microwave cannons?
Where your entertainment can get you killed.
Ted Galen Carpenter has an apparently limitless ability to abandon victims to predator nations. His ability to rationalize Russian aggression and paint Ukraine as the dangerous party is the most recent example. It's fine to argue against intervention. But Carpenter is a special kind of awful person.
Yes, stop hyperventilating over Russia's "new" "hybrid" warfare tactics. It is neither. We risk analysis paralysis by elevating what Russia did to mythic proportions.
Is an American loitering anti-radiation missile project going to be revived? This weapon that goes after enemy air defenses played a role in Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising, if memory serves me.
This is possible because Iraqis search for and kill jihadis every day: "The U.S. and its allies are stepping up efforts to counter the Islamic State group in Africa as U.S. forces wind down their combat role against ISIS in Iraq." Afghanistan doesn't do this since Biden's skedaddle debacle.
The Estonian defense minister gets the threat of Belarus yoked to Russia, to NATO, "particularly at the eastern borders of Poland and the Baltic states[.]"
The Biden administration is holding back additional military aid to Ukraine yet says it will send more aid in case Russia invades. Having learned nothing from Afghanistan, our Smart Diplomacy® wants to make sure another enemy gets piles of American weapons after our ally is defeated.
Our military will focus on competing where it makes sense, to avoid dissipating our power to resist China and Russia. Focus? Oh really? "President Joe Biden's nominee for the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff told the Senate 'gender advisers' for combat troops are
critical to the United States' success[.]" That moron is unworthy of leading our military.
Ukraine wants American air defense missiles to deter a Russian invasion. I'm surprised Ukraine hasn't been able to update its Russian-designed air defenses.
The United States will build more M-1A2 tanks.
Russia may add intermediate-range nuclear missiles---that they probably already deployed--to threaten Europe to counter a potential missile threat that NATO denies. Which is an admission of Russian conventional weakness, of course.
Romania is in the market for 32 used Norwegian F-16s.
Denmark and Norway will join a European multi-national corvette project. Good. Defeat Russia in the Baltic Sea.
About an Israeli air strike inside Syria during the spring: "According to current and former intelligence and security officials briefed on the matter, the June 8 strike was part of a campaign to stop what Israeli officials believe was a nascent attempt by Syria to restart its production of deadly nerve agents." A chemical weapons program? Wait. What?
Throw Ukraine and Georgia under the bus to get peace for our time? Just stop. No buffer zone can satisfy the Russians. Help those willing to fight Russian aggression to remain free. And offer Russia the chance to flip and join forces to resist China.
I always dropped money into Salvation Army kettles. Every time. It wasn't a lot, mind you. But once they went full racist, to Hell with them. Let them get money from the woke they appeased.
Russia denied invading Ukraine and a lot of the media still goes along with that fiction: "Moscow has cultivated close ties with pro-Russian rebels controlling swathes of the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine but denies being a party to their seven-year war with Ukrainian government forces." FFS, people. Russian troops invaded the Donbas to take it for their AstroTurf "rebels." "Factbox," my ass.
The Taiwanese say they are ready for any Chinese effort to get around their amphibious lift shortage because "the nation's military strongly defends ports and airports, and they will not be easy to occupy in a short time. Landing operations will face extremely high risks." I hope that is true because I think going for ports and airports is how China will invade Taiwan. Also, can Taiwan's logistics really outlast the difficult Chinese logistics effort?
To Hell with those selfish children of the upper middle class who want blue collar workers to pay for their obscenely expensive but useless college degree loans. I do not feel sorry for them and I have contempt and anger for people who support their money grab.
Democrats vow to beat "Big Meat."
To be fair, Biden must think it is pretty funny to get a tough question from the media.
Ukraine defends its massing of troops as defensive in light of Russia's threats. True. Honestly, as long as Russia occupies Ukrainian territory I think bombing the Kremlin would be defensive, really. Not that I favor that. But let's get real.
I went without things and saved money to allow my children to go to college. The idea that I should also pay for the children of the upper middle class who took out student loans that they don't want to repay is an outrage.
Huh: "New German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday Russia would face 'massive consequences' if it invades Ukraine." Perhaps that is true. But with Germany's nearly non-existent military and its appetite for Russian energy, Germany won't be imposing those consequences.
Some in Britain are worried about their small fleet that lacks offensive power: "When ships do get to sea they act like porcupines – well defended herbivores with limited offensive capabilities." The ships must protect the carrier at sea. Making the Royal Navy a one-hit fleet. Although I now concede the fleet makes sense in light of Brexit. But for fighting peer enemies, it has problems.
Adam Schiff joins in with all the other leftists in staging a fake hate crime. The man is a few fries short of a Happy Meal, to be sure.
For all the talk of a Russian-Chinese united front, "China has never recognized the annexation of Crimea, for example, nor does Russia side with China on its expansive claims in the South China Sea. They have also stopped short of binding themselves in a formal treaty alliance, preferring to maintain their ability to act independently and flexibly." That's because each would relish the other going to war with America while they avoid eye contact when the other asks for help.
It is shameful that Democrats falsely claim Republicans threaten democracy. It's a "big lie." And really, when you see what the Democrats don't see as a threat to democracy it is hard not to ascribe their concerns as projection.
Well, it looks like Democrats want to elevate the Palestinian issue above all else--again.
Bastards! When I had plumbing work that included replacing shower fixtures, I kept my ancient single-head shower head that rivals a fire hose in its power. But more important, it is a lesson for how government regulations can twist the private sector into defending perverse incentives. Tip to Instapundit.
Re. Senator Warren: "A sane world would recognize that she doesn’t have the talent to be an unpaid intern at Tesla or SpaceX and tell her to stop barfing up nonsense."
Sometimes I see maps of Michigan that completely leave off the Upper Peninsula. I feel as if evil forces--perhaps Canada or maybe Wisconsin--are trying to strip away this territory.
The people in Russia's provinces feel neglected: "The government doesn't care much about people outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg." Moscow siphons off the wealth of the Far East. If this keeps up, China won't have to conquer that territory.
As if you didn't need your own lying eyes to reject Dana Milbank's insane "research" that the media has been more biased against Biden than against Trump, here's a deeper look. The dishonestly of our media is astounding. Tip to Instapundit.
Once again, Trump did not say drink bleach: "'Supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way,' said Trump to William Bryan, the undersecretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security. 'And I think you said you’re going to test that, too. Sounds interesting, right? And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs.'" But Democrats believe the news industry that told them this lie--and keeps telling them this lie. A longer quote is even more obvious.
Just in time for jihadis who can now set up shop in Taliban-run Afghanistan, America cuts off a long-standing source of intelligence on jihadi activity.
What should America do to keep Afghanistan from collapsing? Well, we did that until we lost the war with our stupid policy. I say we let our enemies who plotted and cheered our defeat pay for this mission.
China: "The U.S. Defense Department is newly concerned about China’s further military buildup near the demarcation line across its Himalayan border with India, a senior defense official told Foreign Policy, after Beijing deployed long-range strategic bombers to the area last month in another apparent warning to New Delhi."
Huh, I remember the last time Germany and Russia targeted a country stuck between them. Ukrainian military industry suffers from a: "Russian embargo on spare parts and components [and] Germany’s de facto embargo on substitute components from NATO nations[.]" Maybe the Germans are right about not being trustworthy enough to have a powerful military. Back to the article, the author raises the point that Ukraine has a good military industry but needs foreign help to fill capabilities gaps. Something I've mentioned. It's damning that nearly 8 years after Russia first invaded, NATO hasn't filled those gaps.
Recreate First Fleet to resist China in the South China Sea? Great, another headquarters. Maybe if we focused more on leaders less interested in woke policies and more interested in training our sailors not to run into other ships or undersea mountains, maintaining our ships, and building ships that can fight and survive--under budget--we'd be better off. But I'm just spitballing.
Well, this is true: "Part of the problem is that Russia’s current position vis-à-vis Ukraine is the result of actions the country has taken since 2014. If Moscow hadn’t intervened in Ukraine, the country’s political orientation could have developed differently. Instead, nearly eight years of Russian aggression has made a pro-Kremlin agenda anathema to most of the Ukrainian population and much of the political elite." Will nobody in Russia tell Putin he's effing up royally?
Democrats are in deep doo doo, polling-wise. But it is 11 months until November 2022. I thought the January 6th riots might destroy Republican chances in the 2022 elections. But 11 months later, here we are. Although I believe Democrats shot themselves in the foot by insisting a brief riot was an insurrection. Republicans could very well shoot themselves in the foot the same way on some issue.
Enjoying what they voted for--good and hard. I just don't care any more. Via Instapundit.
The Mask Maoists think it is okay to take off masks for photographs. It's like a 5-second rule for the Xi Jinping Flu virus, I guess.
America abandoned Afghan women it once hailed for defying the Taliban. Maybe our vice president will be assigned to find the root cause of their problem. Tip to Treacher. Once more, with feeling:
I don't know what triggered the Little Ice Age, but I do know it wasn't mankind's fault by burning fossil fuels. But if it happens again, I know we'll be blamed. Tip to Instapundit.
Officially, this is satire: "It was a somber day for white-hooded members of the Ku Klux Klan as they received news that their organization was disbanding, since the progressive Left was accomplishing all of their goals with unparalleled effectiveness." But how do you interpret the facts any other way? "Racism is in good hands," indeed.
Another place where America abandoned locals who killed jihadis every day.
Chinese aerial refueling. Fortunately, Taiwan and their F-16s stand between China and the Pacific.
Well, yes: "Is America vulnerable to another Battle of the Bulge today?" Surprise is rarely the result of hiding what you are preparing; but of targets convinced that there is a benign explanation based on the target's rational and not enemy rational. As for the Bulge, the Allies over-relied on Ultra intercepts of German Enigma communications--which Hitler did not use while preparing the offensive. There were no car keys under that street light.
A war for Taiwan would be longer, wider, and uglier than either China or America think. Because a war over Taiwan is about more than Taiwan. Although I think it would be likely that China does not strike American bases to avoid bringing America into the war quickly, in the hope that China could conquer Taiwan before America even decides to intervene. And yes, nuclear escalation is possible.
Circumstances have changed. Why don't policies follow?
Will Meta's Horizon World need its own cyber criminal justice system? If so, would that be practice for e-states?
I've mentioned my initial wariness about Trump because of his past liberal stands. I thought Democrats lost an opportunity to work with Trump over Republican objections. And Democrats did move that way (sadly, the video embed died) until they decided on fake Russia collusion-based Resistance. Which forced Trump to become surprisingly (to me)--and happily--conservative in his policies.
Good news from Florida Man's poop.
Hey, you effed up. You trusted the Left.
The French, too, are shifting their army to focus on conventional warfare. The flip side is reducing their forces in Africa in the battle against jihadis.
The Russians don't want their Soviet empire back now. But they do want to stake out its perimeter for eventual recovery. #WhyRussiaCan'tHaveNiceThings Unless we can come up with an agreement that only agrees to peripheral Russian demands that Russia can pretend is a glorious triumph of Russian diplomacy, we should reject this. A faux triumph might allow Russia to face reality in the east.
The Army announced its next brigade rotations to South Korea, Europe, and Iraq.
Taiwan has quietly made rapid progress on building its own submarines. The first may be in service by 2024. With subs, Taiwan can fight a blockade of Taiwan, blockade Chinese ports, and be a threat to Chinese invasion flotillas. And--by using American torpedoes--even provide plausible deniability for early American intervention with submarines. It's a fascinating story. Could it have influenced Australia?
When speaking of Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine, why is Crimea only mentioned? Why go along with Russia's lies that it did not invade the Donbas later in the same year?
Is the National Guard getting tired of being an operational--used instead of active units routinely--rather than a strategic reserve--called up only during major conflict to supplement the active forces--of the United States active military? That's certainly one reason why I got out many decades ago when that practice started.
SOUTHCOM: "The U.S. military's new Southern Command Gen. Laura Richardson said Friday she is focused on strengthening military relationships with South American countries despite fraught politics." I repeat my advice to build The SOUTHCOM Queen.
The French are looking to bolster arms sales to India.
Guam--America's "forgotten" territory--is America's new front line against China. Let's go deep into the TDR archives for that breaking news.
Despite Qatar having close ties with Turkey, I don't see how Qatar's recent actions in the eastern Mediterranean Sea help Turkey. Qatar's support won't matter over the Libya deal; and Qatar's deal with "Greek" Cyprus is not helpful to Turkey.
Are we nearing the end of the Xi Jinping pandemic? It is over two years from the start in Wuhan, China. The Spanish Flu burned out after two years. If this pandemic burns out in the next few months, we will know that our public health professionals did not shorten the pandemic even with vaccines. Perhaps lives were saved. But I'll wait to see the net losses between lives saved from the virus and lives lost from the lockdowns. We talk of "long covid" effects. What about "long lockdown" effects? Especially for children of the poor and blue collar workers. And if the pandemic does not burn out soon, is that the result of being engineered in a lab or just bad luck?
According to the Wall Street Journal, America left behind "60,000 Afghan interpreters who had applied for SIV visas remain behind in Afghanistan, 33,000 of them are cleared for vetting." That's on top of the 14,000 American legal residents and citizens left behind in the skeddaddle debacle. Which supports my view that the military just packed into the planes whoever was close just to pad their numbers to claim a massive "success" rather than sift for our friends only. Lord knows who we evacuated.
Is the Biden administration preparing to cave to Russia over Ukraine? I hold open the hope that we are preparing a pretend concession to flip Russia to free them to face their true enemy China.
I doubt that China and Russia are coordinating their aggressive stances. Both have had aggressive stances for decades. At any given moment both have been doing this at the same time pretty often. The two are frenemies with temporary benefits. I think the author's contention that Russia does not fear China and so is happy to supply China with technology is stunningly blind to the appeasement involved.
My impression of Democratic and Republican approaches to "gerrymandering" Congressional districts is that both are willing to push the limits of the law to their benefit. The difference is that when Republicans lose out they tend to follow the rules to do better next time. Democrats are more prone to changing the rules when they lose to benefit themselves. And that includes creating so-called "nonpartisan" redistricting commissions that trend leftward over time.
Isn't Seattle getting exactly what they've said they wanted? The crime is surely narrowly focused geographically. But the scum will expand their range as the pillaging opportunities in the initial problem zone fade. The 2022 "summer of love" is going to be amazing. Enjoy!
All your 5G information are belong to us.
It was a complete joy to go to the theater to see the latest Spider-Man movie with my daughter. I'm so over wearing a mask that I didn't even notice whether other people were wearing masks.
A private group went into Afghanistan to rescue 39 Americans and legal residents (via Instapundit). Things only governments could do are migrating to the private sector. How long before there is warBay? I used to write more about privatized warfare (collected here for 99 cents, if you are interested).
The Fuck-Up Fairy controls the policies of Democratic-run cities. The woke are few in number but the rest of the normal Democrats fear them too much to tell them to ef off. Tip to Instapundit.
Look, Trump said at least one thing that has roots in anti-Semitism. But his overall statements were pro-Israel and pro-Jewish. Honestly, I've heard plenty of Democrats say the same thing about Congress. I'd be happy if the increasingly woke-dominated Democrats displayed such low levels of anti-Semitism.
Well yes, Democrats were a mass army of useful idiots for Russia to undermine American faith in democracy.
What is their major malfunction? These three retired flag officer morons are worried about "a coup succeeding next time"? What was the Trump coup attempt last time? FFS, could these stooges show some urgency for untwisting their panties, getting their heads out of their butts by supporting this fantasy and outrage (via Instapundit), and stop trying to make things worse?
To be fair, Senator Blumenthal doesn't know a lot of things. But his excuse that he didn't know the organization he addressed is communist is less credible than the British guy who "accidentally" fell on a 57mm round.
Wow! The Lions crushed the Arizona Cardinals. That's gonna hurt in the morning.
My latest view is that while I'm done with masks--and have been since late spring--unless required and I must go inside that place, I will get a booster shot. I wasn't worried about Delta. Perhaps Omicron is more mild. But I'm not sure. And since Omicron is very transmissible, it is probably good to reinforce my vaccine to make sure when I get Omicron that the effects will be less. And I'll get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. I don't see the reason for the panic over rare side effects. I survived one shot of that and I'd rather go home with the one who brought me to the prom rather than risk a different vaccine. If Omicron was far more deadly, or if I had developed health issues, my vaccine choice could have been different. Also, there is a transmission path from me to people in poor health who I don't want to see risk even a mild variant. We'll see. I have time left before my scheduled appointment for more news to affect my decision.
