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Winslow Wheeler: The China Pivot and Air-Sea Battle — Institutionalized Idiocy and the Moral-Intellectual Death of Andy Marshall

The Asia Pivot–with “Air-Sea Battle” deeply embedded into it–has become the accepted wisdom in Washington for America’s post-Afghanistan national security strategy.  Is it affordable?  Is it competent? Is it even a strategy? It also presents a useful test for SecDef-designate Hagel’s ability to separate the wheat from the chaff regarding defense issues.  While Hagel has already shredded–to …

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David Isenberg: Recommended Book, Mel Goodman on National Insecurity, The Cost of American Militarism

Recommended! Coming out 12 February 2013. “Mel Goodman has spent the last few decades telling us what’s gone wrong with American intelligence and the American military, and now, in National Insecurity, he tells us what we must do to change the way the system works, and how to fix it. Goodman is not only telling …

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Marcus Aurelius: White House Has Two Strikes With Marine Corps — Could It Be Time for a Professional National Security Advisor in Lieu of a Party / Public Relations Flack?

This is the antecedent to my previous post on Gen. Mattis. The administration’s mishandling of Marine Gen. James Mattis Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Friday, January 18, 2013 – 9:50 AM Word on the national security street is that General James Mattis is being given the bum’s rush out of his job as commander of …

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Marcus Aurelius: Hagel as Theater or Change Agent?

Sen Hagel, if confirmed as SECDEF, may start firing Service Secretaries. Keeping Acquisition and Intelligence will be a sure sign that nothing is actually going to change. Sources: Carter, Others Expected To Stay By Zachary Fryer-Biggs and Marcus Weisgerber Washington Post, 21 January 2013 Although the transition between presidential terms is usually marked by large-scale personnel …

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Owl: Aaron Swartz — Prosecutors as Persecutors — Call to End All Donations to MIT — Burn MIT to the Ground, Metaphorically Speaking

Following up on the excellent post, Mongoose: Moti Nissani on Who Killed Aaron Swartz? it is now clear MIT refuses to cut any kind of deal, and the prosecutor went nuclear on what should have been a matchbook case.  Now it emerges that the prosecutor going after Swartz went after another young man involved with …

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Daniel Ellsberg: Secrecy vs. Whistleblowing in a Democracy

Secreacy and National Security Whistleblowing Daniel Ellsberg Huffington Post repritned from Social Research, 13 January 2013 I) Reflections on Secret-keeping and Identity In the “national security” area of the government — the White House, the departments of state and defense, the armed services and the “intelligence community,” along with their contractors — there is less …

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