Five Good Reads

Bob Killebrew has an early take on the Georgian-Russian conflict up at the Small Wars Journal. This is great context for the long view.

Speaking of the long view, Zenpundit doesn't like what he is seeing. I tend to agree, we are being distracted by the lights, camera, and action here, when we should be looking big picture and playing long ball. His last argument is similar to one we had a heated debate about today in the office. If we assume this is about the oil pipeline, then the best response is to spend 1 billion dollars on alternative energy and doing everything possible to build more oil rigs, because it would go a lot further towards a strategic response that helps Europe than flooding military capabilities into Georgia. Think about it.

Fabius Maximus with his usual brilliance. That is a good discussion. Fabius Maximus has also been tracking the mythical strike groups heading for Iran, and has actually tracked the origins of the story. He didn't mention the editorial in the Washington Times yet, but talk about a well financed rumor. If you don't know what I'm talking about, my readers from the Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group should be aware: according to some reporting, your ships sailed off to war Iran without you. Fact checking in the media is clearly in decline.

This is the read of the day. Tom has it exactly right on all points.

A great read. Something I've been thinking about... We pay these types of forces for peacemaking, China pays similar types of forces in Africa just to leave them alone while they strip the resources out of the country. I think it is an interesting contrast in style and purpose.


Photo: SOUDA BAY, Crete (Aug. 11, 2008) The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) arrives for a routine port visit to Souda Bay. McFaul is in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility and will support theater security cooperation by participating in regional exercises with allies, making diplomatic port calls and responding to any contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley/Released)