Posted by macengr on March 27, 2013
“Clausewitz’s claim to contemporary relevance has more than the prevalence of civil wars and of conflicts between non-state actors with which to contend…those who now reject Clausewitz, like all those who have done so in the past, do so on the basis of a selective reading of a vast body of material. On War is itself unfinished: the text which we have is a work in progress and its judgments are not consistent. That is the very source of its enduring strength.”
—Hew Strachan
Posted in 4GW, counterinsurgency, history, Uncategorized, war | Tagged: Clausewitz, politics | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on March 22, 2013
I’m starting to filter these so they’re not so long, and hopefully of more value to you.
Rosa Brooks @brooks_rosa : A Drone of One’s Own – By Rosa Brooks | Foreign Policy http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/03/21/a_drone_of_ones_own#.UUuYTV2p-Sc.twitter …
J. Scott Shipman @jscottshipman : Thus far; excellent: Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King http://www.amazon.com/dp/0142000159/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_HbYsrb007PG0M …
Text Message Retention Policies http://bit.ly/15x1aTC
What a novel concept: What’s Missing from the Iraq Debate? Iraqis – By Marc Lynch http://atfp.co/YIN7q0
*headdesk* x 100 : Are Urban Explorers Really a Threat to Our National Security? http://bit.ly/YIMWuT
When Technology Overtakes Security http://bit.ly/ZzZDLK
Global Cities of the Super-Rich http://bit.ly/ZAWefG
Booming Asian Cities Are Tugging The World’s Center of Light East http://bit.ly/Y0aqQr
Ebay style feedback could secure military networks http://bit.ly/ZefEDL
Rachel Held Evans @rachelheldevans : Christianity Today Gleanings: International Justice Mission Wins ‘Landmark’ Sex Trafficking Conviction in India http://buff.ly/ZLzys6
Calestous Juma @calestous : Global Evolution of Biomanufacturing http://bit.ly/10iNpsi
Small Wars Journal @smallwars : The Trajectory of Intelligence Practice from DESERT SHIELD to IRAQI FREEDOM to Today http://bit.ly/YpHxcQ #Iraq #Intelligence
On Modern-Day Slavery: Today We’ve Disappeared by April Yamasaki http://feedly.com/k/XpULGi
Daniel Solomon @Dan_E_Solo : All politics are local, gendered edition: what role for women in northern #Mali’s insurgency? http://bit.ly/YFL3z1 . (via @sahelblog)
After the Aircraft Carrier: 3 Alternatives to the Navy’s Vulnerable Flattops http://bit.ly/YVOUet
5 Trends That Will Drive The Future of Technology http://bit.ly/Y4cTvm
Three wars that will define America’s future: Silicon, Iron, and Shadow – By David W. Barno http://atfp.co/15ZYu2Z
Tyrannicide and the Lost Republic http://bit.ly/ZsL4cP via @zenpundit
Pitt professor lands $3.4M NIH grant for wearable artificial lung http://bit.ly/WE3rg8
FinSpy surveillance software package: http://bit.ly/15YL732
A consumer’s guide to 3D printers: See:… http://bit.ly/Y0ed2o
Summary article on the state-sponsored Gauss malware: Gauss http://bit.ly/11eYDAy
China’s BGI to Sequence 2,200 Geniuses In Search For “Smart” Genes http://bit.ly/XWYEX9
Marissa Mayer and Einheit: Desperate measures http://bit.ly/109rYK8
China replaces Britain in world’s top five arms exporters: report http://reut.rs/ZC2qTC via @reuters
10 Years After the Iraq War, How Has Baghdad Changed? http://bit.ly/116BzjM
This is VERY cool: Turning a Persian Rug Into a City http://bit.ly/YkzYqU
How Many Steps Do You Really Look Ahead? http://bit.ly/YNngjW
To COIN or Not? – An FP Roundtable http://atfp.co/115qVcR
Argo http://bit.ly/11a77ZG @zenpundit gives it a thumbs up.
Potential drought resilience strategies for the Horn of Africa http://bit.ly/WRwcY2
Everyday Leaks From Sewer Systems Lead to Alarming Amounts of Sewage in Our Waterways http://bit.ly/Wy89Mo
Lessons in Self-Defense for Women, From Tahrir Square http://bit.ly/134LTOc
Big Data and You http://bit.ly/ZDWBoH
Ummm…YES! Should We Set Up Drone Guidelines? http://bit.ly/Wy56Ea
Guess who’s coming to dinner…Bruno Maisonnier: Dancing, tiny robots! http://bit.ly/WufigW
Scary stuff: How Drones Can Live off the Land for Years http://bit.ly/WufcpF
Biomedicine Update: Progress on the AIDS/HIV Front http://bit.ly/YkJg3d
The Rise of the Cossacks Amidst Russia’s Decline http://bit.ly/ZKsA5i
Agriculture and Husbandry: The Slow-Motion Singularity http://bit.ly/ZKrma0
Washington “Cancels” Fourth Stage of European Phased Adaptive Approach http://bit.ly/ZAKAjP
Science of Digital Fabrication – Materials and Mechanisms: 3D Printing http://bit.ly/XQgg6I
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: christianity, drones, Iraq, security, slavery, war | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on March 20, 2013
“The history of war represents fully half the tale of mankind’s social interactions, and one cannot understand war without understanding its political and social underpinnings (Conversely, one cannot understand political history or cultural development without understanding war.”
Caleb Carr, Introduction to the Modern Library War Series
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Caleb Carr, Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, war | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on March 15, 2013
A Brief History of Suburbia’s Rise and Fall http://feedly.com/k/XMjx72
News: Why Pope Francis Excites (Most) Evangelical Leaders http://feedly.com/k/13WsoGO
There’s always a catch:
Carbon nanotubes as a potent cancer promoter – new data from NIOSH http://feedly.com/k/16wLe7g
Space junk is a major problem:
FYI, We’ve at least 500,000 objects moving around 18,000… http://feedly.com/k/XcoaDJ
On Secrecy http://feedly.com/k/13YqyW7
Saddam a tyrant, but war was wrong http://feedly.com/k/Xco534
Stuxnet is Much Older than We Thought http://feedly.com/k/16wHN0c
Mission Creep in the War on Terror – By Rosa Brooks http://atfp.co/ZLAwEC
Hacked credit agencies info all over P2P networks http://bit.ly/WKAtfQ
Curious as to @davidgraeber ‘s thoughts on this:
In Defense of Homo Economicus http://bit.ly/ZKRvH7
@RobertDKaplan RT @stratfor: George Friedman and Robert D. Kaplan discuss how realism and morality both affect politics http://bit.ly/Znzr66
Will be interesting to see what blowback they get:
Moscow Says ‘No’ To New Mosques http://feedly.com/k/ZPtroy
Nationalism on the Internet http://feedly.com/k/15OfCso
The Future Of E-Commerce For Small Businesses http://feedly.com/k/ZPsHQl
Are We Ready for an Internet Cold War? via bigthink http://feedly.com/k/ZqjEU5
connected-marketing by Chris Anderson:
Peer production, open source,… http://feedly.com/k/ZPskFx
Pope Francis I, economic crusader http://feedly.com/k/ZqjiNe
Starring Pittsburgh’s own @woycheck :
SXSW, Pittsburgh-style: Guest blog http://bit.ly/YbKUUP
Energy Update: Japan First to Extract Natural Gas from Ice http://bit.ly/13Wudny
Beyond 3D Printing: Self Assembly – Even as 3D is just slowly… http://bit.ly/WnVJ8A
Security Theater on the Wells Fargo Website http://bit.ly/YoFIPG
South Africa’s economic outlook in 2013 http://bit.ly/15MHo8t
Why and how to map the new economy in your city http://ow.ly/iR7HY
Reflections on “The Future of Evangelicalism” http://bit.ly/15MHkWk
Interested in #foodsecurity ? You should probably see this movie:
What ‘food industry’ actually means http://bit.ly/16s633H
Why Big Data Marketing Can’t Do It All http://bit.ly/YnFkAZ
The Outsized Role of Britain in the Modern World http://bit.ly/13W01c7
Excellent infographic on tomorrow’s world:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130102-tomorrows-world … http://bit.ly/XtQFm6
“Iraq In The Year 2023″ Simulation Executive Summary http://bit.ly/15MGpVT
And so it begins: China plans first commercial trip through Arctic shortcut in 2013: http://bit.ly/Y9ivyy
5 big problems of big data http://bit.ly/16s4GBW
Why It’s Nearly Impossible to Make GPS Work for India http://bit.ly/13Tbbhl
Hacking Best-seller Lists http://bit.ly/16s413m
Window Cleaning Robots Making Their Way To Skyscraper Happy United Arab Emirates http://bit.ly/15MET6e
Cisco IP Phone Hack http://bit.ly/16pNhtK
Cool concept:
Can Floating Architecture Save This Nigerian Slum? http://bit.ly/XoZs8W
I’d say very much.
Iraq 10 Years Later (1): How Culpable is Academic International Relations? http://bit.ly/15KCkSg
Energy Update: New Molten-Salt Reactor Company a Spinoff from MIT http://bit.ly/16pye2Z
Never thought this was realistic:
The SysAdmin was meant to be “light” http://bit.ly/16py5wC
Whither China-US relations?
The Good Ol’ Cold War http://bit.ly/Yj7OvC
“The Logic of Surveillance” http://bit.ly/15KBRzu
CMU unveils CHIMP designed to help in a disaster http://bit.ly/XoXvt3
Links – AI & Robots http://bit.ly/13RsoYH
Technological trends in agriculture http://bit.ly/16pvgvp
SpaceX’s Grasshopper Rocket Launches, Hovers, and Lands [Video] http://bit.ly/YpPZrC
By the author of the excellent Wired for War, @peterwsinger
The Global Swarm – By P.W. Singer http://atfp.co/Yf7TAh
Environment Update: New Study Indicates Northern Vegetation is Changing with Rising Temperatures http://bit.ly/Yf7Pka
Why the Afghan ‘peace conference’ idea keeps bombing http://bit.ly/Y6ntw3
Gizmos & Gadgets: 3D Desktop Scanning Makes Replicating 3D in Print a Lot Easier http://bit.ly/10E0VZF
Peter Ellyard – Rapid Prototying the Future http://bit.ly/Wi2JUD
What do STEM employers want? http://bit.ly/YnJVjj
The elder entitlement conundrum: raising retirement age doesn’t get you what you want http://bit.ly/YnJw0t
James Bridle on the Canon Drone http://sto.ly/ZueNQ2
If We Want Competitive Economies, We Must Manage Our Water Better http://bit.ly/ZfxFDZ
WWF plans to use drones to protect wildlife | Environment | The Guardian http://bit.ly/YdwcPl
Iranian leader brings the crazy, via @hipbonegamer on @zenpundit :
Chavez and the Second Coming? http://bit.ly/YdxkCg
Is Software Security a Waste of Money? http://bit.ly/YW3Sh4
Embracing the Autocatalytic City http://bit.ly/ZfxeJC
Infinity Journal is always worth a read:
Strategic Theory Monday Twofer http://bit.ly/16m8HHX
Fearsome UK Robot Aircraft Is Semi-Autonomous and Will Fly in 2013 http://bit.ly/16m8C7j
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on January 15, 2013
It’s that time of year again. My reading was down a little this year due to the fact that I was working full time and reading some longer books.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: book reviews, Business, Christian, christianity, coin, counterinsurgency, future, futurist, history, Iraq, languages, linguistics, Open Source Warfare, security, Spirituality & Religion, strategy, tactics, Uncategorized, vietnam, war, war | Tagged: 4GW | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on November 30, 2012
I feel like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole with this one. Dr. Megan MacKenzie and I had a discussion on Twitter about women in combat (I wrote a blog post here) and for years, I interacted with Kelly Smith, a pastor in the United Methodist Church, who is a feminist.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: constructivism, copenhagen school, derrida, feminism, foucault, gender, international relations, noeliberalism, post-marxism, security, theology, war | 2 Comments »
Posted by macengr on November 10, 2012
16h RT @USATODAY Nearly 40% say marriage is becoming obsoletehttp://usat.ly/9CEuJ4
9 Nov Nils Gilman @nils_gilman
Counterinsurgency as a catalyst for information technology revolutions: http://www.juancole.com/2012/11/americas-coming-space-wars-mccoy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+juancole%2Fymbn+%28Informed+Comment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader …
21h SpaceRef Business @spacecommerce
ESA’s IXV reentry vehicle prepares for soft landing http://srs.gs/l3O
21h Dilithium? Space Time Crystals – Scientists have devised a method to create… http://bit.ly/TgkTSQ
21h Covert War with Iran Knows No Boundaries http://bit.ly/RN0SDe
21h Headlines at 21st Century Tech for November 9, 2012 http://bit.ly/S5kFMs
21h China Makes It Official: Game of Thrones Is On http://bit.ly/TQ4Ygj
8 Nov US AFRICOM @USAfricaCommand
Eight Navies Complete East African Exercise Cutlass Express 2012http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=8434&lang=0 … #AFRICOM @NAVEUR_NAVAF
9 Nov J. Scott Shipman @jscottshipman
Largo Man’s Labors of Love: Good Food and Warfare http://j.mp/ZdoGDO
23h Gary McGraw on National Cybersecurity http://bit.ly/XpHBNa
23h Taliban suicide bomber attacks Rangers HQ in Karachi http://bit.ly/XpHzFc
9 Nov @jason_d_carr Exactly. The same thing that resulted in US jobs going there – they didn’t learn from history!
9 Nov China Losing Jobs to Vietnam http://bit.ly/RMKZNf
9 Nov We’re doomed: Poll: Nearly One Third Of Americans Would Accept ‘TSA Body Cavity Search’ in Order to Fly http://bit.ly/UqWSNl
9 Nov More al Qaeda links to Cairo terror cell reportedly foundhttp://bit.ly/Q1NGxK
9 Nov How Terrorist Groups Disband http://bit.ly/RJnHJy
9 Nov I’d say this is stretching it a wee bit… Internet Access Is a Human Right, Says United Nations http://bit.ly/RMHKFH
9 Nov Building Resilient Cities: A Conversation With Andrew Zolli and Jonathan Rose http://bit.ly/RJo9rj
9 Nov Still want to know when he’s returning that peace prize: War Plans for Mali Leaked http://bit.ly/UqU175
8 Nov Bionic Limbs Step Up – Thought-Controlled Prosthetic Leg Climbs 2,100 Stair Building http://bit.ly/PH17BL
8 Nov US drone strike near Yemeni capital kills AQAP commander, 2 fighters http://bit.ly/UbIz9p
8 Nov The Race to a Billion Billion Operations Per Second: An Exaflop by 2018? http://bit.ly/YQRp25
8 Nov Some suggestions to the GOP from @zenpundit : The Republican Party: A Strategic View http://bit.ly/VHMcKk
8 Nov Profitable climate fixes are too tempting for rogue geoengineers to resist: http://guardian.co.uk http://bit.ly/XmMKFN
8 Nov Kepler’s Conjecture falls: Pitt professor cracks 400-year-old math mystery http://bit.ly/SwFwcg
8 Nov Possible Habitable World in a Six-Planet System http://bit.ly/PGA4Xj
8 Nov Trouble at the Top in China http://bit.ly/VVbIXQ
8 Nov Game of Thrones: Anglosphere Moves as Australia and Canada Boost India Ties http://bit.ly/VV9Yhj
8 Nov *headdesk* Pennsylvania gives billions to companies, gets little back, studies say http://bit.ly/VV69Zs
7 Nov Taliban suicide bomber kills 5 people in Peshawar http://bit.ly/Uln3F9
7 Nov Milena Rodban @MilenaRodban
US stocks plunge after Election Day; major indexes close more than 2% down - @CNBC http://bit.ly/UlcD8u
7 Nov Regulation as a Prisoner’s Dilemma http://bit.ly/RJ7qCQ
7 Nov Mogadishu on the Mend http://bit.ly/VTBf3I
7 Nov Fiscal Cliff Notes – By Gordon Adams http://bit.ly/Suhq1C
7 Nov In Laos, Xayaburi dam to go ahead http://bit.ly/VTApUv
7 Nov Zawahiri says raids on diplomatic facilities were ‘defeats’ for UShttp://bit.ly/RHT9q6
7 Nov Wow. This would be historic indeed. Puerto Rico…the state: The most important election result? http://bit.ly/YL3gi1
7 Nov RT @Wikistrat: Will environmentalists halt economic development of Arctic region? #HowTheArcticWasWon simulation analyzes cc:@arcticfutures
7 Nov Singularity Hub @singularityhub
New at the #Dentist - 3D Printing Dental Crowns While you Wait | Singularity Hub http://singularityhub.com/2012/11/07/new-at-the-dentist-3d-printing-dental-crowns-while-you-wait/ … @sironadental#3dPrint #CAD #CAM
7 Nov Big Think @bigthink
One culture, one society. “Multicultural society” is a physical (and sociological) impossibility. @SatoshiKanazawa http://bigthink.com/e-pur-si-muove/why-multicultural-society-is-a-logical-impossibility …
7 Nov US AFRICOM @USAfricaCommand
African Students Learn the Truth about Securityhttp://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=8431&lang=0 … #AFRICOM
6 Nov Dear Chris Matthews: No, YOU’RE the idiot:http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/11/matthews-thirdparty-voters-are-idiots-148639.html …
6 Nov Jacob @Darjeelingzen
“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” H. L. Mencken
6 Nov In light of the PA voting machine screwup, Democrats: Don’t get cocky: http://bit.ly/VRoDKk
6 Nov Biomedicine Update: Building a Better Human Using Medical Technology http://bit.ly/VRn8vN
6 Nov On Pakistan and nukes: @cchristinefair : Great article in Foreign Policy! http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/05/pakistani_power_play …
6 Nov CIA Spy Girl @CIAspygirl
Small Favor: Please don’t post any #Election2012 results or comments. I’m tivo-ing the election & will watch this weekend after#Homeland.
6 Nov ISAF captured IMU weapons trafficker in northern Afghanistanhttp://bit.ly/YEgi0T
6 Nov Laura Walker @LauraWalkerKC
Special Forces and Navy SEALS Head to Polls, Counter Black Panther Presence http://shar.es/GHOyi
6 Nov Jane McGonigal @avantgame
It’s amazing how many people are tweeting at me who believe the myth that voter fraud is common. http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/05/1139141/mccain-strategist-admits-voter-fraud-doesnt-really-exist/?mobile=nc …
6 Nov Good read: RT @angie_a: When in doubt, ACThttp://www.andreaanastasiou.com/2012/11/06/when-in-doubt-act/ …
6 Nov Teratocracy Triumphant? http://bit.ly/QlfRYb via @cascio
6 Nov New CEO at RedZone Robotics http://bit.ly/VRd4mz
6 Nov He called it: Carl Sagan on politics in the age of informationhttp://bit.ly/SWQfha
6 Nov Small Wars Journal @smallwars
Dual Use? #Iran‘s nuclear program http://bit.ly/RC0ARj
6 Nov Pakistani General to Civilian Leadership: Don’t Mess with Ushttp://bit.ly/SVZApt
6 Nov mObi – The Latest Arrival To The Crowded Telepresence Robot Scene http://bit.ly/SqN0xn
6 Nov Is Japan heading for a Zombie future? http://bit.ly/YRTE4c
6 Nov Another Sunday, Another Attack on African Christians http://bit.ly/RDie7f
6 Nov Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bomber kills 31 at Iraqi Army base in Tajihttp://bit.ly/YCxt2Q
6 Nov KurzweilAINews @KurzweilAINews
Blind mole rats may hold key to cancer: Some 23% of humans die of cancer, but blind mole rats — which can live f… http://bit.ly/RQuIFd
6 Nov American Suzuki to file for bankruptcy, end U.S. auto saleshttp://lat.ms/YCcRI1
6 Nov Already had this book in my anti-library: Book Review: Lords of the Sea by John R. Hale http://bit.ly/UvinHl via @zenpundit
6 Nov Lots of good links here: China linkage: Party Congress, round-tripping, Mao’s thought, mega dams and more http://bit.ly/VQtDPu
6 Nov @stcolumbia Or retaliation by those countries, either. We’d never do one in Russia or China…
6 Nov Thomas P.M. Barnett @thomaspmbarnett
China bad sign #2: young professionals leaving in record numbershttp://thomaspmbarnett.squarespace.com/globlogization/2012/11/6/china-bad-sign-2-young-professionals-leaving-in-record-numbe.html …
6 Nov New Vulnerability Against Industrial Control Systems http://bit.ly/U6AByb
6 Nov Future of logistics, supply chain management, freight,… http://bit.ly/SUPqFJ
6 Nov Uncertainty Increasing, Which Is Postnormal http://sto.ly/Ug6XfS
6 Nov A Christian view of the election: This Is Not A Democracyhttp://bit.ly/VygEq1
5 Nov Kind of puts it in perspective: CHART – U.S. Corporate Profits Vs. Employee Wages http://bit.ly/WsuprH
5 Nov Losing Yemen – By Gregory Johnsen http://bit.ly/REUSws
5 Nov 12 Catastrophes the Next President Must Avoid – By David Rothkopfhttp://bit.ly/SOIfRS
5 Nov Syrian Rebels Get Better at Fighting But Not at Governinghttp://bit.ly/RES827
5 Nov Erdogan Goes to Gaza http://bit.ly/Qj32h1
5 Nov China: big bad sign #1 (money leaks out) http://bit.ly/RahJzV
5 Nov Chemical Plant Protest in China Highlights Growing Popular Powerhttp://bit.ly/SOP3yP
5 Nov Al-Qaeda on the Run in Algeria? http://bit.ly/QiGIUG
5 Nov Another anti-Taliban leader assassinated in northwestern Pakistanhttp://bit.ly/SIKrte
5 Nov The future of news: automated, crowdsourced, and better than everhttp://bit.ly/YLUK1w
5 Nov Game of Drones? Asian Militaries Shift Toward Cutting Edge Techhttp://bit.ly/QiDNLT
5 Nov US adds Haqqani Network suicide operations chief to list of global terrorists http://bit.ly/PS0g2i
5 Nov Towers Of Vegetables Go Up As Singapore Builds First Vertical Farmhttp://bit.ly/TFHbQ8
5 Nov Vesta: A Protoplanet’s Mutable Surface http://bit.ly/R93KdO
5 Nov Wearable Breast Cancer Test Detects Tumors Before Doctorshttp://bit.ly/SIb80Y
5 Nov Curiosity s Methane Hunt Comes Up Empty http://bit.ly/fYkQSh
4 Nov Stuart Candy @futuryst
How is Singapore integrating foresight into government? @aaronmaniam explains https://vimeo.com/52808255 #governance #futures/cc @dunagan23
4 Nov Taliban claim over 20 insider attacks in 8 months http://bit.ly/RCUkHt
4 Nov Perceptive blog post by @ericgarland : This is what we mean by systemic fragility http://bit.ly/RCRbHB
4 Nov Blogfest Asia 2012: a thought or two http://bit.ly/RIFBJ6 via @faineg
4 Nov Milena Rodban @MilenaRodban
#Israel announces plans to boost Iron Dome #missile interceptorhttp://reut.rs/U2BsQB
4 Nov Anti-Taliban commander assassinated in Buner http://bit.ly/SKd8V5
4 Nov European Crisis: Five More Years http://bit.ly/SKd33N
4 Nov The New Industrial Revolution http://bit.ly/SKcsio
4 Nov Scary: Fracture the Empire-States to Enhance Democracy – Global Separatism http://bit.ly/SKchDK cc: @ericgarland
4 Nov Something I need to remember, via @hipbonegamer and @zenpundit: Details, nuances and blind-spots… http://bit.ly/UaOxgD
4 Nov No Dystopian Future For Me! http://bit.ly/YG5RJh
4 Nov New Pitt lab aims to move quantum computing http://bit.ly/SGKiX5
4 Nov Jihadists suspected in deaths of 3 Egyptian policemen http://bit.ly/YG4SZx
4 Nov Good question from Pundita: Why didn’t NYC Mayor Bloomberg think to ask visiting marathoners to pitch in and help http://bit.ly/PQ6n7f
4 Nov New book out – recommended: History of the Renaissance Worldhttp://www.amazon.com/History-Renaissance-World-Rediscovery-Constantinople/dp/0393059766/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352027290&sr=1-1 …
4 Nov Does Xi’s Rise Mean a More Aggressive China? Not Necessarilyhttp://bit.ly/YG37eT
4 Nov Campaigns Embrace Big Data, Algorithms, Mobile Tech…They Know Who You Are http://bit.ly/TsNcNK
3 Nov Dan Trombly @stcolumbia
Via @aelkus, this is an article about how cholera caused WWII by killing Clausewitz early. http://jmb.rsmjournals.com/content/13/2/108.abstract …
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on November 2, 2012
I may have to do this more than once a week…
10h I read Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi http://bit.ly/SjiA08
13h Actually, this scares me: Health Care of the Future http://bit.ly/TWZsV3
17h Biomedicine Update: Are We About to Slay Viruses Forever? Mark 2022 on Your Calendar http://bit.ly/RuH2hx
17h Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and the US Trafficking in Persons Laws http://bit.ly/PJKXZs
20h The War on Terror Opens A New Front http://bit.ly/U0K67U
20h Self-Healing Concrete and Other 21st-Century Miracles http://bit.ly/Sf6vJi
20h Resource Rapture: China’s play for African gold, at what cost?http://bit.ly/Sf6tBb
20h Egyptian security official dismisses reports of foiled terror plot in Sinaihttp://bit.ly/VcCyPm
21hNukes of Hazard @nukes_of_hazard Latest IAEA report on #Iran released on August 30. Ehud Barak now touting its conclusions. Better late than never http://ow.ly/eWsms
20hSarah Emily Duff @sarahemilyduff The Communist Manifesto, illustrated, http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/11/01/fernando-vicente-communist-manifesto/ … via @brainpicker
21h Rachel Armstrong @livingarchitect Astronauts take spacewalk to find ammonia leak (Update)http://phys.org/news/2012-11-astronauts-spacewalk-ammonia-leak.html … via @physorg_com
21h Rachel Armstrong @livingarchitect New discovery shows promise in future speed of synthesizing high-demand nanomaterials http://phys.org/news/2012-11-discovery-future-high-demand-nanomaterials.html … via@physorg_com
21h Bloomberg Businessweek shows another reason its subscribership is declining: http://bzfd.it/SzKrN9
21hLaura Walker @LauraWalkerKC
What really happened in Benghazi? - http://CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/01/opinion/bennett-benghazi-obama/index.html … Blistering and pointed #Benghazi#7HoursofHell
21h What Could the Future of Work Look Like? http://bit.ly/VFJGiQ
22h Ai Weiwei: The Internet vs. The Chinese Government | The Way of Ai Weiwei | Big Think http://bit.ly/RufTeB
22h Good question: Does Culture Trump Strategy? http://bit.ly/TVYLLH
22h G-Class Outliers: Musings on Intelligent Life http://bit.ly/SeVUhh
22h Unraveling Animal Speech http://bit.ly/VFDQOE
22h Palestinians Caught Up in Syrian Conflict http://bit.ly/QWw7Mh
31 Oct @VenessaMiemis Group Deck of Cards: Coversations that matter:http://howtosavetheworld.ca/2012/10/30/conversations-that-matter/ …
31 Oct A Sign of Things To Come: Israeli Police Network Hackedhttp://bit.ly/ScFEh6
31 Oct George W. Bush signed off on 50 drone strikes, Obama has approved more than 350: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7a4114be-19ce-11e2-a379-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2Al61vAXy …#pleasereturnpeaceprize
31 Oct Game theory and war: Regional Variation in the Explanatory Power of War and Reason http://bit.ly/VDtpLu
31 Oct Video reportedly shows key suspect from Benghazi attackhttp://bit.ly/TudCkm
31 Oct Tom Barnett endorses Romney http://bit.ly/Uh1fEV
31 Oct Swansong Earth: Refuges for Life http://bit.ly/RsyZC5
31 Oct The Long Third War – By Micah Zenko http://bit.ly/Sv5eBd
31 Oct EPIC FAIL: UN Peacekeeping in Africa http://bit.ly/T5lkiw
31 Oct The Benghazi Debacle http://bit.ly/Scb3QH
31 Oct What Jesus Might Say About Sandy http://bit.ly/T5l5UH
31 Oct I read What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Is… by Bernard Lewishttp://bit.ly/Q62NWF
30 Oct The passion of Jonah Lehrer, and a people addicted to Insightshttp://bit.ly/RuhTSy via @ericgarland
30 Oct The long-term threat of debt http://bit.ly/SspovM
30 Oct Surprise – the man who ‘jumped from space’ doesn’t like space exploration http://bit.ly/XTEGuV
30 OctLeah Farrall @allthingsct RT @zenpundit: “On behalf of Charles Cameron…..” http://zenpundit.com/?p=16400
30 Oct Fascinating. Many links from this story: Bank of England’s Haldane: Occupy was right http://bit.ly/SsjVVD
30 Oct futurist-foresight: Trends: Looking at the tech trends of the future…http://bit.ly/VBtLSA
30 Oct Plot to attack tourist sites in Sinai reportedly thwarted http://bit.ly/SalmVb
30 Oct Satellite pictures suggest Sudanese weapons factory hit by air strikehttp://bit.ly/Ssg0Z5
30 Oct These Unbelievable Pictures of Sandy’s Destruction Are Actually Realhttp://bit.ly/VBhs93
30 Oct Asteroid Deflection: The Paintball Solution http://bit.ly/SbnqfU
30 Oct Technology and War – Part 3: War’s Impact on Transportation Technology http://bit.ly/TTj16C
30 Oct Afghan policeman kills two British soldiers in Helmand http://bit.ly/TRSSPH
29 OctJ. Scott Shipman @jscottshipman Mark Helprin: America’s Capsizing Naval Policy - http://WSJ.com http://j.mp/TPZH4a
30 Oct US AFRICOM @USAfricaCommand #Dempsey hits rumors about #Africom chief’s departure http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/29/dempsey-hits-rumors-about-africom-chiefs-departure/ …
29 Oct Voice of the Martyrs @VOM_USA Several Christians have been arrested in a mostly-Muslim nation. For security reasons, we can’t say more. Please #pray for them.
30 Oct Six storms that changed the course of history: Winds of Change – By Ty McCormick http://bit.ly/VBaAZ8
30 Oct Iran dispatches warships to Sudan after Israeli airstrike on missile base http://bit.ly/VBae4P
30 Oct Superstorm Sandy Seen In a Beautiful Map of Pure Windhttp://bit.ly/PEIqQc
30 Oct Curiosity Sits on Rocks Similar to Ones in Mexico http://bit.ly/fYkQSh
30 Oct No One Knows When New York’s Subway Will Reopen http://bit.ly/TT8R67
30 Oct Why You Should Text, Not Call to Check on Loved Ones Post-Sandyhttp://bit.ly/TT8uZg
30 Oct International Jihadis Descend on Mali http://bit.ly/RtFmDm
30 OctNoah Raford @nraford And it begins RT @nils_gilman: Bioweaponry meets the drone imaginary (“targeted killing” vs. WMD): http://bit.ly/SZTaW5 #biogreygoo
30 OctSmall Wars Journal @smallwars Russian COIN in Chechnya – Winning the Battle, Losing the War, 1994-1996 http://bit.ly/SXch3c
30 Oct On The Relevance Of Celtic Christianity To Today http://wp.me/p1xhs-6q
30 Oct I read Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife by John A. Naglhttp://bit.ly/SaUODC
29 Oct Open Foresight: A New Model for Public Futurism http://bit.ly/VzOd6A
29 Oct Boyd: A3, Einheit, and the conceptual spiral http://bit.ly/RjS9Xf
29 Oct Nanotubes Rescue IT Revolution http://bit.ly/PDmmpn
29 Oct Military strategy is like Battleship Game Theory – By John Arquillahttp://bit.ly/TR36Wr
29 Oct The Arctic is the Mediterranean of the 21st century: Open Seas – By James Holmes http://bit.ly/WWnZ3h
29 Oct Lessons Learned from Red Bull Stratoshttp://www.itstactical.com/centcom/news/ ing-the-envelope-lessons-learned-from-red-bull-stratos/ …
29 Oct Detecting Fake Hurricane Photographs http://bit.ly/VzKd5O
29 Oct The Benghazi mess and its consequences http://bit.ly/WWmBgS
29 Oct Where Will The Next Pandemic Come From? And How Can We Stop It? http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-08/out-wild …
29 Oct Will Future Mobility Lead to Future Instability? http://bit.ly/SVer3j
29 Oct America’s Foreign Legion http://bit.ly/Spv6hW
29 Oct Was an ExxonMobil Executive Assassinated in Brussels? http://bit.ly/S9xXZf
29 Oct Trying to Start Religious War in Nigeria http://bit.ly/VzIP3e
29 Oct A Tour of the Cell http://bit.ly/TqXekw
29 Oct The failure of light-footprint intervention to provide long-term stabilityhttp://bit.ly/QQJ3TV
29 Oct Hello, Pittsburgh? Does Your City Need a Transit Riders Union?http://bit.ly/SplYKi
29 Oct Hurricane Sandy Is a Category 1 Cyclone, But It Has the Eyewall Of a Category 3 http://bit.ly/RjzOcQ
29 Oct Fellow Christians: fastest way to alienate unbelievers – say this storm is God punishing us. #seriously? #eyeroll
29 Oct Benghazi Attack Timeline: http://wecheck.org/wiki/Benghazi_Attack_Timeline …
29 Oct Reading about Environmental Security is apropos as Hurricane Sandy approaches. Specifically, the work of Jon Barnett of U of Melbourne
29 Oct Small Wars Journal @smallwars Rebalancing the US military for 21st Century Threats: An Interview with Janine Davidson http://bit.ly/Tixx18
29 Oct Nukes of Hazard @nukes_of_hazard As Hurricane Sandy bears down, re-upping @Nickolas_Roth on why nuclear weapons arent a good way to prevent major stormshttp://ow.ly/eQCqH
29 Oct Photo: Hurricane Sandy vs Hurricane Irene: Sandy is MUCH bigger:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203880704578084502987456668.html?mod=e2tw#project%3DSLIDER_1027SANDY%26articleTabs%3Dinteractive …
28 Oct Tanja Hichert @TanjaHichert RT @iftf: The World’s First Commercial Vertical Farm Opens in Singapore - http://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-first-commercial-vertical-farm-opens-in-singapore/ … #FoodFutures
29 Oct @faineg Saw this article this weekend:http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/myanmar-how-quickly-things-can-change-9065/ …
28 Oct Wall Street Journal @WSJ Hurricane #Sandy is wider, stronger than Irene. A side-by-side comparison: http://on.wsj.com/SQ8WTo
29 Oct Richard Florida @Richard_Florida The 66% – America’s Growing UnderClass – My latest in@AtlanticCities - http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/10/66-americas-growing-underclass/3618/ …
29 Oct Adam Elkus @Aelkus Anatol Lieven on Afghan war after 2014 http://americanreviewmag.com/opinions/The-Afghan-gamble …
29 Oct Crispin J. Burke @CrispinBurke The Iliad and the Long War http://vsb.li/7B99gE
29 Oct Jodi Beggs @jodiecongirl #hurricaneentertainment RT @WSJ: All of WSJ is free for everyone to read and share today: http://WSJ.com
29 Oct Provocative: Why the UK doesn’t want to prosecute financial crimeshttp://bit.ly/RrGVls
29 Oct Pentagon annual Rept on China Military – hopefully more accurate than Soviet military reports were: http://www.defense.gov/pubs/pdfs/2012_CMPR_Final.pdf …
29 Oct Ediplomacy: The revolution continues http://bit.ly/S83xXk
29 Oct Founder of African Institute for Technology: TEDxChange TEDxAMS – Ndubuisi Ekekwe http://bit.ly/S83smi
29 Oct Prayers out for all in its path: Hurricane Sandy’s Track: 10 Million People Could Lose Power http://bit.ly/PC8Vpr
29 Oct What Tumblr can tell us about the future of media — Tech News and Analysis http://bit.ly/S83avR
29 Oct attackerman @attackerman Only “30 to 50 percent” of Predator & Reaper drone data feeds are encrypted, 4 years after Radio-Shack Iraq hack. By @dangerroom &@daxe.
29 Oct New estimates: Sub Saharan African countries lost $814bn in capital flight http://bit.ly/STBHib
29 Oct Google Activates Hurricane Sandy Tracking Map http://bit.ly/S6JDN0
29 Oct Sony Playstation 3 Master Key Leaked http://bit.ly/RoNYgf
29 Oct Cool History of Congress partisan and ideological make-up infographic at XKCD: http://bit.ly/PfYmaj
29 Oct Schwab Foundation @schwabfound Apply by Nov 16 @acumenfund Global Fellows Programme ,world-class leadership training for social entrepreneurs http://wef.ch/l1Z9t
28 Oct Kelsey D Atherton @the_boy there’s a cartoon with a story arc about supporting an insurgency. Over at #BlogTarkin, @CrispinBurke dives into ithttp://blogtarkin.com/2012/10/28/charlie-kenobis-war/ …
28 Oct SpaceX @SpaceX Raw video of #Dragon‘s splashdown into the Pacifichttp://youtu.be/W_bF6ZciBxQ
28 Oct US Navy tests first drone…ship: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2224165/Now-drones-seas-U-S-Navy-launches-unmanned-combat-boats-firing-missiles-time.html …
27 Oct The World Is Not Enough: Google and the Future of Augmented Reality – Alexis C. Madrigal – The Atlantic http://bit.ly/Tn8Tkk
27 Oct Mechanical Pencil That Draws Carbon Nanotubes Developed By MIT Researchers http://bit.ly/VvM3VA
27 Oct CIA Found Terror Links A Day After Libya Attack http://bit.ly/RmBUvP
27 Oct Syrian War Threatens Regional Stability http://bit.ly/Tn8CxX
27 Oct Do Ceasefires Ever Work? – Page Fortna http://bit.ly/Pci1b9
27 Oct Italy Sinks Further Into Chaos http://bit.ly/RmiKqb
27 Oct Foreign jihadists continue to pour into Mali http://bit.ly/Rb8q0w
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on October 30, 2012
“· A genuine love of nature and a passion for God’s creation, coupled with a sense of closeness between the natural and supernatural.
· A love of art and poetry, seen within surviving illuminated Gospels and other works.
· Although they seem to have been theologically orthodox, there was a distinct emphasis on the Trinity, respect for Mary the Mother of Christ, the Incarnation and the use within worship of early forms of liturgy.
· Within their religious life we see an emphasis on solitude, pilgrimage and mission, sacred locations and tough penitential acts.
· There were few boundaries between the sacred and the secular
· We see an emphasis on family and kinship ties.
· There seems to have been greater equality for women than we see generally in the Church today.
· A generous hospitality was an important part of everyday life.”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Celtic, christianity, Community | Leave a Comment »
Posted by macengr on October 26, 2012
I’m stepping on a hornet’s nest with this post, and butting heads with Dr. Megan MacKenzie, a professor at the University of Sydney and who has published a large body of literature – whereas I’m just a keenly interested amateur (although I hope to become a professional at some point!).
Dr. MacKenzie has published a book, Female Soldiers in Sierra Leone: Sex, Security, and Post-Conflict Development, and has a twitter account at @meganhmackenzie. She’s worth a follow, especially if you have any interest in gender and international security.
Today, Dr. MacKenzie has a post up on the Daily Beast regarding women in combat. This will also appear in longer form in the November-December issue of Foreign Affairs. She and I have differing views on this and we engaged on twitter. She accused me of stereotyping, which I thought was unfair, and since it’s hard to argue in 140 word bytes, I thought I’d post more here on my blog.
In her article, Dr. MacKenzie writes,
Yet the U.S. military, at least officially, still bans women from serving in direct combat positions. As irregular warfare has become increasingly common in the last few decades, the difference on the ground between front line and support roles is no longer clear. Numerous policy changes have also eroded the division between combat and noncombat positions. More and more military officials recognize the contributions made by female soldiers.
She then notes some of the major objections:
Unsubstantiated claims about the distracting nature of women, the perils of feminine qualities, and the inherent manliness of war hardly provide a solid foundation on which to construct policy. Presumably, some levels of racism and homophobia also persist within the military, yet it would be absurd, not to mention unconstitutional, for the U.S. government to officially sanction such prejudices. The U.S. military should ensure that it is as effective as possible, but it must not bend to biases, bigotry, and false stereotypes.
The whole thing is worth a read, so check it out.
My objection to women in combat is different. I want to note that I firmly believe that women can fight as well as men. In my experience (yes, it’s anecdotal) women are often better shots than men, and although I am in pretty good shape I’ve met women that are faster and stronger than I am. Obviously, physical differences are not a good argument against including women. And as far as constitutionally being able to fight, women have fought everywhere from the ancient Celts to Iraq. Women in the Israeli army, and the female Russian snipers in Stalingrad were good soldiers.
My concern is demographics. If we look at the experience of England in World War One, they lost a good portion of their “best and brightest” men on the battlefield, which had severe repercussions for the future of the Empire. Granted, the United States hasn’t been involved in a major war since World War Two. But if the US were to be drawn into one involving, say, China or a resurgent Russia, then we could be facing the loss of a generation of men AND women. To put it crudely: One man, twenty women can still produce twenty babies. One woman, twenty men, gives you one baby.
Note that in an essay in Contemporary Security Studies, Dr. Caroline Kennedy-Pipe addresses my reasoning and says that States may force women to be “breeders” because of demographic demands. Specifically, she states, “Arguably the most intimate of human activities for women were less important than the demands of male political and religious elites that women provide a functional and biological service to the state. This role of women as ‘breeders’ remains imperative for the health of many wealthy industrialized societies.”
Perhaps she’s right. But if your country no longer exists, than your values may be overtaken by those who defeat you. Without children to carry on your civilization, you’re in danger of losing it. This isn’t a polar issue – there are shades of grey, and I think it’s worth exploring.
Still, there are women who are determined to fight, who feel called to that career. Is there a way to allow them to participate? I don’t know. That may be a slippery slope. I suppose a compromise would be to allow women to fight in combat that want that duty, but not to include women in a general draft.
What are your thoughts?
Scott
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: combat, feminism, gender, security studies, soldiers, war | Leave a Comment »
