Marcus Aurelius: Defense “Strategy” & “Budget” — Ignorant Duplicitous Theater + META-RECAP

Various media pieces on defense. Gutting defense Obama to shrink armed forces The President’s Risky Defense Strategy President Obama’s defense strategy rests on shaky assumptions Obama military strategy: Is it bipartisan enough? U.S. right to focus on Asia The battle for the Pacific will reshape the world Military fighting force strategy set, but what will …

Marcus Aurelius: Defense “Strategy” & “Budget” — Ignorant Duplicitous Theater + META-RECAP

Various media pieces on defense. Gutting defense Obama to shrink armed forces The President’s Risky Defense Strategy President Obama’s defense strategy rests on shaky assumptions Obama military strategy: Is it bipartisan enough? U.S. right to focus on Asia The battle for the Pacific will reshape the world Military fighting force strategy set, but what will …

NIGHTWATCH: Financial Crisis Now a Crisis of Fundamentals

Europe:  Updates. In an interview with a French daily on 25 December, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde stressed that Europe’s financial crisis is turning into “a crisis of confidence in public debt and the solidity of the financial system. Greece: According to an IMF source involved in discussions with Greece, the situation in …

Robert Steele: Cutting the US Military Budget – and Firing the Civilian and Uniformed “Leaders” Betraying the Public Trust + RECAP

On those rare occasions when two of our contributing editors hold diametrically opposite views, I am asked to come back and blend them.  Here are my premises, followed by a selection of articles that represent both sides of the argument. 1.  Neither Barack Obama nor Leon Panetta have a clue.  They are posturing on the …