On June 3, 1961, barely into the fifth month of his presidency, John F. Kennedy met with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Kennedy requested the meeting in February as an “informal” opportunity to become better acquainted. Kennedy had risen rapidly through … Continue reading
If there ever was a day in the American calendar that invites reflection, it is Memorial Day. As we pause to remember and honor the hundreds of thousands of our compatriots who have laid down their lives while serving in … Continue reading
“The art of war is divided between force and stratagem. What cannot be done by force must be done by stratagem.” —Frederick the Great On Saturday morning April 14, over 100 precision-guided munitions, most if not all, cruise missiles fired … Continue reading
The news that President Donald Trump authorized the U.S. military to strike a Syrian chemical manufacturing facility is hardly surprising. Even without the potential incentive to distract the news media from Robert Mueller’s investigation and the next phase of James … Continue reading
“War is the realm of the unexpected.” — B. H. Liddell Hart, 1950 Early 19th century Prussian general and philosopher Carl von Clausewitz identified “Der Schlag,” or “the punch,” as the vital opening gambit in war. Success depends on military … Continue reading
“To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.” —Sun Tzu The recent bogus Hawaiian nuclear alert puts the smoldering crisis with North Korea in perspective. Although most experts believe it will be a year before North Korea’s … Continue reading
“Heck, I reckon you wouldn’t even be human beings if you didn’t have some pretty strong personal feelings about nuclear combat.” —King Kong, Major, USAF (from Dr. Strangelove) In 1964, when I was a college freshman, all healthy male students without … Continue reading
2017 has been a fantastic year for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. We celebrated an all-time high in website traffic, an exponential growth in social media, and a record number of email subscribers. These accomplishments … Continue reading
Are Western intelligence services—primarily America’s—stupid or is North Korea a convenient toreador’s cape for problems so enormous the Trump administration and the Congress cannot begin to handle them? Look at history. Why did the most powerful nation on earth in … Continue reading
Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. This latest edition of “V&V Q&A” is an intriguing look at media coverage during the Vietnam War with longtime journalist Charles … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. Before I write this defense of Donald Trump in Poland, let me remind readers—from the right and the left—that I come to this subject with some credibility. … Continue reading
There is nothing new or untoward in American and Russian leaders talking. President Franklin Roosevelt met Joseph Stalin at Yalta and referred to him as “Uncle Joe.” President Dwight Eisenhower entertained Premier Nikita Khrushchev during his whirlwind tour of America … Continue reading
President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and then to Israel as part of his first foreign trip is as historically significant as President Richard Nixon’s February 1972 visit to China and subsequent mission to Moscow two months later to … Continue reading
Any veteran of World War II can tell you stories. But for Frank E. Bryer, his story—one he could never forget—was a terrible one. It began the moment his ship, called the Rohna, was sunk. When that ship went down … Continue reading
“Force is only justifiable in extremes. When we have the upper hand, justice is preferable.” –Napoleon Bonaparte In the cold reality of international relations, the boldness exhibited by President Donald Trump in his first 100 days is far preferable to … Continue reading
President Donald Trump has selected the best possible person to serve as his national security advisor. Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster epitomizes the warrior-scholar in the tradition of Carl von Clausewitz. The U.S. Army was out of Vietnam for 11 … Continue reading
“Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The key is Russian national interest.” Winston Churchill’s quote came a quarter century and two months after the start of World War I. In late August 1914, one month … Continue reading
2016 has been a fantastic year for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. We celebrated an all-time high in website traffic, an exponential growth in social media (approaching 35,000 Facebook fans), and a record number of … Continue reading
Some seem to believe the election of Donald Trump reflects a general disintegration of American society evidenced by Time magazine’s selection of Trump as “Person of the Year” presiding over a “Divided States of America.” Traditionalist pundits like Christiane Amanpour, … Continue reading
“The way to deter aggression … is to be willing and able to respond vigorously at places and with means of our own choosing.” On October 12, 1954, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles based Washington’s relationship with Moscow on … Continue reading
