Looking at publicly reported numbers for military spending across the world does not paint an accurate picture for political pundits… Donald Trump’s speech, budget, and proposals remain in the news. Despite a small reprieve that lasted about 24 hours, Democrats have largely returned to their normal partisan talking points. Donald Trump addressed congress on Tuesday, […]
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President Trump aims to ramp up defense spending, trim fat elsewhere… Donald Trump will address congress on Tuesday, and will seek $53 billion per year in additional military funding while decreasing non-defense discretionary spending by the same amount. President Trump promises this and other items, such as funding for a border wall, as a public […]
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By Morgan Deane: Concerns over China usually boil down to one of several issues. American workers and manufacturers, particularly those in steel industries, are concerned about cheap products coming out of China that put them out of business. Foreign policy concerns center around new and advanced technology and the seizure of islands in the disputed […]
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By Morgan Deane: California can’t seem to catch a break. For years, they have suffered under a drought that many scientists considered the worst in the last thousand years. This winter, they have received heavy rains and snow which have packed the peaks of Northern California with snow. As such the dams and reservoirs are […]
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By Morgan Deane: I live in Las Vegas and recently listened to the State of the State speech from Governor Brian Sandoval. It was during that speech that I realized how often politicians use the word “invest.” The word is a good way to pass large spending policies that otherwise wouldn’t be palatable to the […]
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By Morgan Deane: President Trump’s executive action concerning immigrants and refugees continues to dominate the headlines. There is a great deal of moral concern for refugees on one side and a respect for national security on the other. These are important topics, and need to be argued respectfully. Unfortunately, most of the debate has been […]
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By Morgan Deane: The education of our military personnel is vitally important. Given the nature of insurgencies, the advent of cell phones and other consumer technology means that the decisions of even low-level enlisted members can cause international incidents, but our veterans are still underserved by higher education. They are often the subject of predatory recruiting practices. Student success […]
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By Morgan Deane: Now that we are at the end of Barack Obama’s presidency, it is a good time to take stock and assess his actions. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do because most of the discussion can’t rise above partisan talking points, with each side selectively promoting or dismissing their party’s achievements in […]
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By Morgan Deane: I just discussed the impact of China’s new carrier in my previous article, China Aircraft Carrier Sails Into Blue Waters. China having a carrier is a big deal in several ways, not the least of which is the signaling of new missions and the capability to accomplish them. The specific movements of […]
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By Morgan Deane: China recently launched the Liaoning in the South China Sea amid continuing tensions in the region. This is the first time they’ve launched the carrier, though they have used it to practice launching and landing aircraft for quite some time. While the Chinese navy is relatively large compared to other nations, their […]
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By Morgan Deane: In the battle of competing ideas, sometimes words can be the first casualty. The abuse of the word “establishment” was so rampant during the election that I joked I should have started a restaurant with that name so I could get free advertising. All joking aside, misapplying words can muddle the debate, […]
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By Morgan Deane: In some circles, dismissing Chinese threats is popular. These circles typically comprise the virulent antiwar and anti-military crowd who argue that China is merely the victim of aggressive American behavior. They point to events like America’s involvement in Korea and cite America’s high military spending and free navigation patrols in the South […]
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By Morgan Deane: The South China Sea continues to be a flashpoint for conflict between China and America. But the region is more complicated than American and Chinese friction over freedom of navigation. There are numerous related problems in the area that should compel us to reassess the situation. The Chinese seizure of a US […]
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By Morgan Deane: Donald Trump continues to make cabinet appointments, creating controversy. He has chosen Marine General James Mattis as defense secretary. Multiple outlets reported that he has selected John Kelly, another retired Marine general, as secretary of homeland security. Former Lieutenant General Michael Flynn got the nod as national security adviser on November 17 […]
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By Morgan Deane: Donald Trump received a call from a Taiwanese leader which upset foreign policy analysts and Chinese officials. There have been various arguments since then ranging from the idea Trump is a genius for trying to leverage China using Taiwan, or that Trump is just clueless. Most news articles, though, barely comment on […]
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By Morgan Deane: Donald Trump has chosen retired General James Mattis to be his next Secretary of Defense. Despite his solid qualifications, this is a somewhat controversial choice. Perhaps the biggest issue is the fact that General Mattis does not qualify for Secretary of Defense under the National Security Act of 1947, specifically, 10 U.S. […]
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By Morgan Deane: Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly called drones, have frequently been employed in the war on terror, and mini versions might even be under your Christmas tree. They are considered a vital part in fighting terrorism, but they are increasingly the subject of controversy: every strike might kill a terrorist leader in a remote […]
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By Morgan Deane: On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. The outrage that ensued inspired a social media campaign that assisted in spreading the word about the horrendous kidnapping. […]
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By Morgan Deane: Brian Brinker penned an informative article discussing a fortress USA strategy suggesting America offer free or reduced college education in exchange for a better trained pool of soldiers who can be drafted into service in a timely and cost efficient manner. I thank him for the good ideas. I strongly disagree, however, in a […]
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By Morgan Deane: The Chinese recently test fired a new supersonic missile that’s mounted on the J-16 strike fighter. The missile is larger, faster, and has a longer range than weapons previously fielded. As usual, this is met with a great deal of fear by Western analysts. America should reasonably consider every new weapon system […]
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By Morgan Deane: There have been several reports and articles contending that budget cuts to American forces are putting them under stress and making them incapable of meeting America’s defense needs. In a time of budgetary restraint being “police men” of the world makes America’s lengthy and ongoing military commitments wasteful. This point has some […]
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By Morgan Deane: Donald Trump has been called the most isolationist Republican since Robert Taft. With his election to the Presidency it is now a good time to remember Taft’s beliefs, history, and two current examples of isolationism. Robert Taft was an influential Republican Senator who opposed intervention and believed that America should avoid involvement […]
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