Gov. Wes Moore

Hear, hear

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My subscription to Foreign Affairs is worth every penny-and more. While feelings about our 20-year war in Afghanistan are routinely reduced to the ugly withdrawal three years ago, it was, as this piece illustrates, just the most recent example of how our misguided demands to achieve total victory have repeatedly blocked our progress while standing on the threshold of success. A brief excerpt: "Washington’s failure in Afghanistan reflects a deep-seated American pathology: the belief that victory in war is a zero-sum game, in which the United States must score an unambiguous win and its opponent must lose everything. By demanding the total military and political defeat of the Taliban—and pursuing the group long after it posed a threat to U.S. national security—the United States directly undercut its own efforts to help establish a stable and secure Afghanistan. Two years later, the Bush administration would repeat this mistake in Iraq, when it quickly disbanded the Iraqi army and pursued a policy of 'de-Baathification' that plunged the country into chaos and, eventually, civil war. In both cases, by offering its enemies no way to surrender, the United States gave them few options other than to fight." We still have not learned the lessons of Vietnam, as we cruise along the edges of the Israeli-Hamas war, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the increasing threats from Iranian-backed proxies expanding conflict in the Mideast. It's too late to reverse or alter your course when you realize you're knee deep in quicksand.

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Back to the future? As a fresh 18-year-old Air Force weapons tech in 1970, I saw and loaded my first of many live tactical nuclear weapons--B-61s--at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. That remains one of my eye-popping a moments. The aircraft (F-4Cs & Ds), pilots and ground crews were all assigned to the 475th TFW based at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and rotated to Kunsan every 60 days or so. Several F-4s were on alert 24x7x365, armed with a single B-61 and crews were housed near those aircraft for a fast response to an alert. And those alerts always seemed to occur as soon as your crew sat down for a meal in the mess hall, lol. All US nukes were withdrawn from South Korea in 1992, as part of an effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. North Korea withdrew from the Nonproliferation Treaty in 1994 and ever since has pursued nuclear arms development. It'll be interesting to see what happens now, as Trump becomes president soon.

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"Collective capacity" of a group of like-minded countries to confront the growing aggression of CCP China is becoming a concept to watch. Is it such more diplobabble, or does it become a central planning and interoperability concept around which the involved countries invest in their own security assuming the others are covering their gaps so that the sum of the parts substantially exceeds the individual? The US and Japan navies have been working toward full interoperability for a very long time and some would say they are there, or worse case, nearly there. (US and Japan air and ground forces are less advanced, with air being ahead of ground, but both services also now working very hard to achieve this same objective.) While never announced publicly, it is said by some insiders that, in the waters proximate to CCP China, the US Navy is deployed, assuming that (dependent upon) Japan's naval assets will take on certain critical missions while the US assets cover others. Is the future direction that the Japan Defense Budget, while continuing to grow to meet our commitments, can be also narrowed to cover specific missions with total reliance on the US and other partners joining this effort fulfilling others? Can the defense industrial bases be managed to the same objectives? And does this allow the US to prioritize its defense spend, albeit the US covering a more global mission, to take Japan's role into consideration at least as the first priority within the area within the 1st island chain in the Pacific? (Later extended to the 2nd island chain? And then there is the possibility of Australia, who is in Hawaii this week, which is facing all of the same challenges we are. The concept is logically compelling given the threat level we are facing. The level of trust required to really bet your national security on a "collective capacity" concept is the challenge. This deserves a forceful debate among interested parties.

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War and The Fragility of Civilization - As global instability increases and threats to our national security grow, what can we learn from the history of warfare? In a new book, noted military historian Victor Davis Hanson examines how some wars have resulted not just in defeat for the vanquished but in the annihilation of their civilization and people. On this episode of the #FreeExpressionPodcast, Prof. Hanson talks to me about the parallels between these wars and the threats we now face from our increasingly bold adversaries. How can we avoid the mistakes of those previous civilizations and ensure our survival? He also talks about America’s internal fractures and how they are weakening our national security and what our political leaders can do to reverse the damage in a pivotal election https://lnkd.in/eBa4r6-a

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Be sure to check out the this week's episode on The Washington Outsider #Report on Coalition Radio with the Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune and former career Foreign Service Officer Robert Silverman. The explosive discussion was inspired by Robert's recent article for #JST, advocating the designation of the #MuslimBrotherhood as a terrorist organization... an idea that has been tried before and never quite made it to the finish line. In this episode we discuss: - Who or what is the #MuslimBrotherhood... - Its historic and ideological influences... - The conveniently forgotten or virtually unknown involvement of the Brotherhood forces alongside Nasser's army in #Egypt during #Israel's War of Independence in 1948... - The Muslim Brotherhood's social and political role in the United States... - What would it take to get a designation, legally and politically - Why all past such efforts have failed... - What happens to those who tried... - What's different this time? Why is it a good time to reconsider and to revisit this option? - What are some of the old and new obstacles, and how to overcome? - Has the October 7 Al Aqsa Flood Operation changed some hearts & minds on the direction of the Muslim Brotherhood? - Can the Brotherhood be reconsidered as an organized crime enterprise? And last but certainly not least... - What has changed our guest's mind on the issue? Why has Robert Joel Silverman from being an opponent of this track become an advocate? ... Tune in and you won't regret it!!! And now, given that the new #Trump #foreignpolicy and #NationalSecurity team is being nominated as we speak, the concerns of this political and ideological threat and how the new officials would deal with it are even more relevant! #Islamism #Islamists #lobby #Lobbying #Lobbyists #military #security #defense #antisemitism #MiddleEast #arabworld #thegulf #GCC #KSA #SaudiArabia #Egypt #NorthAfrica #Africa #Gaza #Hamas #terrorism #counterterrorism #extremism #counterextremism #military #security #defense #foreignpolicy #foreignaffairs #diplomacy #geopolitics #Intelligence #counterintelligence #lawandorder #societyandculture

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Rather than experienced subject matter experts making federal policy/regulatory decisions involving #health, #energy, #education, #finance, the #environment and more, judges without substantive knowledge and experience will be making the call. Your take?

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We can, and must, tackle the hard challenges facing our country head-on. Bringing Congress to a point of cooperation–where progress takes precedence over partisanship–won’t be easy, but it’s necessary for keeping our democracy working. I teamed up with Steven Pearlstein to lead Fixing Congress, an effort that pooled the expertise of 15 retired senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle to reduce partisan friction that often stalls meaningful progress. Here are some ways we think this can be achieved: ➡️ Guaranteeing debate and votes on floor amendments with significant bipartisan support  ➡️ Allowing committee members to petition for floor consideration of any partisan committee-approved matter, with or without the House Speaker’s approval ➡️ Empowering committee members to choose their own chairs and ranking minority party members in most cases ➡️ Reducing committee sizes by limiting members to only one “major” and “minor” committee each For more changes we’d like to see in Congress, check out The Washington Post Editorial Board’s article linked in the comments. 

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See my new piece on the Trump tariffs and history https://lnkd.in/eKepJmku

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Anne Applebaum's latest book, "Autocracy Inc.," sheds light on the growing threat posed by the surge of autocratic regimes worldwide. From Russia, China, and Iran to semi-autocratic nations like Hungary, Turkey, and India, the book paints a chilling picture of a networked global kleptocracy adept at leveraging oppression, misinformation, and money laundering to solidify power and profit from their positions. The book highlights our alarming economic dependence on autocratic nations, exemplified by the gas trade between Russia and Germany. It underlines how such dependencies compromise our sovereignty and corrode our values and institutions over time. While the book doesn't delve into health matters, it issues a stark warning to our industry. We are too dependent on "Autocracy Inc." countries for some health technologies and commodities - remember the desperate international scramble face-masks, the military lockdown of vaccine factories and the desperate recruitment of healthcare professionals? We share sensitive health technologies and research with them in the spirit of scientific endeavour, without clear controls or accountability. However, this reliance on "Autocracy Inc." countries for critical health technologies and resources raises questions about the wisdom of such interdependence. During the pandemic, I was made painfully aware of how dependent we were on these countries. I saw how, under weak US leadership, democratic countries failed to collaborate, damaging important relationships. I saw how countries like China misled the world on key issues like the origins and spread of the virus. The consequences hit us hard. Health is a strategic asset that nations should curate and protect. This book prompts reflection on whether we should reevaluate our strategic priorities and safeguard our health assets more vigilantly.

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The evolution of the Democratic Party's values from the era of John F. Kennedy to the current progressive stance showcased by figures like Kamala Harris reflects significant changes in American politics over the decades. During JFK's time, the party emphasized a blend of strong defense, economic growth through capitalism, and modest social reforms, including tax cuts and civil rights advocacy. This ethos shifted with the Great Society programs under Lyndon Johnson, extending social safety nets such as Medicare and Medicaid. Subsequent decades saw Democrats adapting to economic changes and conservative trends, leading to the adoption of centrist policies during the Clinton era, which combined free-market capitalism with welfare. The aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis propelled a leftward movement, marked by figures like President Obama and Bernie Sanders advocating for increased government intervention, notably in healthcare. In the current landscape, leaders like Kamala Harris champion policies focused on universal healthcare, climate action, and economic socialism. This shift signifies a move towards wealth redistribution, enhanced government oversight, and systemic reforms within the Democratic Party.

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On this Election Day in the United States, it's great to see Daniel Pink sound the trumpet for sortition in The Washington Post. Americans are divided about a lot, but they all agree that partisan politics is killing us. The answer is clear: use democratic lotteries to empower everyday citizens to come together, listen to each other, and forge the best decisions for our nation. That--and that alone--is government of the people, by the people, for the people. #Democracy #CitizensAssemblies #DemocraticInnovation #DeliberativeDemocracy

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Corruption in the Senate: Why Schumer and Democrats Can't be Trusted on Biden Discover the rampant corruption within the Senate under Chuck Schumer's leadership and why it's crucial to question their judgment. Learn how the Democratic Party's corporate donors influence decisions and why President Biden should not yield to their pressure. Understand the importance of taking opponents like Trump seriously, as he defied all odds to become president. #SenateCorruption #ChuckSchumer #DemocraticParty #CorruptionRevealed #TrustIssues #PoliticalJudgment #CorporateInfluence #OpponentAnalysis #PresidentBiden #TrumpVsDemocrats

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