Several times this week I have seen American philosopher George Santayana quoted. He famously said in 1905 that those “who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Nice and catchy but what does it actually mean? History does not repeat itself. Arguably, to quote Mark Twain to whom the saying is attributed, “it often rhymes.” In the civil-military relationship, we are seeing an … Continue reading Historical Amnesia

Tactical Jazz is now available on Amazon as an ebook as well as a paperback as Book 4 of the Essential Guides to War and Warfare. TRUST, ADAPT AND IMPROVISE Books on leadership too often read like manufacturer’s assembly manuals: Insert Tab A into Slot B, and so on. Tactical Jazz provides a uniquely different approach. It casts ideas at the reader as pebbles are … Continue reading New Book Released

In Greek mythology, Hubris was the goddess who personified arrogance, insolence, and violence. Let us consider another national leader who felt aggrieved and wanted to teach neighbouring countries a lesson. Between 1936 and 1941 Adolf Hitler made a series of bold and dramatic moves, both political and military. Late in 1941, the tide turned. Why? Why was Germany so successful for so long but unable … Continue reading Hubris

Since the destruction of Europe by the Nazis and Fascists, and its rebuilding with help from the Americans, Europeans have become too accustomed to having Americans tell them what to do and then subsidize a large share of the cost. This may have been altruistic by the US but it was far from being a gift. The fully industrialized US economy in 1945 needed new … Continue reading Europa the Wary

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE CONFEDERATION OF CANADA Once upon a time in America … In Congress, July 4, 1776 When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature … Continue reading True North, Strong and Free

I recently had the great pleasure of listening to an expert panel speak on the state of the Canadian Armed Forces within the context of the world geopolitical situation. It was both enlightening and a bit depressing, but exactly the sort of discussion that needs to occur. Canadians MUST be better informed in order to make the correct decisions. The panel was privileged to have … Continue reading Periclean Oration

Dr Martin Luther King Jr famously said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I believe that sentiment to be true, even if, just like sitting on the earth’s surface, we cannot see the arc. It seems flat; but it isn’t. Dr Janice Gross Stein, the respected founding Director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global … Continue reading The Arc of the Moral Universe

This is an expanded post regarding a youtube video where Mr Musk spoke to cadets and staff at the US Military Academy. It began as a reply to a friend of mind on LinkedIn but grew too long and so it is here in a more considered way. If you have not seen the video, much of this will not make a great deal of … Continue reading Musk and Muskovites

If the word polymathic is new to you, here is the definition: acquainted with many branches of learning. the adjective is now used frequently to refer to multiple things occurring together. Thus, polymathic changes. I recently watched an interview where the interviewee used this term repeatedly and especially in the context of the vast and simultaneous changes that were occurring in our current societies (pick … Continue reading Polymathic Changes

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