What is the president of the Brookings Institute’s thinking for an “endgame”? The recent escalation of the Ukrainian conflict has been accompanied by an escalation at Brookings with its positions urging greater US military involvement. In a series of strongly worded statements directed toward Vladimir Putin, Strobe Talbott takes hard lines and pushes for “lethal […]
On the release of the 2015 US National Security Strategy document, economic sanctions increase their role — and military “over-reach” is addressed with the limitations of use of force and risks and costs to the US and global security of escalating war and weapons proliferation
Today’s Munich Security Conference has Europe on edge – as it should be. The name of the Ukraine derives from Ukraina (оукраина) the “borderland”, from the Proto-Slavic krajь, meaning the “edge”, and the internal war in Ukraine threatens to become the edge of a wider war – a Cold War 2.0
How does one assess the risks and costs of escalating conflict moving toward events spiraling out of control? A civil war moving toward regional war and, as a result of weapon systems that have remained on “instant alert” as a carryover from the Cold War, a more than lethal “flashpoint”…
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Like Michael Beschloss might post with his occasional pictures looking back at history — with perspective — here’s our first in a series of ‘Flashback’ glimpses and occasional snapshots of ephemeral times — with transient comments here and there ○ ○ ○ ○ […]
As we review recent events — and decisions — of Vladimir Putin, we must remind ourselves that Russia, for the Russians, is the Russian Federation, not the singular term Russia… the Russian Federation looms as we endeavor to grasp the motivation of the President in his third Presidential term
Blip on the Screen – Doomsday Scenario 3 Minutes to Midnight End of Times|Armageddon|The Apocalypse Is it Time to consider Environmental Security as Integral to National Security? Time to consider risks of next generation nuclear weapons? Deployment… Escalation… Proliferation
Provoke [/prəˈvəʊk/ ] verb (transitive) to provoke, anger or infuriate to incite Provocateur [pruh-vok-uh-tur, -too r; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr] noun, plural provocateurs 1. a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension; agitator (italics) French. agent provocateur 1915 Shortened form of agent provocateur “person hired to make trouble” (1845)
On the BZhRK rail missiles — and escalation The announcement of a re-introduction of nuclear missiles-on-rails brings another ratcheting up in a renewed Cold War even as the START Treaty is threatened and negotiations to downsize nuclear weapons slows — BZhRK pronounced berserk (From the Free Dictionary) : [ber-surk, -zurk]
Twelve dead in Paris terror — From around the world, support for values under attack — Freedom of the press, free speech, liberty, universal values and rights brave men and women for generations have fought to defend
Profound story of one general on mission to change the medical profession and treatment of the human costs of war… Experts told him it would be years, if ever, before more advanced tests could be developed for PTSD… Chiarelli assumed command of One Mind for Research, a nonprofit focused on advancing treatment of brain injury […]
We ‘drill down’ and ‘sideways’ as StratDem looks more closely at the geopolitical, strategic and market forces at work in the oil patch. The House of Saud, in particular, has taken OPEC in a new direction — and consequences are worldwide and considerable…
Oil Politics – Russia – Cyber Politics – China (& N Korea) ○ ○ ○ ○ The end of the calendar year traditionally calls for reflection about the past and hope for the future. This year we pause to consider a number of concerns and ‘keywords’ to keep front of mind…
No es facil… Cuba-US announce move to restore diplomatic relations… the headline of the political week in review is news that Obama and Castro (Raul) have been negotiating and an historic agreement is announced – what’s next?
Week in review opens with torture revelations and how IS-ISIL-Daesh-ISIS begat itself in Iraq prisons, then latest in petrol politics, Cheney’s last stand, then through the Caucuses to Russian moves and over to the UK, across the Atlantic to Peru, and across the Pacific to Japan, Korea, China — as the world turns…
Two weeks ago, we wrote of the Secretary of Defense and his last substantive decision — to ‘modernize’ the U.S. nuclear force… Now we examine the Pentagon’s next SecDef as he begins his journey to oversee the most powerful military force in history…
