Posted in Strategy, tagged Andrew Bacevich, Limits of Power, Neocons, Global War on Terror on October 31, 2008 | 3 Comments »
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 not [...]
Posted in Learning Organizations, Professional Development, tagged Industrial Age Personnel System, Path to Victory Americas Army and the Revolution in Hum, Personnel System on October 24, 2008 | 9 Comments »
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.
A [...]
Posted in Adaptability, Boyd, Learning Organizations, Professional Development, Strategy, tagged Center for Defense Information, Defense Reform, Winslow Wheeler on October 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
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 myself. [...]
Posted in Learning Organizations, Strategy, tagged William S. Lind, Andrew Bacevich, Wall Street Journal, American Exceptionalism, Limits of Power on October 21, 2008 | 5 Comments »
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 you [...]
Posted in Strategy, tagged 4th Generation Warfare, Afghanistan War, Andy Bacevich, William S. Lind on October 17, 2008 | 15 Comments »
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 [...]
Posted in Leadership, Learning Organizations, tagged Center for Defense Information (CDI), Defense Reform, John Boyd, Winslow Wheeler on October 16, 2008 | 19 Comments »
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 [...]
Posted in Adaptability, How to develop adaptability, Learning Organizations, Strategy, Uncategorized, tagged Bailout a bad idea, Exploiting failure, Fire the CEOs of the investment banks, maneuver warfare, Rewarding irresponbility on October 12, 2008 | 16 Comments »
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 [...]
Posted in Boyd, Decision Making, How to develop adaptability, Leadership, Learning Organizations, Professional Development, Strategy, tagged leader development, LESC, organization development, Science of Strategy Institute on October 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
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 [...]
Posted in Decision Making, Leadership, Strategy, tagged bailout of the rich, Broken promises, Congress, finincial crisis, Lack of leadership, National Security threatened on October 3, 2008 | 8 Comments »
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 [...]
Posted in Leadership, Strategy, tagged British Council, Congress and leadership, Finanicial crisis, Responsibility, Transatlantic network 20-20 on October 3, 2008 | 5 Comments »
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 [...]
Manning the Future Legions of the United States, Finding and Developing Tomorrow’s Centurion. Chapter 6 of this book was passed out by the Army Chief of Staff to every general in the Army for ideas on how to train and develop leaders.
“Warrior's Rage is a brutally honest, compelling, and controversial examination of Desert Storm and the U.S. Army's largest tank battle since World War II by one of our foremost military writers. Douglas Macgregor has written an epic story of American courage and needless strategic failure that led to the escape of Saddam's Republican Guard. -- Carlo D'Este, Author of Patton: A Genius For War and A Life of Winston Churchill at War
Dave Hubbard's short but well written and concise book is the blue print for our health care crisis. It is a must read for everyone aspiring to be a good leader as well as a responsible citizen.
