The (Con)Fusion of Civilizations
Larry Summers and Kishore Mahbubani think that globalization will eventually lead to world peace. Except that it hasn’t — and probably won’t.
David Bosco
Rosa Brooks
Thanassis Cambanis
Elizabeth Dickinson
Laurie Garrett
Kim Ghattas
Julia Ioffe
Leela Jacinto
Whitney Kassel
Jeffrey Lewis
Aaron David Miller
Suzanne Nossel
Thomas E. Ricks
David Rothkopf
Kori Schake
Emile Simpson
James Stavridis
Bruce Stokes
James Traub
Stephen M. Walt
Lauren Wolfe
Michela Wrong
Micah Zenko
Recent Voices
Today’s question: Will North Korea collapse before the end of this year?
I wouldn’t be surprised.
Essay contest (17): We need an Information Age personnel system
The Information Age is in full swing and there is little use in fighting the tectonic shift that it brings with it.
‘MALES’: One may be near you right now
In 27 years of dealing with the U.S. military on a daily basis, I am surprised to still come across unfamiliar acronyms.
Art Is a Window to the Arab World’s Soul
If you want to understand the Middle East (in Washington, D.C.), ditch the think-tank panels and catch the photo exhibits and hip-hop shows by Arab artists.
Hey, shut up about being the best military in the world, because we might not be (B)
Here are four reasons to put a sock in it.
‘Plagiarism’ at the Naval War College: A response from a military professor
Most people see plagiarism as a wholly intentional act.
The decline and fall of Marine aviation
We can argue about what caused it.
Should Britain Stay, or Should It Go?
With the U.K. on the verge of saying “piss off” to Brussels, the great European democratic project hangs in the balance.
Hey, shut up about being the best military in the world, because we might not be (A)
So writes Army Lt. Col. Terrence Buckeye in the new issue of ARMOR magazine.
Iraq: I’m chidin’ Biden (and Obama, too)
Joe Biden didn’t create the Iraq mess, but he sure has made a hash of it on his watch.
Vichy Republican watch
Richard Burt seems to be working with Trump.
Unburying the Dead From the Pentagon’s Afghan Hospital Bombing
The Pentagon has quietly released a report on civilian casualties that it's hoping nobody will notice.
A Head of STEAM
The case for teaching arts in the Digital Age.
How not to handle plagiarism: An example from the Naval War College
There recently was a case of plagiarism at the Naval War College.
Reading lists: From Rufus Wainwright to Warren Buffett, and much much more!
I like the singer Rufus Wainwright, and once enjoyed a show he did with his mother and his sister upstairs in a pub in London.
Dogs put up with a lot
And all they want is some food, water and with luck some affection.
Essay contest (16): What we need to do is admit that we are unable to win our wars
Admit that the United States of America, as a government, a military, and a society, is functionally and cognitively incapable of winning a war.
Book excerpt: From ‘Farewell Kabul,’ a visit to Herat’s unusual Museum of Jihad
Ismael Khan had been Minister of Water and Power since being ousted as Governor, and had clearly prospered.
On Trump, Gefilte Fish, and World Order
The Republican front-runner says America’s foreign policy is terrible — and the portions are too small.
The False Idols of Rwanda’s Genocide
Is Paul Kagame’s government using museums to commemorate the past—or cement its grip on power?
Sebastian Junger is flat out done with war
And, like many combat vets, he looks at his society through a new, skeptical lens.
‘An innovative thinker is someone who thinks innovatively,’ or, why Army officers have a hard time discussing innovation
Army Col. Eric Aslakson tackles that problem in a good article in the May issue of ARMY magazine.
Messages: It’s not about Garcia, it’s about being Rowan or McKinley, as necessary
"Garcia" is not solely a paean celebrating subordinate initiative, but also a testament to effective leadership.
Military fairy tales
"So, this little girl was getting ready for a trip to her grandma’s house. Red Riding Hood started by doing a map recon and checking with the intel bubbas to see what was going on along her route."
They’re trained and advised, but not fighting. Why? The fault lies with us.
Developing partnered forces is perhaps the defining challenge of our military age.
You have to be Chinese to get Sun Tzu?
“If one had to be Chinese to understand strategic thought, can only a German (A European? a Westerner?) understand On War?”
Is Brazil the Chicago of Latin America?
We shouldn’t be surprised that Brazil — and other countries in the BRICS — is dealing with the stumbles and falls of an emerging economy. Meaningful progress takes decades.
Drones Kill More Civilians Than Pilots Do
For years, the Obama administration has claimed that unmanned aircraft limit collateral damage in the war on terror. The numbers show otherwise.
Why Is America So Bad at Promoting Democracy in Other Countries?
There’s no quick, cheap, or military-based way to bring peace to places like Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iraq. It’s time we changed our approach, and we can start at home.
Essay contest (15): We’ve lost the first wars of the Information Age, so it is time to revamp the military personnel system
The first steps the military should take to succeed in the information age include retooling an antiquated industrial-era personnel system.
Why I think Adm. McRaven is wrong
Adm. William McRaven is a smart and likable guy, but I think he is wrong in this essay arguing against the removal of Rear Adm. Brian Losey.
Impressive judge
He sentenced a troubled Special Forces vet to 24 hours in jail for lying about a urine test.
Everyone Hates the U.N. (Until They Need It)
How the next U.S. administration can fix America’s dysfunctional relationship with Turtle Bay.
Quote of the day: A Spec Ops officer leads by example, shows emotional vulnerability
This is from a very good article by David Wood on how Special Operators are dealing with the mental fraying of the force.
Military public affairs talks integrity, until it is embarrassed — and then it clams up
Then, all too often, it’s slow rolling, stonewalling, hemming and hawing.
Hey dog you have a letter from home
“I can read German but not Chinese, so please read it to me.”
Essay contest (13): We need effective operations in the realm of social media
The United States military and government in general must effectively harness the power of social media.
Essay contest (14): We need to develop organizations that embrace innovation
The growing concern about cyberspace as a domain of warfare in the Information Age presents many challenges for the U.S. defense and security communities.
Avoiding the New Cold War With Russia
With two risky flyovers of U.S. military assets in a week, tensions with Moscow are high. We need to tone things down, before flyovers become bombing runs.
The Inherent Fallacy of Believing We Can Beat the Islamic State Without U.S. Ground Troops
No one — not Obama, Clinton, Trump, or Cruz — will dare to admit the obvious: We’re going to need to put boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria.
Have we forgotten how to win our wars? Or have we actually learned how to contain and manage persistent violence?
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn recently published a column in which he bemoaned the way we fight.
Time for a war on space-time ripplers?
If we don’t control our sense of time, what DO we control? Who do these ripplers think we are, chumps?
What the water looks like waaay out there
One of the surprises to me the first time I was on a Navy ship way out there was that when you are well out to sea, the water really is that strong blue color captured in this photo.
Springtime in D.C. Means Mosquitoes — and Zika
A look at resources dedicated to mosquito control shows that major U.S. cities are vastly unprepared to prevent a Zika outbreak. And Congress just made it worse.
Essay contest (12): We need to get back on the road to technological dominance
Stated simply, the U.S. military has done a less-than-stellar job of adjusting to the Information Age.
Essay contest (11): The info revolution has arrived — but don’t tell our PME system
The future of armed conflict is challenging military thinking.
Essay contest (10): Counterintuitively, Info Age warfare will be all about people
War in the Information Age will be decided by human capital.
Defending Donald Trump … Again?
Why playing devil’s advocate with the Republican front-runner’s rhetoric eventually leads back to the source of the problem — Washington.
The Two Faces of Modern Iran
Massoumeh Ebtekar and Hossein Sheikholeslam both were radical Islamist students who took part in the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Over three decades later, they’re political rivals battling to define the future of the Islamic Republic.
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