Tag: China

Stevenson’s army, June 15, afternoon edition

– Half of the people in each party now predict US will “cease to be a democracy”

European opinion dividing over Ukraine.

– Having overestimated Russian military capabilities, US intelligence now wonders whether it understands Chinese military.

Xi reaffirms support for Putin.Defense

– Marine Major urges rethinking US military manpower system.

– And an Air Force colonel suggests seeking air denial rather than air supremacy.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

Tags : , , , , ,

Stevenon’s army, June 15

As President Kennedy said, “To govern is to choose.” NYT has a good piece summarizing the conflicting views on whether to cut Trump tariffs on Chinese goods as part of the fight against inflation.

Ukraine assessments: David Ignatius emphasizes Russia’s problems. Fred Kaplan notes Russian progress.

While senior officials discuss what more to ship to Ukraine, Politico notes the practical logistical shipping and training issues that slow things down regardless.

Remember that the NDAA is not necessary for DOD to do its job. The only legal effect if there were no NDAA is that military pay couldn’t rise faster than the regular government COLA rules. Sure enough, NDAA committees are seeking to enact a huge military pay raise.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

Tags : , , , ,

Stevenson’s army, June 14

Charlie isn’t the only one distracted. I’ve been failing to post while vacationing with extended family in Asheville, NC. He writes today:

I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve been busy and the news isn’t very newsworthy. Mostly more of the same — in Ukraine, where Russian artillery is laying waste the land they want to seize; in NATO, where Turkey is still a roadblock to Sweden and Finland; in the Pacific, where US & China are trading angry words. At least in Congress, there’s the drama of the Jan. 6 hearings.

Some other items: Chaos in Iraqi politics.

– WSJ says some former Afghan officials are living the high life.

– WOTR gives good reasons not to ignore Africa.

– And SAIS Resident Fellow James Mann says a new book about the founder of the John Birch society has lessons for how the GOP might deal with Donald Trump.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

Tags : , , , , , , , , , ,

Stevenson’s army, June 10

How many wars are in involved in today?  Fifteen plus, according to the latest war powers report to Congress. The uncertainty comes because the report says” approximately 90,000 United States Armed Forces personnel are deployed to North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in Europe” without naming the countries. The conflicts are basically the same as in recent reports: Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Niger, Cuba [at Guantanamo], Philippines, Egypt, and Kosovo plus NATO. The law requires reporting of places where troops equipped for combat are deployed; there does not have to be active combat.

FP, citing an unnamed “senior defense official” on Gen. Milley’s plane to Singapore, says the US wants more hotlines with China to prevent miscalculations.

WSJ says Ukrainian forces are being outgunned.

Nicaragua welcomes Russian troops.

Writer in Foreign Affairs says China is “using the global South to constrain America.

WSJ says US is trying to get Israel and Saudi Arabia to work together on air defenses against Iran.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

Tags : , , , , , ,

Stevenson’s army, June 6

On this 78th anniversary of the allied invasion of France, YouTube has a short cut from a newsreel report later shown in US theaters and the audio of CBS radio’s reporting that day, supplemented with newsreel footage.

The Biden foreign policy team is mostly people he has known a long time. [BTW, the most collegial and leak-free team was Bush 41’s] They show consensus and cooperation but little policy innovation. If you don’t like what they agree on,  you call it group think, as Peter Beinart does.

WaPo reports China is building a naval base in Cambodia.

Economist reports CCP now bans grumbling about the party.

WSJ reports the diplomatic missions the CIA director has been sent on.

Politico has background on this week’s Latin American summit

Morning Consult compares what China has been doing in the region..

AP questions how long Ukraine can fight.

And a tweet shows the battlefield.

New WSJ poll shows Americans are pretty sour about things.

BusinessInsider notes Hill staff can double dip, working for Congress and campaigns.

NYT’s Charles Blow has good career advice, applicable far beyond his journalism. I’d say the same to people working on the Hill.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

Tags : , , , , , , ,

Stevenson’s army, June 5

– LA TImes says momentum is shifting toward Russia in Donbas.

– Ross Douthat says he can’t be a Ukraine hawk forever.

– Australian says China is winning in Asia.

– Together on a byline for the first time in decades, Woodward & Bernstein compare Nixon and Trump.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

Tags : , , , , ,
Tweet