“A Great nation cannot wage a little war.” –Duke of Wellington to Parliament, 1838 In September 1964, shortly after Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizing President Lyndon Johnson to conduct military operations against North Vietnam, the administration tasked … Continue reading
Military & Foreign Policy
American Crusades and Existential Threats
“The logical end of a war of creeds is the final destruction of one.” –T.E. Lawrence Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5, President Barack Obama cautioned against judging recent barbaric attacks by ISIS as unique to Islam. … Continue reading
“It Was a Real Killing Field”—Remembering Iwo Jima
On February 19, 1945, 20-year-old Bill Young of Mooresville, North Carolina, disembarked an LST on a miserable hunk of black rock called Iwo Jima. He was part of a 75-mile-long convoy of ships preparing to dislodge the Japanese from this … Continue reading
The Future of War
“We have tried since the birth of our nation to promote our love of peace by a display of weakness. This course has failed us utterly.” &endash;Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945 War remains, as a Prussian general defined it nearly … Continue reading
The Future of War
“We have tried since the birth of our nation to promote our love of peace by a display of weakness. This course has failed us utterly.” -Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945 War remains, as a Prussian general defined it nearly … Continue reading
Paris: The Frontline in a European Battlefield
They rushed to the third floor gripping their Kalashnikov automatic rifles and entered the room where the editorial board had gathered to meet. The rifles fired, innocent lives were destroyed and lost, and then they left. Outside, they entered a … Continue reading
The Cuba Deal: Coexisting and Profiting with Tyrants
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Forbes.com. We all celebrate when an innocent person is released from prison. The freedom of Alan Gross is welcome news. But the release of three convicted Cuban spies and operatives (who were directly … Continue reading
Dropping in on the Veteran Down the Street
A few weeks ago, I dropped in on Russ Post, an 89-year-old war veteran who happens to live on my street. What followed was a memorable Saturday afternoon, as Russ took my teenage son and me on a roller coaster … Continue reading
To America’s Lions: Thank You for Your Service
It took some time for the nation to appreciate the services offered and sacrifices endured by men and women who served during the Vietnam War. In addition to 58,000 deaths, there remains the enduring physical and psychological trauma experienced by … Continue reading
A President Who Doesn’t Seek Advice?
The Government Accountability Institute reports that President Obama continues to skip the majority of his Presidential Daily Briefings. This is a stunning fact, first reported two years ago and now updated and reconfirmed. Worse, it was also just reported that … Continue reading
War by Algebra Defies the True Nature of War
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Breitbart.com. Many Americans think of war as a great national struggle, as was the case during WWII, where violence rose to address the belligerents’ objectives. These were “total” wars between nation-states driven by incompatible … Continue reading
American Boots on the Ground: A Moral Basis
Americans can see or hear about dozens of terrorist acts every day. They can tune in to their favorite TV shows or go to the local cinema and be bombarded with violence and mayhem endlessly. Perhaps these events should be … Continue reading
The Scandal Continues: President Obama’s Skipped Intelligence Briefings
Two years ago, I wrote about a scandalous presidential reality. I’d say I’m shocked to report that the scandal continues, but I’m not. And that’s even more scandalous. In October 2012, I commented on the revelation that President Obama had been absent … Continue reading
Air Power’s Siren Song
In the early morning of September 23, 2014, American air forces—joined by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan—began striking targets in Syria as part of ongoing operations against the terrorist group ISIS. Nearly a week earlier, September … Continue reading
War: A Matter of Semantics
“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.” —President John F. Kennedy For most people war is an unthinkable horror. While generals must think realistically about war, an important duty for a political … Continue reading
Do we have a war strategy for ISIS?
President Obama in his September 10 speech did not deliver a viable war-fighting strategy against ISIS. In fact, the president doesn’t seem to understand that ISIS is at war with the U.S. The 18th century Prussian strategist General Carl von … Continue reading
Strategy 101: A primer for President Obama
In August 1961, while the Soviets erected the Berlin Wall to plunge the Cold War into the deep freeze, President John F. Kennedyordered the Joint Chiefs of Staff to devise a nuclear-first strike plan. The Strategic Air Command responded with a … Continue reading
Dealing with barbarism: V-J Day and beyond
On September 2, 1945, V-J Day, the funeral-like solemnity of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri was shattered by the thunder of 400 B-29 bombers flying overhead, accompanied by an additional 1,500 carrier aircraft. In a bay packed with … Continue reading
Time for face time with Vladimir
President Barack Obama has spent a lot of TV face time opining on race relations in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2009, on the George Zimmerman trial of 2012-13, on the riots in a St. Louis suburb last week, and plenty more. … Continue reading
The Strategic Imperative of ISIS: Deal with it Now or Die by it Later
During the 2012 presidential campaign President Obama repeatedly boasted, “Osama bin Laden is dead and Al-Qaeda is on the run.” He is right on both counts: bin Laden is gone and Al-Qaeda runs stronger than ever. The latest Al-Qaeda iteration, … Continue reading