Sunday, January 14, 2007
RECOMMENDED READING
Shooting for the provocative today, my linking here does not constitute an endorsement of the following views, except where explicitly indicated. Merely that they will get you thinking:
Colonel W. Patrick Lang - "War Against the Boogey Men"
A strong strand of anti-globalization, paleoconservatism, runs through this analysis combined with some frank observations about Islam and Iran-Israel. As an added bonus, Dave Schuler and Collounsbury are in the comment section ( though so far, Lang has yet to address the pointed remarks of either). Hat tip to John Robb.
Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II of The Strategic Studies Institute -"CHALLENGING TRANSFORMATION'S CLICHÉS "
I am not finished reading this one ( indeed, I was, last night, as a courtesy, sent a truly massive tome being issued by the Defense Science Board, by a respected scholar connected with the Department of Defense -sorry, no link as it is not yet available online. I'm now buried under PDF files) and will comment specifically at a later time. But if you have read Dr. Echevarria's previous slash and burn attack on 4GW then you know that he is a defense intellectual who pulls no punches. Hat tip to Fabius Maximus of DNI.
Dr. Chet Richards of DNI - "Science, Strategy and WarThe Strategic Theory of John Boyd"
Dr. Richards, the "keeper of the flame" of the ideas of the late military strategist Colonel John Boyd reviews the work of Colonel Frans P. B. Osinga, of the Royal Dutch Air Force. Richards calls the book "magnificent". An erudite review that I much enjoyed, so much so that I grant it this excerpt:
"Is it a tough read? Do you know of anything really worthwhile that is easy? Just as there is no royal road to mathematics, there is no royal road to Boyd. I was present at the creation of many of these charts, and I found a lot in this book that was new and helpful in broadening my understanding (for one thing, I have not, as Osinga did, read Boyd’s original notes in the source books)."
I'm impressed. Osinga evidently takes no shortcuts in his scholarship.
From Coming Anarchy, long one of my favorite blogs to read, two posts:
From Curzon - "Kaplan on Thucydides v.s. Herodotus"
A great post for history buffs, classicists and fans of Robert Kaplan.
From Chirol - "Chirol’s Take on a 51st State"
Chirol is known for having the periodic " Big Post". Good for me, as I know beans about Puerto Rico.
From Nonpartisan at Progressive Historians, for whom I am developing a soft spot despite wide differences in political philosophy, two posts " Three Humble Suggestions for the History Blogosphere" and " Is America nearing, or averting, a social revolution? ".
I endorse without qualifications all of Nonpartisan's suggestions for the history blogosphere. The second post I enjoyed for it's focus on the much underrated but influential Brooks Adams, before Nonpartisan descended into -well - let's just say he descended.
Dan of tdaxp - " Evolutionary Cognitivism, Part I: Selection and Cognition"
While many blogs plateau or stagnate, tdaxp keeps getting better and better ( despite a blogspirit induced case of italics) and I'm following Dan's synthesizing of evolutionary psychology with political science and education. This new series reviews a book, The Origins of Human Nature, that Dan considers " almost flawless". Though Dan finds a few.
New Blogs on the Blogroll:
SWJ Blog
Soob
Complexity and Social Networks Blog ¶ 5:20 PM
Shooting for the provocative today, my linking here does not constitute an endorsement of the following views, except where explicitly indicated. Merely that they will get you thinking:
Colonel W. Patrick Lang - "War Against the Boogey Men"
A strong strand of anti-globalization, paleoconservatism, runs through this analysis combined with some frank observations about Islam and Iran-Israel. As an added bonus, Dave Schuler and Collounsbury are in the comment section ( though so far, Lang has yet to address the pointed remarks of either). Hat tip to John Robb.
Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II of The Strategic Studies Institute -"CHALLENGING TRANSFORMATION'S CLICHÉS "
I am not finished reading this one ( indeed, I was, last night, as a courtesy, sent a truly massive tome being issued by the Defense Science Board, by a respected scholar connected with the Department of Defense -sorry, no link as it is not yet available online. I'm now buried under PDF files) and will comment specifically at a later time. But if you have read Dr. Echevarria's previous slash and burn attack on 4GW then you know that he is a defense intellectual who pulls no punches. Hat tip to Fabius Maximus of DNI.
Dr. Chet Richards of DNI - "Science, Strategy and WarThe Strategic Theory of John Boyd"
Dr. Richards, the "keeper of the flame" of the ideas of the late military strategist Colonel John Boyd reviews the work of Colonel Frans P. B. Osinga, of the Royal Dutch Air Force. Richards calls the book "magnificent". An erudite review that I much enjoyed, so much so that I grant it this excerpt:
"Is it a tough read? Do you know of anything really worthwhile that is easy? Just as there is no royal road to mathematics, there is no royal road to Boyd. I was present at the creation of many of these charts, and I found a lot in this book that was new and helpful in broadening my understanding (for one thing, I have not, as Osinga did, read Boyd’s original notes in the source books)."
I'm impressed. Osinga evidently takes no shortcuts in his scholarship.
From Coming Anarchy, long one of my favorite blogs to read, two posts:
From Curzon - "Kaplan on Thucydides v.s. Herodotus"
A great post for history buffs, classicists and fans of Robert Kaplan.
From Chirol - "Chirol’s Take on a 51st State"
Chirol is known for having the periodic " Big Post". Good for me, as I know beans about Puerto Rico.
From Nonpartisan at Progressive Historians, for whom I am developing a soft spot despite wide differences in political philosophy, two posts " Three Humble Suggestions for the History Blogosphere" and " Is America nearing, or averting, a social revolution? ".
I endorse without qualifications all of Nonpartisan's suggestions for the history blogosphere. The second post I enjoyed for it's focus on the much underrated but influential Brooks Adams, before Nonpartisan descended into -well - let's just say he descended.
Dan of tdaxp - " Evolutionary Cognitivism, Part I: Selection and Cognition"
While many blogs plateau or stagnate, tdaxp keeps getting better and better ( despite a blogspirit induced case of italics) and I'm following Dan's synthesizing of evolutionary psychology with political science and education. This new series reviews a book, The Origins of Human Nature, that Dan considers " almost flawless". Though Dan finds a few.
New Blogs on the Blogroll:
SWJ Blog
Soob
Complexity and Social Networks Blog ¶ 5:20 PM
Comments:
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Mark,
Thanks for the links -- and the kind words! The polisci blog found it interesting, too.
Part II is up now too, by the way.
Thanks for the links -- and the kind words! The polisci blog found it interesting, too.
Part II is up now too, by the way.
Ah, well, the anti-globo aspect gives me something to whack at the Left about finally!
I am tired of whacking away at the Right Bolsheviks, it leads people to think I have sympathy for the Left when I merely have contempt for its translation into the right.
Ambiguous comment, to be sure, of course, but I think the Islam part is the least.
Paleocon. Yes, I think that is perhaps right, although I have a sense he's not a Pat Buchanan type, but something rather more well-informed, sophisticated and rational.
I am tired of whacking away at the Right Bolsheviks, it leads people to think I have sympathy for the Left when I merely have contempt for its translation into the right.
Ambiguous comment, to be sure, of course, but I think the Islam part is the least.
Paleocon. Yes, I think that is perhaps right, although I have a sense he's not a Pat Buchanan type, but something rather more well-informed, sophisticated and rational.
# posted by 
: Monday, 15 January, 2007
: Monday, 15 January, 2007
Hi Dan
I'll check it out Tuesday.
Hi Col -
Well, Bush has become such a lightning rod that mere criticism (or praise)of him is taken as some kind of definitive blogospheric tribal marker.
No, I agree. Lang is less a populist a la Buchanan than a genteel Southerner type.
Hi Subadei
Welcome to the blogroll ! ;o)
I'll check it out Tuesday.
Hi Col -
Well, Bush has become such a lightning rod that mere criticism (or praise)of him is taken as some kind of definitive blogospheric tribal marker.
No, I agree. Lang is less a populist a la Buchanan than a genteel Southerner type.
Hi Subadei
Welcome to the blogroll ! ;o)
Yes, silly little tribes.
My resolution to the problem is to simply be mean to everyone and only the clear headed non-tribals will stick around.
Well, that and the sycophants and the gluttons for punishment, but what can one do? No solution is perfect.
My resolution to the problem is to simply be mean to everyone and only the clear headed non-tribals will stick around.
Well, that and the sycophants and the gluttons for punishment, but what can one do? No solution is perfect.
# posted by : Tuesday, 16 January, 2007
: Tuesday, 16 January, 2007
My resolution to the problem is to simply be mean to everyone and only the clear headed non-tribals will stick around.
It also suits your choleric temperment, which has become something of a brand.
It is more amusing though in the comments sections of blogs where the regulars there are unfamiliar with your style of repartee.
It also suits your choleric temperment, which has become something of a brand.
It is more amusing though in the comments sections of blogs where the regulars there are unfamiliar with your style of repartee.
did pat buchanan do something to you guys? besides predict this war would be the utter disaster it has been? read some zenpundit topics from the early iraq war era and read buchanans "whose war" and tell me who knew what time it was
anyway, col lang is right. consider also both our and israels relations with china. Students at an assembly in Iran barked stuff at the PRESIDENT and nothing happened to them. In china? the repurcussions wouild be a little more severe. whe nthat tai chi lady yelled that stuff at hu jintao when he was here I looked for any mention of it in the chinese media. none.
anyway, col lang is right. consider also both our and israels relations with china. Students at an assembly in Iran barked stuff at the PRESIDENT and nothing happened to them. In china? the repurcussions wouild be a little more severe. whe nthat tai chi lady yelled that stuff at hu jintao when he was here I looked for any mention of it in the chinese media. none.
# posted by : Tuesday, 16 January, 2007
: Tuesday, 16 January, 2007
lester,
As a personality, I like Pat Buchanan. At least through the Reagan years his views on foreign policy were a lot closer to mine than yours.
Here in this discussion however Buchanan's just a shorthand for a political stance espousing economic nationalism and whatever you want to call his current foreign policy views.
As a personality, I like Pat Buchanan. At least through the Reagan years his views on foreign policy were a lot closer to mine than yours.
Here in this discussion however Buchanan's just a shorthand for a political stance espousing economic nationalism and whatever you want to call his current foreign policy views.
Well, I shall not speak for Mark, but my relatively superficial acq. w Buchanan tells me that he is more or less a vulgar chauvinist, above all in terms of ecnomics (irrationally protectionist) and social affairs (effectively paraniocally anti-immigration).
That does not mean, of course, that he was wrong about Iraq, although perhaps right for the wrong reasons.
Mark me man:
It also suits your choleric temperment, which has become something of a brand.
Has it now? Well if one is blogging one may as well be oneself, it is after all self-indulgence.
It is more amusing though in the comments sections of blogs where the regulars there are unfamiliar with your style of repartee.
I presume you were amused by the wounded reaction of re Arablish, or perhaps the Col P Lang site.
I rather enjoyed going after the idiot left again, banging away at the incompetent cretins in the Bush Administration
That does not mean, of course, that he was wrong about Iraq, although perhaps right for the wrong reasons.
Mark me man:
It also suits your choleric temperment, which has become something of a brand.
Has it now? Well if one is blogging one may as well be oneself, it is after all self-indulgence.
It is more amusing though in the comments sections of blogs where the regulars there are unfamiliar with your style of repartee.
I presume you were amused by the wounded reaction of re Arablish, or perhaps the Col P Lang site.
I rather enjoyed going after the idiot left again, banging away at the incompetent cretins in the Bush Administration
# posted by : Wednesday, 17 January, 2007
: Wednesday, 17 January, 2007
lunesbury- I think your off base on all of those. and there is no wrong reason to be anti war except maybe in 1776 in 1861
# posted by : Wednesday, 17 January, 2007
: Wednesday, 17 January, 2007
Mark, thanks for linking my posts here -- I'm developing a soft spot for you too! Methinks it's the mutual fascination with historical thought -- for instance, I'd much rather have people develop a fascination with Brooks Adams from my work than agree with my political point of view. :)
lounesbury- I meant regarding pat buchanans. he's not the paranoid isolationist you believe him to be. and again, he was right and zenpunndit thomas psgvb barnett and most people linked on the topics here were wrong on iraq.
# posted by : Thursday, 18 January, 2007
: Thursday, 18 January, 2007
Analysis of an ancient war in modern times
"More than two thousand years ago, 10,000 Greek soldiers found themselves isolated among hundreds of thousands of enemies in Mesopotamia, not far from where American troops are now in Iraq. They had marched from Greece to take sides in a civil war they knew too little about.
Xenophon told his men the truth about their situation and led the 10,000 back to the sea and home to Greece, leaving an example of courage, leadership, skill and honor for generations yet to come.
The American forces in Iraq deserve a Xenophon."
http://grhomeboy.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/analysis-of-an-ancient-war-in-modern-times/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon
"More than two thousand years ago, 10,000 Greek soldiers found themselves isolated among hundreds of thousands of enemies in Mesopotamia, not far from where American troops are now in Iraq. They had marched from Greece to take sides in a civil war they knew too little about.
Xenophon told his men the truth about their situation and led the 10,000 back to the sea and home to Greece, leaving an example of courage, leadership, skill and honor for generations yet to come.
The American forces in Iraq deserve a Xenophon."
http://grhomeboy.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/analysis-of-an-ancient-war-in-modern-times/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon
# posted by : Friday, 19 January, 2007
: Friday, 19 January, 2007
Hi dimitar,
U.S. troops may deserve Xenophon but I am not holding my breath. I'll settle for them not having a Nicias.
U.S. troops may deserve Xenophon but I am not holding my breath. I'll settle for them not having a Nicias.
Mark, may I suggest you something interesting to listen to?
Thucydides: Ur-Historian of the Ur-War
http://www.radioopensource.org/thucydides-ur-historian-of-the-ur-war/
Post a Comment
Thucydides: Ur-Historian of the Ur-War
http://www.radioopensource.org/thucydides-ur-historian-of-the-ur-war/
# posted by : Saturday, 20 January, 2007
: Saturday, 20 January, 2007<< Home
