If you are like me this morning, and sick of hearing about the US President’s single-handed “victory” in Iran (aka the WORST foreign policy debacle in America’s 250-year history), you’ll be pleased to return to Ukraine and review a bit of military theory regarding that war. I have talked about this issue before, but there has been a change that prompts me to return. The … Continue reading Strategy/Operations/Tactics Part II

One year ago, almost exactly, in my post Unintended Consequences (3 June 2025), I commented on frequent discussions I have had over the years with senior foreign officers. Living so close to the US, and being constantly influenced by the American obsession with “national security” (even before the tragedy of 9/11), it is easy to forget that Canadians do not necessarily share this obsession. In … Continue reading Purpose of National Leader

My publisher and I are proud to announce that our latest co-production is available for the general reading audience. Available on Amazon Books in Kindle ($9.99) or commercial format paperback ($24.99). All profits donated to RUSI New Brunswick and RUSI Vancouver Island. A must read for any and all who are interested in Canada’s place in the world. Initiated by a 1904 speech by Prime … Continue reading Canada in a Time of Rupture

Marty, my partner in all things “podcastery” has just posted our latest conversation to our You Tube channel and we invite you to have a listen. This time we explore the complex meaning of Remembrance Day in Canada and how its significance has evolved over time. We discuss the decline in wearing poppies and the generational shifts in understanding the day, highlighting an anecdote from … Continue reading War and Remembrance

I spent my Canadian Army career as an armoured cavalry officer and was the last commander of Canada’s only tank regiment when we repatriated our troops out of Germany in 1994. Canada has recently woken up from its sleepwalk through history and decided to spend great gobs of money on rearming the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Along with new ships and new fighter aircraft, the … Continue reading Thinking About New Tanks

Pip: The Enlightened Soldier — where the reading list runs from Thucydides to Clausewitz and the editorial patience for strategic illiteracy runs considerably shorter. Mara: Chuck has been writing this week about how great powers misread the nature of war itself — the conceptual failures behind that misreading, and what happens when hubris fills the gap where strategic understanding used to be. Pip: Two threads, … Continue reading Podcast Episode: War, Hubris, And Power

I have written, opined, and preached (and whined) about this so often that I’m sure some are tired of it. Nonetheless, I routinely encounter so-called learned people who are so off base regarding this issue that I feel impelled to remind them of their ignorance on the matter. The “American Way of War” has been shaped by its successes in WW I and WW II … Continue reading Misunderstanding War

In this episode, Marty and I ponder how civilians can better appreciate and understand the experiences of military personnel. We stress the need for better public education about Canada’s military history and contemporary involvement in international conflicts. Beyond honouring our fallen on Remembrance Day, we advocate for awareness and celebration of veterans and active duty members. The discussion reflects on historical and modern perceptions of … Continue reading Newest Podcast

Most people have seen this quote, which has been attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Amateurs talk tactics; professionals talk logistics. Sadly, Eisenhower never actually said it, but that doesn’t diminish the wisdom of the statement. It is true, whoever invented the phrase. Nonetheless, too many decisionmakers continue to look at the immediate (tactics) as opposed to the important (logistics). In other words, there is a … Continue reading The Power of Infrastructure

I’m sure that my friend and publisher is laughing aloud at my insistence on using foreign language titles. No matter. This Italian axiom is apt and so I used it. It means “we should consider it” and today it points us to consider what Xi Jinping has learned from observing the Russians fighting the Ukrainians and the Americans fighting Iran. To be sure, there is … Continue reading Da Pensarci