Sons of fire ships get air support.
The Arab Middle East has been relatively quiet as wars in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have returned to a simmer. Meanwhile in Jordan, the government feels the need to ratchet up the repression. What will that lead to? The 2011 Arab Spring largely failed. But the desire for something other than the traditional choice of autocratic or mullah rule persists. Change takes time. And I don't assume we live in that era.
Preventing China from taking Taiwan is forging an alliance between Australia, Japan, and America.
It is atrocious that it takes so long for America to count votes. We demand more from Third World countries. But don't nationalize election control to do that. States should still be in charge of their own elections. And states have cleaned up past poor performance. Like Florida.
Terrorist explosion in Istanbul. Jihadis or Kurds? Former seems far more likely.
Space troopers? Nice name, Space Force. But until we have SMOD I won't be satisfied.
Germany practices reinforcing Estonia. That is useful, depending on the scenario. But don't let the Baltic states become a kill sack. I don't assume the Russians can't improve on their Ukraine performance.
I'll ask again, doesn't rank-choice-voting violate the principle of "one man, one vote"? Making something more complicated is the opposite of transparency. Could rank-choice-voting be challenged in court?
A Russian software company posed as an American company. Oops.
Will military leadership "do the right thing"? It would be nice. Although obviously civilian control of the military complicates things. It would be better if a president would purge 'em all and let God sort them out.
I want to defeat Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But I'd rather have defeat lead to Russia flipping rather than secession or even Russia collapsing.
The death of FTX. I don't trust crypto-currencies. I may be a fool for not jumping in. And maybe some are less risky than others. But I don't trust them. Tip to Instapundit.
I certainly wouldn't rule out yesterday's "wild conspiracy theory" becoming tomorrow's proven fact.
The calls that threaten Russia's future are coming from inside the house. Tip to Instapundit.
Science! "Parents should 'avoid physical interaction with unvaccinated individuals' to keep their families safe from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to NBC News, even though there is no RSV vaccine." And Journalism! Tip to Instapundit.
I'm starting to think that biological men winning in women's sports is a clever Republican ploy to get women and parents to abandon the cheering Democrats. What else makes sense?
China has problems. But there is a bright side! "Some of China’s investments in industry policy have paid off, in solar energy, wind turbines and electric vehicles, the supply chains of which are dominated by China." Funny how Western elites are so eager to rapidly adopt these technologies.
Pretending science justifies suppression of dissent. These wannabe prison camp guards can bugger off. Tip to Instapundit.
The Block 4 improved F-35 being planned.
The Navy intercepted 70 tons of rocket fuel being smuggled from Iran to Yemen. The Houthi Iranian proxies seem to be waking from a ceasefire slumber.
Worries about China: "The Philippines on Tuesday said defence ally the United States had agreed to spend $66.5 million to start building training and warehouse facilities at three of its military bases, under a 2014 joint security deal."
More from the climate "the end of the world is nigh" lunatics (via Instapundit): "Climate activists poured black liquid over a glass screen protecting Gustav Klimt's masterpiece 'Death and Life' in Vienna on Tuesday, in the latest protest at inaction over global heating." One day these proliferating freaks will go full Army of the Twelve Monkeys on humanity, won't they? These are the real white terrorist threats, eh?
DeSantis-Lake 2024?
Did Biden funnel money to Ukraine in order to launder taxpayer money back to the Democratic party via FTX? A lot of government expenditures are Democratic Party money laundering operations through pro-Democrat organizations. Ukraine needs to be careful not to appear as a part of the Democratic Party machine. But did the Biden administration give Ukraine a choice? Perhaps this isn't what it looks like. But given the record, I wouldn't bet that way.
Canada is experiencing an "unprecedented" military recruiting crisis. Call the most likely recruits unpleasant criminals, and that's what you get. To be fair, Trudeau and his party are way worse than Biden and his party.
That's not unreasonable to think: "Most voters believe cheating may have influenced this year’s elections, and think voting by mail makes it easier to cheat." In an evenly divided country, effective cheating in just 3 out of 435 House seats could be decisive. Securing elections doesn't mean keeping valid voters from voting. But it would increase confidence of those who lose elections. Tip to Instapundit.
Whither Trump? Democrats may salivate. But it would be hilarious if Republicans clearly reject Trump and greatly reduce Democrats' ability to use Trump for their constant two-minute hates.
To be fair, Warnock expected the media to hide his behavior and is a little stunned it hasn't. Via Instapundit.
North Korea continues to rot from within. But Kim Jong Un's missile test barrage brilliantly deterred America from invading that Pearl of Northeast Asia. An invasion America has been patiently preparing for nearly 70 years now.
The cannon fodder protests its role. When do they reject and run from their role?
Ukraine is playing up the Russian missile that hit Polish territory and killed two as a significant escalation. But Ukraine is eager for NATO intervention. Ukraine wants a NATO no-fly zone to defend Ukrainian air space. But I'm reasonably sure this was an accident that was bound to happen eventually as the war drags on. And even if an escalation, it is really a meaningless one NATO can safely ignore--other than with defensive measures and improving Ukraine's air defenses. This analyst reports it was a Ukrainian air defense missile that landed.
The Navy wants more ships and subs, but can't get its subs out of port when they are in for repair. No way letting these high value vessels wallow in port is a problem.
Oh: "Disorganization and bureaucracy could hamper the US military's production of ammunition, according to a new report from a government watchdog." On the bright side, better to learn this now than during a big war with our troops on the line.
Good. But we spent more than enough on Artemis to expect it to fly successfully one day, no? God willing, it will get us back to the moon. But it is too expensive to sustain our presence.
Good: "U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Philippine islands of Palawan on the edge of the disputed South China Sea, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, in a move that may be interpreted by Beijing as a rebuke." Better would be visiting an island China claims.
Sure, let's keep up our guard in the Arctic. But let's not push the argument that Russia's military sucks everywhere but in the Arctic. POLARCOM?
We see your fanatical willingness to die for your cause. And we raise you killer robots that mean we don't have to die to kill you. Now they are armed witn "non-lethal" weapons. Although that just seems to make it easier for attackers to destroy it. But the weapons mounted can change. I'd have more sympathy for the Palestinians if their corrupt leadership wasn't more concerned with personal benefits than the welfare of the people.
Iran's ethnic minorities seem to be joining Persian protesters. An apparent first. For a rump Persian empire with lots of regional minorities that seems important. Protests and resistance spiked up in mid-month.
The Biden administration was willing to spend a billion dollars for Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. But is unwilling to reveal how. Better to have spent that money over the last year+ to keep the Taliban from winning. But I disagree with the aside that America left an "advanced" arsenal to the Taliban. The error was abandoning the Afghanistan government--not the weapons the Taliban captured because of that error.
Ukraine's October attack on Sevastopol.
Russia's stumbling industrial mobilization. I'd gloat, but are Western countries doing better just manufacturing more 155mm shells?
Horrible. Criminal. But not "shocking": "An enormous mass grave dating back to the Russian Revolution has been discovered in the Transnistria region of Moldova, in which most of the dead bodies belonged to Jews who were accused of opposing the communist regime."
Yes, despite my vote, Michigan seemingly made it impossible to detect fraudulent voting. I was horrified at the provisions. And at putting them in the state constitution. And pro side commercials hiding behind veterans. I was in the minority.
Remember when the "nuclear documents" Trump had at Mar-a-Lago were a danger to America? "Federal agents and prosecutors have come to believe former president Donald Trump’s motive for allegedly taking and keeping classified documents was largely his ego and a desire to hold on to the materials as trophies or mementos, according to people familiar with the matter." Ef the FBI. Ef the media. Nice clarification after the election.
The Ethiopians have another active armed struggle going on.
I've mentioned that America knits together countries in bilateral defense agreements with America to resits China. The Japan-Australia deepening defense cooperation cuts out the middle man as the only way to achieve cooperation.
Iran struck a tanker with a drone in the Gulf of Oman. The Israel-Iran quasi war continues.
Speaking of a "barbed wire curtain" arising on NATO's border with Russia and Belarus is an awful implicit comparison to the "iron curtain" the USSR built early in the Cold War. The former is to keep people being used by Moscow out. The latter was to keep unwilling people in. Huge difference.
NATO states have pledged more air defense weapons for Ukraine.
Is China's rise taking us to an Asia Century short-circuiting? We've had indications. Not that Asia won't be important or even paramount in our concerns, of course.
If states got used to the federal government shoveling money into their budgets "because of Covid" got used to that "revenue" they are in for a world of hurt going forward.
The Black Sea food export deal was extended. Interesting that Russia isn't dragging feet. They may need income as much as Ukraine and fear being blamed for its end. Which is a far cry from hoping to blackmail the world into supporting Russia.
Enough? "China and India, after months of refusing to condemn Russia’s war in
Ukraine, did not stand in the way of the release this week of a
statement by the world’s leading economies that strongly criticizes
Moscow." Hypocrisy is a compliment vice pays to virtue, I suppose. Although I'm more understanding of India's stance.
Is "integrated deterrence" just a buzz term to justify defense cuts? That's my worry. I'll be happy if this is meant to add all elements of national power to military power rather than substituting for military power.
That seems prudent: "U.S., Japanese, Australian and Canadian warships are currently staging extensive joint drills in Japanese and international waters, the U.S. Navy said Wednesday."
American aircraft readiness kind of sucks.
LOL:
Sweden will send its largest military aid package thus far to Ukraine.
Syria's Assad is getting even less support from Iran and Russia now. Israel is providing non-weapon support to Ukraine. And Iran stays pre-revolution. But is that changing? Will Iran's fear of civil war provoke one?
Russia can't offer much to Iran.
What we know about the X-37B. Four "possibles", a "potentially", and a bevy of "coulds" don't scream "know" to me.
Another warning that negotiations to end the Winter War of 2022 are premature. A little more emphasis on winning that war, please. Getting ahead of ourselves is a good way to lose a war the good guys are winning.
Good! "The United States is now exporting over 60 percent of its liquid national gas (LNG) to Europe, up from 20 percent a year ago. U.S. LNG imports currently provide more gas to Europe than pipeline gas from Russia in an effort some have labeled the Berlin 'Gas Lift.'" Although why we aren't opening the spigots to all energy production here is beyond me.
Also: "Another ploy of Moscow is spreading propaganda that foreign aid has gone astray and that corrupt Ukrainian officials are siphoning off economic and military assistance." It is true that Ukraine is corrupt. I've worried about that. But it doesn't make Ukraine less of a victim of aggression worthy of support. Nor does it make the need to defeat Russia any less necessary.
Despite Western military production bottle necks exposed by the effort to supply Ukraine, Russia's military industry is seemingly in worse shape. I really want to know if Russia is able to produce enough artillery ammunition and what their stockpiles are.
Sh*t gets real when North Korea gets working ICBMs with working warheads. It's bad for America and bad for Japan and South Korea which rely on American nukes to deter North Korea from attacking them. Our allies will wonder if we'll trade Seattle for Tokyo or Seoul on their behalf.
Things the pro-Democrat media can talk about--for a while--only after the election. Until proven otherwise, I think rigging the media is the biggest way Democrats put their thumbs on the election scales.
Lab-grown meat safe to eat. If it's good and affordable, I'll try it. Will food fanatics call it "Frankenmeat" to undermine it the way they do for similarly safe GMO crops? Tip to Instapundit.
Oh? "If [student] loan dollars are to flow, borrowers should be made to understand the terms." What part of "you have to pay back loans" is unclear? When I was 17 entering college--the first in my family in Detroit to go, so I hardly had sophisticated understanding of finance--I knew that I didn't want the higher rate loans being offered on my financial aid! This isn't rocket science. Tip to Instapundit.
Vile police states kill off the crippled and other "undesirables." Compassionate, progressive states give those people the "option" of killing themselves. Way different, eh?
The Russian spy who came in from the cold.
Nine months into the war, the U.S. still hasn't addressed production of key weapons and ammunition to avoid draining American war reserve stocks too much. I really think Biden assumed Ukraine would have lost by now and would get credit for trying to save Ukraine. And avoiding the cost of actually saving Ukraine.
If we are warning China that invading Taiwan would face the same outcome as Russia invading Ukraine, we'd best make sure Russia loses. Decisively.
America should be expanding oil production rather than tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve now.
American defense spending is assuming China won't attack Taiwan within the next 5 years. Is that wise? We'd spend differently if we knew our assumption is wrong. We might be assuming too much from our shields' ability to buy us time.
I'm less impressed with Google's all-knowing algorithm. A couple months ago I restored my YouTubeTV account and it wouldn't let me take advantage of an initial lower price deal because I'm a former customer. Oh well. And this week the service invites me to reactivate my TV service for World Cup. Their knowledge of me is clearly limited.
The X-37A, X-37B, X-37C, and China's version.
The Army sets its modernization objective and remained focused on it. And it is working. May this skill translate to warfighting.
A CRS report on the Ukrainian military at war: "To date, the UAF has sustained significant equipment losses. Some UAF units appear to be operating without mechanized or motorized vehicle support, likely due to losses and maintenance issues."
This seems significant: "The ongoing, anti-regime protests are likely creating fractures among senior regime officials within the Iranian security establishment."
And so Qatar hosts the first--and last--World Cup in a Arab Moslem country: "The FIFA World Cup has banned beer from stadiums days before the soccer tournament is set to begin in Qatar."
Nothing says restoring Russia's glory like needing Iran's help for weapons production: "Iran and Russia have finalized an agreement to build hundreds of weaponized drones in Russian territory[.]"
The mullah regime is ramping up the use of force against Iranian protesters. The mullah regime may need even more force: "The number and scale of ongoing, anti-regime protests have already intensified in recent days. ... Protests have also become increasingly violent--for protesters and security personnel alike—in recent days."
Europe has gotten over its worry about Chinese power and human rights and is rejecting American policy. Europe is now eager to sell China the rope advanced computer chips to hang the West. I was reassured by the nuanced class that the "trans-Atlantic rift" was all Trump's fault.
Trump didn't create the populist, conservative, blue collar parade. He jumped in front and led it for a while. Yes, Trump voters think Trump was screwed in 2020. Indeed, from 2015-2021. But "his" voters wanted his policies and haven't given up that hope. Their priority isn't his redemption. Most people are moving on. And the coalition is actually growing. Waiting for someone to replace Trump to achieve their hopes. And if Democrats continue to call this coalition "deplorable"--or whatever new term they come up with, the coalition will grow larger. Too large for the pro-Democrat media to overwhelm. Tip to Instapundit.
If the Russians are big on omens, this is ominous: "Towering clouds of ash and glowing lava are spewing from two volcanoes on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and scientists say major eruptions could be on the way."
An "election" in Kazakhstan. I have no idea if this reflects better or worse relations with Russia.
The new Democratic Party-backed "peculiar institution." Dressing up hate with compassion and "science" is nothing new. Tip to Instapundit.
Retaliation: "Turkey launched deadly airstrikes over northern regions of Syria and Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Sunday, targeting Kurdish groups that Ankara holds responsible for last week’s bomb attack in Istanbul." I didn't think Turkey's Kurdish separatists were the suicide-bomber type. I guess that's changed. Or maybe it wasn't a suicide bomber as I thought the news initially stated.
Poor countries manage to stage a shakedown from guilt-ridden Western leadership.
You go to war with the weapons you can use now; and not the superior weapons you wish you had.
