September 2, 2008
© Oleksii Sergieiev | Dreamstime.com
This one got me.
But, in recognition of Republican week, I don’t have a problem with having the infamous George III smirk atop this post.
I might have a problem with the thesis, but it’s worth exposing, since it represents a point of view that had never occurred to yr (justifiably) humble svt.
A Truman for our times
The received wisdom is that President Bush has been a foreign policy disaster, and that America is threatened by the rise of Asia. Both claims are wrong—Bush has successfully rolled back jihadism, and the US will benefit from Asian growth
That George W Bush’s foreign policy has been a total failure is now taken for granted by so many people that one usually hears it stated as a simple truth that need not be argued at all.
It has happened before. When President Harry S Truman said in March 1952 that he would not seek re-election, most Americans could agree on one thing: that his foreign policy had been a catastrophic failure. In Korea his indecision had invited aggression, and then his incompetence had cost the lives of some 54,000 Americans and millions of Korean civilians in just two years of fighting—on both counts more than ten times the number of casualties in Iraq. Right-wingers reviled Truman for having lost China to communism and for his dismissal of the great General Douglas MacArthur, who had wanted to win it back, with nukes if necessary. Liberals despised Truman because he was the failed shopkeeper who had usurped the patrician Franklin Roosevelt’s White House—liberals always were the snobs of US politics.
Abroad, Truman was widely hated too. The communist accusation that he had waged “bacteriological warfare” to kill Korean children and destroy Chinese crops was believed by many, and was fully endorsed by a 669-page report issued by a commission chaired by the eminent British biochemist Joseph Needham. Even more people believed that Truman was guilty of having started the cold war by trying to intimidate our brave Soviet ally, or at least that he and Stalin were equally to blame.
How did this same Harry Truman come to be universally viewed as a great president, especially for his foreign policy? It is all a question of time perspectives: the Korean war is half forgotten, while everyone now knows that Truman’s strategy of containment was successful and finally ended with the almost peaceful disintegration of the Soviet empire.
For Bush to be recognised as a great president in the Truman mould, the Iraq war too must become half forgotten. The swift removal of the murderous Saddam Hussein was followed by years of expensive violence instead of the instant democracy that had been promised. To confuse the imam-ridden Iraqis with Danes or Norwegians under German occupation, ready to return to democracy as soon as they were liberated, was not a forgivable error: before invading a country, a US president is supposed to know if it is in the middle east or Scandinavia.
Yet the costly Iraq war must also be recognised as a sideshow in the Bush global counteroffensive against Islamist militancy, just as the far more costly Korean war was a sideshow to global cold war containment. For the Bush response to 9/11 was precisely that—a global attack against the ideology of Islamic militancy. While anti-terrorist operations have been successful here and there in a patchy way, and the fate of Afghanistan remains in doubt, the far more important ideological war has ended with a spectacular global victory for President Bush.
First thing you have to do when confronting an essay such as this is to consider the source.
Edward Luttwak is one controversial bloke. Even Luttwak’s biography in Wikipedia is controversial.
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"War on Terrorism", 9/11, Afghanistan, Geopolitics, Iraq occupation, Military affairs, Obama, Terrorism, War | Tagged: 9/11, Afghanistan, China, denuclearization, Edward Luttwak, George W. Bush, Harry S Truman, Iran, Iraq, Israel, jihadism, Obama, Politics, Terrorism, War, Wikipedia | 
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Posted by mudge
July 2, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Barack Obama, the black Will Smith, has been, is and will be in the news permanently, or at least until Nov. 5, 2008 should John McCain’s wet dream (of somehow overcoming the horrendous legacy of his good buddy, George III) become reality.
So there’s no shortage of worthwhile reading on all things Obama. Here are four of the most intriguing.
1) Fundraising expertise
David Brooks has spent some useful time poring over the campaign finance statements.
Obama’s Money Class
Op-Ed Columnist | By DAVID BROOKS | Published: July 1, 2008
Barack Obama sells the Democratic Party short. He talks about his fund-raising success as if his donors were part of a spontaneous movement of small-money enthusiasts who cohered around himself. In fact, Democrats have spent years building their donor network. Obama’s fund-raising base is bigger than John Kerry’s, Howard Dean’s and Al Gore’s, but it’s not different.
As in other recent campaigns, lawyers account for the biggest chunk of Democratic donations. They have donated about $18 million to Obama, compared with about $5 million to John McCain, according to data released on June 2 and available at OpenSecrets.org.
People who work at securities and investment companies have given Obama about $8 million, compared with $4.5 for McCain. People who work in communications and electronics have given Obama about $10 million, compared with $2 million for McCain. Professors and other people who work in education have given Obama roughly $7 million, compared with $700,000 for McCain.
So, Senator Obama, as has every presidential candidate in history, a rhetoric/reality gap.
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1 Comment | Army, McCain, Military affairs, Navy, Obama, Politics, Presidential election, War | Tagged: Adm. John S. McCain Jr., Adm. John S. McCain Sr., David Brooks, Fred Kaplan, Gen. Wesley Clark, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Harry Truman, Karl Rove, McCain, Obama, patriotism, political fundraising, USS John S. McCain (DDG56), vice president | Permalink
Posted by mudge
July 1, 2008
There’s most read, and then there’s favorite. This is a post which yr (justifiably) humble svt is, regrettably, but not regretfully, not at all humble about. It also marks the beginning of an occasional series in this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere©, comprising 10 parts thus far, called “The changing face of military aviation.”
The series so far…
Blast from the Past!
A post we really, really loved to write, and read, and re-read…
From last summer, originally posted September 28, 2007, and originally titled “mm155: Go to war — Play videogames.”
MUDGE’S Musings
The changing face of military aviation
Second of an occasional series
With no greater expertise than that of one fascinated with technology, its history, and its future, we embark on an exploration of the future of military aviation, as exemplified by the increasing numbers of remotely piloted aircraft, UAVs (Unmanned aerial vehicles) and UCAVs (… Combat … …).
The impetus was this recent posting about the creative use of the Predator UAV by an enterprising officer, Greg Harbin, who has been lobbying the Pentagon for increased use of a tool that brings the output of surveillance performed by Predator directly to the front line without delay.
I’d been aware of the growing use of robot aircraft for some years. Not because I encounter them in my daily life! Because I have long had an “armchair” interest in aviation. Long years ago, I frequently read Flying magazine, dreaming of one day taking lessons and taking to the air.
Never happened, although my late brother-in-law apparently long harbored a similar dream, which in the years before cancer took him he was finally able to realize, together with his young son, who now is in his senior year in the Air Force ROTC program at a major university, having earned his pilot’s license, and qualified for combat training upon his graduation next spring.
But MUDGE has confined his interest to the armchair, telling himself that real life has superceded idle imagination.
I no longer read Flying, haven’t for decades, since its audience are the doctors and captains of industry who actually do fly themselves around. MUDGE is neither doctor nor captain, and just can’t relate.
Instead many years ago I found an intriguing publication out of England (home of the Economist, best magazine on the planet — what is it about the British?) called Air International.
AI covers the global aviation field, both military and civil, manufacturers and their air force and airline customers, and is sometimes complete to the point of obsession. Some fun, huh? Well MUDGE thinks so.
They’ve had some features through the years about the UAV/UCAV phenomenon, but, I’m thinking, as flyers themselves, the editors must share an ambivalence about the entire topic of robot flying with professional pilots, military especially, who may well believe that they represent the last generation of their kind.
So, I did some independent research, with the assistant of the globe’s favorite research assistant, Google.com.
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Leave a Comment » | Air Force, Aviation, Military affairs, Technology, War | Tagged: Air International magazine, Flying magazine, Predator, The Last Starfighter, UAV, UCAV, unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned combat air vehicle | Permalink
Posted by mudge
June 18, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
The Government Accountability Office has tossed the Northrop Grumman/EADS refueling tankers contract back to the Air Force. This is a big relief to Boeing, which was stunned in March when they lost out in a competition that could be worth as much as $40 billion.
Boeing filed a protest after the consortium of Northrop Grumman/EADS, EADS being the European aerospace giant that has been competing savagely, and successfully, with Boeing for the world’s commercial airline business for more than 30 years, was chosen by the Air Force to provide 179 KC-45A aerial refueling tankers. The KC-45A is based on the popular Airbus A330 twin engine widebodied airliner. Boeing’s submission was based on the Boeing 767, a similar aircraft, but a decade older design.
If you took the trouble, faithful reader, to refresh your memory regarding the March award by clicking on the link above, then you know that this story is a true Washington lobbyist soap opera.
GAO Agrees with Boeing in Air Force Tanker Contract
By Dana Hedgpeth | Washington Post Staff Writer | Wednesday, June 18, 2008; 2:04 PM
The Government Accountability Office has sustained a protest from Boeing on a $40 billion contract awarded to rival Northrop Grumman to build new aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force, saying “a number of significant errors” had been made in the evaluations of the heated competition.
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3 Comments | Air Force, Aviation, Business, Global trade, McCain, Military affairs, Obama, Politics, Presidential election | Tagged: 767, Boeing, EADS, GAO, General Accountability Office, Illinois, Kansas, KC-45A, Northop Grumman, U.S. Air Force, Washington state | Permalink
Posted by mudge
June 2, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
We have devoted a number of posts in this space to topics military. And why not? We are fighting wars in two far-away nations simultaneously, and have done so for nearly seven years.
That’s quite expensive, and it has been downright draining of our expensively trained manpower.
But, beyond the cost of prosecuting the “global war on terror,” we have been spending overwhelmingly on defense programs that, while lucrative to the home states of the military contractors and their congressional representatives, are impossible for a rational thinker to justify based on the nature of current and future threats.
Making this point most eloquently in an opinion piece in the LATimes was Robert Scheer, of truthdig.com.
Indefensible spending
America’s massive military budget is irrational, costly and dangerous. Why isn’t it a campaign issue?
By Robert Scheer |June 1, 2008
What should be the most important issue in this election is one that is rarely, if ever, addressed: Why is U.S. military spending at the highest point, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than at any time since the end of World War II? Why, without a sophisticated military opponent in sight, is the United States spending trillions of dollars on the development of high-tech weapons systems that lost their purpose with the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago?
You wouldn’t know it from the most-exhausting-ever presidential primary campaigns, but the 2009 defense budget commits the United States to spending more (again, in real dollars) to defeat a ragtag band of terrorists than it spent at the height of the Cold War fighting the Soviet superpower and what we alleged were its surrogates in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The Pentagon’s budget for fiscal year 2008 set a post-World War II record at $625 billion, and that does not include more than $100 billion in other federal budget expenditures for homeland security, nuclear weapons and so-called black budget — or covert — operations.
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Leave a Comment » | "War on Terrorism", 9/11, Afghanistan, Air Force, Army, Aviation, Iraq occupation, Marines, Military affairs, Navy, Politics, Presidential election, War | Tagged: Congress, defense spending, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, lobbyists, military contractors, Pentagon, Robert Scheer, UAV, UCAV, unmanned air vehicles, Virginia class submarines | Permalink
Posted by mudge
May 14, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Faithful reader (if s/he indeed is faithful) is probably disgusted with this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere© lately, as we’ve been rehashing good old stuff rather than creating good new stuff here.
As I reflect on my lethargic approach to blogging this past week, my analysis finds that it’s partly due to the demands of the bill paying occupation, and partly my failure to extricate from the zillions of new pages popping up every day in said ‘Sphere a nugget of insight upon which to build.
Didn’t really want to write about the Democrats’ Clinton/Obama soap opera. Although, I commend to your attention Eric Zorn of yr (justifiably) humble svt‘s hometown Chicago Tribune on why Sen. Clinton is the wrong running mate for Obama.
So that left me with — what? Reruns, and this during sweeps month, too! 
Tonight though, finally, revelation. Christopher Dickey of Newsweek makes a thought connection regarding the cesspool that is our Iraq adventure that makes such great sense that one is tempted to slap oneself, saying “it’s so obvious — why didn’t I think of that?”
I didn’t. Dickey did. Read and learn.
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1 Comment | "War on Terrorism", Geopolitics, History, Iraq occupation, Military affairs, Politics, Presidential election, War | Tagged: Barack Obama, Christopher Dickey, Eric Zorn, Hillary Clinton, Iran, Iraq, John McCain, Lebanon, militias, Newsweek, religious sectionalism, Ronald Reagan, Rwanda, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe | Permalink
Posted by mudge
May 6, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Well, most of our robotic forces are air forces these days, but we keep learning about “spiders” and the like that are meant to assist ground troops.
It’s not just about protecting precious lives, although heaven knows that should be a sufficient rationale for investing in this sci-fi like technology.
It’s about substituting for Army and Marine ground troops that simply aren’t available.
Fred Kaplan, who writes most cogently on military affairs for Slate.com, has an intriguing analysis.
The Army’s Math Problem
We don’t have any more soldiers to send to Afghanistan unless we take some out of Iraq.
By Fred Kaplan | Posted Monday, May 5, 2008, at 4:56 PM ET
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wants to send 7,000 more U.S. troops—about two brigades—to Afghanistan, according to the May 3 New York Times. But there’s a problem, which the story underplays: We don’t have any more troops to send. The Army is in a zero-sum state: No more soldiers can be sent to Afghanistan without a one-for-one reduction of soldiers in Iraq.
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3 Comments | "War on Terrorism", Afghanistan, Air Force, Army, Geopolitics, Iraq occupation, Marines, Military affairs, Technology, War | Tagged: Afghanistan, Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld, Fred Kaplan, Iraq, Kurdistan, Slate.com, troop shortage, war on drugs | Permalink
Posted by mudge
May 4, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
The changing face of military aviation
tenth in an occasional series
The series so far…
Two of our most useful military news links in our blogroll are Danger Room and Early Warning. After all, we’re at war.
Faithful reader of this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere© will recall that the subject of UAVs, Unmanned Air Vehicles or drones, is one of those topics that has consistently intrigued us. Look no further than the linklist above.
Robot aircraft of all sizes and scales hit the military commentariat several times on April 30, and reminded us of a related story (see no. 1a below) we had been waiting for the right opportunity to surface.
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6 Comments | Air Force, Army, Aviation, Military affairs, Nanotechnology, Science, Science Fiction, Technology, War | Tagged: Aurora, BAE, Bush administration, Danger Room, Early Warning, forever drone, Global Hawk, land mines, Lockheed Vulture, Onera, Predator, REMANTA, robotic dragonfly, robotic spiders, The Economist, UAV, UCAV, unmanned air vehicles, unmanned combat air vehicles, William Arkin | Permalink
Posted by mudge
April 25, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
The U.S. Navy has long been a favorite subject for yr (justifiably) humble svt, long before he became your svt, quite long before.
The elemental battles of men against the implacably overwhelming forces of nature, while simultaneously battling to the death a human enemy, has always captured the imagination.
Lord Nelson at Trafalgar; Monitor going where no ship had gone before (thus tweaking our simultaneous lifelong interest in the history of technology ); Morison’s epic of the U.S. Navy in the four years of its Second World War: all these read as a kid, reread as an adult, and by the by, picked up by my older son, perhaps pointing him toward his own Navy career.
Now, that’s a cautionary tale! Parents! Be careful what reading material you leave around for your kids to find! Or, maybe, turn off the TV and read a book or two — you are influential beyond your ken.
Faithful reader might recall a couple of recent posts with the Navy as the theme (here and here).
In these unfortunate times of general governmental ineptitude, cultivated by an administration that consistently over-controls what should be left alone (found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq yet?), and leaves alone too many negligible details (such as: armor for Humvee personnel carriers!), why should the Navy be left out?
Lesson on How Not to Build a Navy Ship
By PHILIP TAUBMAN | Published: April 25, 2008
With the crack of a Champagne bottle against its bow, the newly minted Navy warship, bedecked with bunting, slid sideways into the Menominee River in Wisconsin with a titanic splash.
Moments before the launching on Sept. 23, 2006, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chief of naval operations, told the festive crowd of shipbuilders, politicians and Navy brass assembled at the Marinette Marine shipyard, “Just a little more than three years ago, she was just an idea; now Freedom stands before us.”
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3 Comments | Business, Career, History, History of Technology, Military affairs, Navy, Technology | Tagged: $600 hammer, commercial off the shelf, COTS, defense contractor cost overruns, ferry, General Dynamics, History of Technology, Lockheed Martin, U.S. Navy | Permalink
Posted by mudge
March 24, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Yes, faithful reader has undoubtedly guessed that it’s time for another installment of…
©
… wherein we are even more eclectic than is our habit (a frequent self-criticism: what’s this blog about, anyway? Ouch! It’s about what interests yr (justifiably) humble svt: a little bit of this, a smidgen of that.)
Of encyclopedias…
I was thinking of encyclopedias the other day, and so was the NYTimes.
Start Writing the Eulogies for Print Encyclopedias
By NOAM COHEN | Published: March 16, 2008
It has never been easier to read up on a favorite topic, whether it’s an obscure philosophy, a tiny insect or an overexposed pop star. Just don’t count on being able to thumb through the printed pages of an encyclopedia to do it.
A series of announcements from publishers across the globe in the last few weeks suggests that the long migration to the Internet has picked up pace, and that ahead of other books, magazines and even newspapers, the classic multivolume encyclopedia is well on its way to becoming the first casualty in the end of print.
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2 Comments | Blogging, Civilization, Education, Military affairs, Nanotechnology, Sociology | Tagged: Big Dog, Boston Dynamics, child-men, emerging adulthood, Encyclopaedia Britannica, encyclopedias, extended adolescence, Odyssey Years, Short Attention Span Blogging©, Wikipedia | Permalink
Posted by mudge
Left-handed Complement 