Caveat Emptor

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

Götterdämmerung

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

Back to Ukraine

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

The Canadian Armed Forces is ‘Adrift’

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’

Slowly, and then all at Once

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

Putin’s Hermann Göring Moment

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

Ukrainian Incursion

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

China and the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA)

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)