Predicting the demise of powerful weapons systems is a hobby horse of many people and it comes with the same pitfalls of any and all predictions. When I was a teenager, an author (name not worth mentioning) sold 3 MILLION copies of a book telling us that overpopulation would bury humanity in its own waste before the dawn of the 21st century. The reality is … Continue reading Predicting Obsolescence
No, I am not selling anything. I am paraphrasing the “buyer beware” admonition for readers to be careful when “consuming” news. In particular, when listening to pundits regarding the Russian War of Aggression. Perhaps a better catch phrase would be what I learned when I first began studying history: consider the source. The Internet Age has given voice to anyone with a phone or a … Continue reading Caveat Emptor
Last week, I posted “Slowly, then all at once”, which wondered if we were seeing the end of the beginning for Putin’s Russia. I now wonder if we are entering a situation originating in Richard Wagner’s opera, the fourth and final part of his monumental cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), which is inspired by Germanic and Norse mythology. Götterdämmerung is … Continue reading Götterdämmerung
A Ukrainian military blogger, Yuriy Butusov, posted on Facebook that a major assault by N Korean troops had been repelled on Saturday. He posted that the attack was supported by “massive fire support” from Russian units, as well as electronic countermeasures again drones. This is the interesting bit: “Despite the losses, the enemy assault groups continued to advance, never stopping even under precision fire and … Continue reading Back to Ukraine
One of the hobbies that retired soldiers seem to have (including this author) is writing to each other to explain what is wrong with the organization they once served. Part of this is a form of melancholy, a look back upon the golden aura that existed when they were in charge. This is mostly nonsense, of course. But another, more serious aspect is that the … Continue reading The Canadian Armed Forces is ‘Adrift’
This week we’ve seen the collapse of one of the most brutal, corrupt inhumane regimes of the past half-century. Of course, I speak of the end of the Syrian dictatorship. What replaces the Idiot-Dentist-in-Chief (Assad) is anybody’s guess, but the speed of the collapse is a cautionary tale. Humans prefer stability. Not just emotionally, but also for the predictability that stability lends to every day … Continue reading Slowly, and then all at Once
I was recently listening to a podcast from a retired British Army Intelligence officer regarding the possibilities of a widening of the Ukraine War. Although I agreed with much of what he was saying, one aspect struck me a pure fear mongering and I feel it necessary to comment. The scenario was what he termed “pivot to Asia” and it involved dragging almost the entire … Continue reading Thinking the Unthinkable
The notorious Nazi Reichsmarschall famously boasted to his Luftwaffe that they were the ultimate guardians of the Reich and that the Ruhr industrial district would never be touched by Allied bombers. He boldly told Hitler that no enemy aircraft could reach the Ruhr, and that Berlin would never be bombed. If that happened, he said, his name would be Meyer. In other words, he would … Continue reading Putin’s Hermann Göring Moment
Much has been written and said about the recent Ukrainian “invasion” of Russia. Of course, it is not an invasion and contrary to what some commentators are calling it, this is not a counterattack either. It is best considered under the rubric of “countermove.” There has been endless speculation on why Ukraine has done this. Most agree that at least part of the reason was … Continue reading Ukrainian Incursion
An ancient Chinese proverb: It is foolish to waste good iron in making nails or good men in making soldiers. We in the west must be very careful not to make the mistake of projecting or mirroring when we analyze China, its economy, policies and especially, its military. The PLA is NOT a traditional national armed force. It is the military wing of the CPC. … Continue reading China and the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA)
The Enlightened Soldier 