Expanding War, Contracting Meaning

by Andrew J. Bacevich A week ago, I had a long conversation with a four-star U.S. military officer who, until his recent retirement, had played a central role in directing the global war on terror. I asked him: what exactly is the strategy that guides the Bush administration’s conduct of this war? His dismaying, if [...]

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The Personnel System at War…(What have I been saying?)

For nine years, since my chapter “Culture Wars” has come out in Bob Bateman’s Digital Wars in the Frontlines, I have been touting this same theme with ample evidence. It is always nice when others echo what one believes, especially as prominent as Bob Goldich, who I interviewed for Path to Victory back in 1998. [...]

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New date for release of America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for the New President and Congress

We have changed the date for the release to November 19th, 2008. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Center for Defense Information will release a new anthology. It is titled “America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for the New President and Congress.” The authors are 13 non-partisan Pentagon insiders, retired military officers, and other defense specialists, including [...]

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Fading Days of Empire

Jay Soloman and Siobhan Gorman have an interesting piece in today’s WSJ entitled, “Financial Crisis May Diminish American Sway.”  Your first reaction might be “Ya think?”  followed by “What can we do about it?” I think a better reaction might be “So what?”  Being the world’s only remaining superpower — and $3.75 — will get [...]

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How We Lost the War We Won

This is Nir Rosen’s new article on Afghanistan.  It relates his trip with the Taliban south of Kabul.  It is rather depressing reading but a unique view of the other side — obtained at great personal risk.  Barnett Rubin and Ahmed Rashin also have a thought provoking article in the Nov/Dec Foreign Affairs but I don’t have [...]

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America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for the New President and Congress

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Center for Defense Information will release a new anthology. It is titled “America’s Defense Meltdown: Pentagon Reform for the New President and Congress.” The authors are 13 non-partisan Pentagon insiders, retired military officers, and other defense specialists, including myself. The book is edited by Winslow Wheeler, who as always, has [...]

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Why Reinforce Failure? How about Reinforcing Success…?

In Maneuver Warfare or a culture of 3rd Generation Warfare, one of the principles is to reinforce success vice what many 2nd Generation militaries do, which is reinforce failure. The old adage is using the reserve to avoid defeat by attacking enemy success head on. A commander in a maneuver warfare force views warfare as [...]

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Law Enforcement and Security Consulting & Science of Strategy Institute

I am proud to now be associated with two organizations. One is Law Enforcement and Security Consulting (LESC) run by Lieutenant Fred Leland, who has been a Marine and a policeman for 28 years. Fred has taken the work of Col John Boyd and translated it to police and security work.  He has also used [...]

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Bailout failure is par for the course with this Congress

This is another great piece from my friend Winslow Wheeler. Don’t think the fiasco in the House of Representatives on Monday when it voted down the financial bail out package was out of the norm for congressional behavior. Expect more. I explain in a piece that ran in the October 1 “Politico.” Find the piece [...]

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It’s all about greed and no leadership

Greed has gotten us here in the state of our financial crisis. The House is now preparing the pass the 700 billion bail out of the wealthy greedy bastards on wall street. But where is the accountability and responsibility? Also, as always, Congress added pork to a bill that is going to cost all of [...]

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