If we can't tell by looking at a person what that person's gender is, and if a person can change their gender at will by simply asserting it, how can anybody be punished for "misgendering" that person when even that person can't really be sure?
Bad racial science. Besides, nowadays you can make up your own unique gender just by making up pronouns. Changing your race is easy by comparison, no?
More on the GLSDB surface-to-surface America-Sweden missile that marries a 227mm rocket to a Small Diameter Bomb. This is the 98-mile range weapon I mentioned intended for Ukraine. It can hit moving targets on land or at sea in any weather.
Russia's defense and security budgets have climbed enormously. But Russia's defense industry can't maintain pre-war levels. Russia's GDP advantage over smaller Ukraine backed by Western production isn't the advantage you'd expect, in practice.
LOL: "Russian troops are often using Cold War era maps [of Ukraine] that contain deliberate errors to confuse enemy troops who capture these maps."
My only question is whether this is collateral damage or deliberate: "The COVID-19 vaccine mandate is contributing to the military’s recruitment troubles, the top general in the Marine Corps said on Saturday." The general said the problem is vaccine "misinformation" rather than the policy. The military has the authority to require vaccines. Which would be useful for a really dangerous virus. But this isn't it, now.
Explosions at two Russian air bases deep inside Russia. Ukraine suggests it can do that. One or both could be accidents, of course. But Ukraine could have done one or both. No word of damage to aircraft, so I assume accidents at this point. Oh (tip to PJ Media), did drones damage two Russian Tu-95s? That's according to Ukrainian media, of course.
Global warming is "a quasi-religious movement predicated on an absurd ‘scientific’ narrative." Indeed. Now go and emit no more. There are real scientists doing real work. But the movement is led by activist true believers.
And now for something completely different:
Iran's weapons line of supply to the Houthis in Yemen: "Sailors from the sea mobile base USS Lewis B. Puller intercepted the stateless vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen, the Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement Saturday."
#WhyAmericaCan'tHaveNiceThings
Moron Supremacy in action. Her students will be crippled for life. But she'll feel morally superior. What would a racist do differently? Tip to Treacher.
Publicizing our SSBN in the Indian Ocean signals that enemies have to defend the entire globe to counter America's sea-based nuclear deterrent. And any enemy missile defenses have to be 360 degrees.
How fast? "Russia is burning through its munitions stockpiles at an 'extraordinary' rate as its invasion of Ukraine grinds on into its tenth month, the nation’s top intelligence official said Saturday." Will China fill the gap? Can China?
The Netherlands is supporting Ukraine: "the Dutch military has committed to donating Panzerhaubitze 2000 155 mm
self-propelled howitzers, YPR-765 infantry vehicles, Panzerfaust 3
recoilless anti-tank weapons and Stinger anti-aircraft weapons."
The U.S. seems like it will have a policy to combat China's global over-fishing in other countries' EEZs. Some countries will have to overcome their submission to Chinese fishing paid for with China's bribes.
The power vacuum in Central Asia. I've noted that effect of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China telegraphed their path a while ago. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are players, too. But their capacity is small relative to China's. And they seem less interested in promoting stability, apparently.
Most people think that Trump running for the 2024 nomination would divide the Republican Party and benefit Democrats by reviving Trump as the Bad Orange Man leader of Republicans. But what if Republican primary voters reject Trump? Won't that settle the question and kill the Democrat-media fear narrative?
Is the logistics link repaired or is this just a publicity stunt? "Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to boost Russian morale Monday by driving a vehicle across a bridge to Crimea that a truck bomb had damaged in October."
"Better informed" is not necessarily "informed enough": "The U.S. director of national intelligence said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has become 'better informed' about the challenges the military is facing."
America modified HIMARS sent to Ukraine so they can't fire ammunition with ranges of more than 48 miles. Interesting. Is this a real limitation? Could Ukraine hack whatever physical or software changes made while shielding America from Russian accusations of giving Ukraine such capabilities?
An invisibility cloak: "The InvisDefense coat can be seen by human eyes but is covered in a pattern that blinds cameras in the day and sends out unusual heat signals at night, according to the team." This is very familiar from an old sci fi book, The Light of Other Days, that explored reactions to loss of privacy in day-to-day life. Tip to Instapundit.
Stolen valor. As a rule they despise the military yet wear the cloak of battlefield service for their desk-bound jobs. Remember, troops can't click to block incoming actual fire.
What would have been prudent 6 month ago is WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? now: "As donations to Ukraine strain allied munitions stockpiles, the U.S. Army is seeking a “dramatic” ramp up in monthly production of 155mm artillery shells over the next three years, its chief weapons buyer said Saturday." Other ammunition supplies are targeted, too. Tip to Instapundit.
The lockstep left wing media dismissal of Musk's Twitter files (PR for the world's richest person) reminds me of the odd American media pivot to dismissing the nuclear threat when a CIA NIE on Iran's nuclear program was released. I read it and complimented one reporter who filed before the memo went out. And don't forget the Iran nuclear deal spin machine. Our media is largely a partisan joke. To Hell with them.
Pre-Musk Twitter spent its time suppressing Republicans while ignoring child porn purveyors. Ah, progressives.
Even hating murderous communists is racist. According to the murderous communists. The CCP knows their target. Tip to Instapundit.
Speaking of Democrats propping up the Chinese Communist Party with cash. And lied about it. To be fair, the administration might just have been ignorant. Tip to Instapundit.
Somaliland works. Most of Somalia does not. Successes always seem fleeting. Just keep mowing the grass until the parts that work expand into the parts that don't.
Taiwan's loitering anti-radar drone.
The Air Force limited what might be revealed when the B-21 was unveiled when it "was illuminated with blue light and some artificial fog. And this time, the B-21 didn’t come all the way out of the hangar."
Replacing the Black Hawk: "Textron’s Bell has won the U.S. Army’s competition to build the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, the service’s largest helicopter procurement decision in 40 years."
The Army's new landmine close terrain shaping obstacle. It seems more like a really short-range anti-tank rocket.
Russia deployed an anti-ship (or land attack) missile system in the Kurile islands off of the Kamchatka Peninsula. This helps guard Russian installations and the SSBN basion in the Sea of Okhotsk. The story says it is "near Japan." True enough, but I sometimes think Russia is hiding anti-China deployments with a Japan excuse. And demoting the Northern Fleet in favor of the Pacific Fleet makes me think Russia is carrying out a stealth pivot to face China.
The Army ramps up Pacific logistics: "The Army is moving equipment across the Pacific in support of its
Operation Pathways exercise to be held in Australia in 2023 as it
continues to define its changing role in the region." Logistics have to be ramped up a lot more if the Army is to carry out its primary large-scale combat operations mission in Asia generally and on Taiwan in particular (both Military Review articles).
A Congressional Research Report on China's navy modernization and America's response.
China's low-level balloon radar reflectors.
A Ukrainian drone attack just across the border near Kursk, Russia. Does this indicate the earlier explosions were Ukrainian drones? Or is this shallow attack designed to give the impression of Ukrainian long-range drone attacks. It seems the earlier explosions were drones. But are we sure?
If a legitimate free press existed, indeed. Tip to Instapundit.
Huh. On Facebook Meta, the ability to express hate freely has a price tag.
Iranian protests surged again.
Via Instapundit, is Germany's failure to stand up for European security in the face of Russian aggression the fault of Germany's leader, Olaf Scholz? Perhaps. The problem may be broader. But I hope it is the fault of one leader. That is easier to fix. To be fair, the 2% NATO defense spending target has until 2024 to be met. After promising immediate spending after Russia's invasion, Germany says it will meet it in 2025. Which is many years from their pre-war plan.
Warnock defeated Walker in the Georgia runoff election, giving Democrats 51 Senate seats. That means Democrats can completely control the committees. Unless Manchin switches parties ...
Russia convinced Ukrainians that the West was the source of their salvation. Russia continues to be NATO's best recruiter.
It's kind of funny that when confronted with the evidence that the FBI helped suppress the Hunter Biden laptop news before the 2020 election, Democrats ask, "Who was president, then?" as if the FBI was actually working for Trump rather than Biden.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval forces are harassing U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz again. I think putting capital ships in the Persian Gulf is nuts.
Mobilized Russian men are arriving at the front with more training now.
Strykers with friggin' lasers on them.
While the B-21 broadly looks like the B-2, there are significant differences.
Is Russia running low on artillery ammunition? We'll see if rate of fire goes down, with only priority targets hit. That's the standard response rather than firing as fast as you can until you are out.
The very length of this joint U.S.-Australian statement on military and diplomatic cooperation seems significant to me. Unless the inclusion of diplomats automatically ups the word count. LATER: If length is significant, last year's was longer. What does that mean? I'm skeptical of the author's take. But we'll see.
The Japanese will strengthen their ground forces on Okinawa. Which seems wise as American Marines move a regiment from Okinawa to Guam. Note that Japanese divisions are really small. Japanese pacifists have a particularly stupid take on the decision.
Anti-mullah labor strikes are taking place around Iran even as protests have abated.
Iran's proto-insurrection continues.
Irish need not apply. In Ireland. Tip to Instapundit.
Walmart says it may have to raise prices or close stores because government is not combating shoplifting at its stores (via Instapundit). Five years after the store closures, lefty researchers will note "shopping deserts" and blame racism, or whatever the usual suspect is then.
"The Babylon Bee is now redundant. You can’t parody this stuff. All you can do is quote it." Journalists have a greatly over-inflated view of their worth. Learn to code, you hacks.
Well that got my pucker factor redlining: "Authorities in Germany arrested 25 people on Wednesday who are suspected of planning to violently overthrow the government in a far-right extremist plot." The group hoped for Russian backing. I doubt this was a real threat. But even cosplay morons can kill people and cause damage before they fail.
We've seen news that Ukraine already needs to have its Western-supplied cannons re-barreled. Russia has fired massive numbers of artillery rounds. Has Russia had the same problem? Or has Russia just let its barrels deteriorate while using the guns, accepting crappy accuracy?
No offense to the British royal family, in general. But I'm starting to think we should take another look at that whole "regicide" thing. Via Instapundit.
Ban all the Chinese electronic things. I'm offended that we actually paid to have their SIGENT/cyberwar network installed here.
Al Qaeda still uses Afghanistan as a sanctuary, despite what the Taliban claims.
I'd be more comfortable with Democratic charges that Republicans are exaggerating Democratic suppression of Republican views if Democrats didn't keep getting caught suppressing Republican views.
A "get out of jail free card" for illegal immigrants who commit crimes. This is an outrage. And it shouldn't be allowed. But more and more I think that if far-left municipalities want to get their own people killed and cripple their economies, who am I to object? Via Instapundit.
Bernie Sanders runs interference for Iran's war in Yemen.
The A-10 will get retired more quickly. But the Air Force is lying. The A-10 no longer needs to fly low and slow to provide close air support. The Air Force has a long history of wanting to kill the plane. They have some points. But it's about more than the plane. It's about trusting the Air Force.
China may have more nuclear warheads on ICBMs than America does. It was relatively straightforward when it was mostly a US-Russia balance. With small assists to America from Britain and France that didn't really affect the big picture. But with China thrown in, we all need extra nukes to deal with two potential nuclear-armed enemies. Russia and China can use shorter-range missiles to deal with each other. America got rid of its shorter-range sea-based nukes. So now we rely on the long-range weapons.
Okay: "Domestic extremism is rare in the military, ‘but it is an issue’[.]" Deal with it. Absolutely. But don't rip apart the military rooting out a rare problem.
Your terms are acceptable: New York Times staffers went on 24-hour strike and urged us not to read NYT in solidarity. I say stay out as long as possible to teach the fascists a lesson.
Democrats seem to be setting the stage for resisting a House inquiry into Biden's business practices by claiming Republicans aren't interested in "governing." As if the Republican House can pass anything the Democratic Senate will pass or that Biden would sign. How stupid do they think people are? Or maybe the question is how hard do they think the media will regurgitate that nonsense?
America got a women's professional basketball player back from Russia. But not a former Marine, Paul Whelan who was essentially kidnapped by Russia, who still sits in a Russian cell. And we gave up a prolific Russian terrorist, arms dealer, and smuggler. Which might be useful for Russia under sanctions. More Ukrainians will die because of this trade. Our diplomats are morons who no doubt made it clear they were desperate to get someone out.
"Disinformation Down 92% As NYT Writers Go On Strike[.]" I don't mind them going away. I mind them not staying away. Via Instapundit.
Deep Twitter. Via Instapundit.
I caught a cold. If two negative Covid tests are to be believed. I haven't had a cold since the pandemic. I think this is a sign the pandemic is over. And note, this cold is worse than the Covid I had in almost every way. The one way is why I suspected it was not Covid.
I always assumed No Labels was about peeling off progressive stickers to trick independents into moving away from Republicans. Also: "Two former staffers said they witnessed one of the organization’s few Black employees being singled out to discuss race issues at a staff meeting." Wait. What? Don't progressives tell us only minority voices can discuss minority issues? Also, a #MeToo issue. Tip to Instapundit.
Not getting hopes up. Bernie Sanders is "Independent".
Well that's quite the pro-Biden spin on the Griner-Merchant of Death trade. Let's correct that: "Yes, it is a win for Putin, but one that comes at the cost of exposing
his weakness and his need to keep the military elite he relies upon
content."
Let's just marvel that Chinese protesters had more impact on China reversing harsh Covid policies than Canadian protesters had. Kudos for the title.
The Kraken Regiment and Cyborgs.
Will Harry and Meghan please go away. If Netflix raises their price after paying these twits so much money I'll cancel the service.
The New Extraterritoriality. Hey, could private businesses do this to protect their stores?
The Rising Sun reaches the Philippines. China will regret what it awakened. A peace constitution is not a suicide pact.
The pact was good. But implementation needs high-level follow through to work: "Australia’s defense minister said that his country’s nuclear-powered submarine pact with the U.K. and the U.S. still faces regulatory hurdles that hinder defense industrial cooperation."
The United States is rotating an infantry company reinforced with HIMARS into Estonia to enhance reassurance. Or HIMARS with infantry local security, as I prefer to think of such groupings.
"Twitter worked closely with like-minded government bureaucrats to
squelch legitimate news, information, and discussion. They did so to
protect favored candidates (Democrats) and political positions
(progressive)." Note that so far we're seeing how the bureaucracy operated on its own--so much for democracy--within the Trump administration. What will we find out when we move into the Biden administration that supports such actions? Assuming "former" FBI guy James Baker didn't successfully destroy evidence before he was fired from Twitter. Democracy Dies in Wokeness.
Indeed: "The Navy needs to work out how to repair and rearm warships faster to
get them back into a fight, the service’s secretary said Thursday." I'm grateful the Navy recognizes the reload and repair problems.
Oh, I'm afraid of a Russian collapse. Loose nukes. A massive internal war. And China filling vacuums. But I think that fear is a reason to think about how Ukraine defeats Russia--not letting Russia win this war.
If I was in charge of Russia, I'd prioritize rebuilding Far East military forces. Russia has had two conscript classes and a mobilization/stealth draft since invading and denuding the Far East frontiers.
China's official statistics don't seem reliable. Via Instapundit.
No. They're just mentally ill, pampered barbarians.
Government censorship with an extra step: "US law enforcement and intelligence agencies knew the New York Post was about to publish that story. Knowing that, they told social media giants, including Twitter, that the Russians were about to dump some disinformation. When the Post story appeared immediately after that FBI warning, Twitter connected the two. The link was even clearer when 51 former high-ranking intelligence agents publicly stated that the Hunter Biden story had 'all the earmarks of a classic Russian disinformation operation.'" Or, if you prefer, fascism.
Russia still aspires to operational sortakinda stealth Su-27s.
Oh? "Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow could adopt what he described as a U.S. concept of using preemptive military strikes, noting it has the weapons to do the job,[.]" Give it a rest, Ivan.
From the "No Shit, Sherlockovich" files.
LOL:
One problem with trying to draw lessons about the future of war from the Winter War of 2022 is that it is not a great power war. Some lessons are possible about battle. But ultimately, Russia knows it solely has the ability to escalate the war. Even though Russia is right across the border, Ukraine is deterred from significant strikes into Russia. No matter what Russia does to Ukraine. Two great powers fighting have a different dynamic entirely.
Go Army! Beat Navy! It's nice to have a rivalry where I respect the other team.
Putin claims that Russia is open to negotiating an end to the war, but those Ukrainians just won't. Fortunately, Russian leaders have a "tell" for when they are lying. They speak.
Where are Russia's wonder weapons? LOL!
China's espionage against American military technology was amazingly successful for a long time, no? I sure as Hell hope we succeeded in letting the Chinese scoop up a lot of crap that they wasted their time on exploiting.
Japan, Britain, and Italy will cooperate on building an advanced fighter plane.
Making good jihadis: "American forces on Sunday killed two Islamic State militants in eastern Syria in a helicopter raid, U.S. Central Command said in a statement."
We are losing the war against Iran in Iraq--Phase IX of the Iraq War. FFS, the Iraqi people mostly don't want Iran's influence.
Seriously, how many ballistic missiles does Iran have stockpiled? "Russia is trying to obtain 'hundreds of ballistic missiles' from Iran [per British intelligence.]"
Are we finally reaching peak climate hysteria? Dunno. But I don't underestimate the panic-prone nuts. Who can just ef off, of course. Via Instapundit.
Orion works. It sure cost enough. But good. I guess it's ready to carry people, now. We're way behind where we should be in working and living in space. Via Instapundit.
And yes, yesterday's And Now For Something Completely Different post was my last. But I did put a new one I authored earlier in this post. So you're not completely safe.
