Some are poo pooing the latest test, but they seem to be continuing to advance their technology. Here‘s a useful backgrounder, via Austin Bay. More here.
Category Archives: War Commentary
Russia?
No, “the pony in the manure is the corruption of our intelligence officials.”
It’s both appalling and amusing to watch the Democrat operatives with bylines in the media attempt to “cover” this story (as in, in the immortal words of Iowahawk, hold a pillow over it until it stops moving).
[Update a couple minutes later]
It’s worth reading the Victor Davis Hanson piece that Clarice cites. Sure, after all the lies about Benghazi and the deserter, I totally believe Susan Rice now. As noted, if Obama was Nixon, she’d be one of his “plumbers.”
[Update a couple minutes later]
Rice, Obama’s hatchet woman, proves Lord Acton right again.
[Update a while later]
Why is CNN trying to refute a story it refuses to cover?
[Update another while later]
Susan Rice’s unmasking: A Watergate-style scandal:
Understand: There would have been no intelligence need for Susan Rice to ask for identities to be unmasked. If there had been a real need to reveal the identities — an intelligence need based on American interests — the unmasking would have been done by the investigating agencies.
The national-security adviser is not an investigator. She is a White House staffer. The president’s staff is a consumer of intelligence, not a generator or collector of it.
If Susan Rice was unmasking Americans, it was not to fulfill an intelligence need based on American interests; it was to fulfill a political desire based on Democratic-party interests.
Oopsie. What did the president know, and when did he know it? Will Susan Rice wear orange to protect him?
[Update late morning]
More links and thoughts from Glenn Reynolds.
[Update early afternoon]
Susan Rice has no defense. Only one I can think of is “I was ordered by the president,” but that one doesn’t pass the Nuremberg test.
[Update a while later]
A Watergate-level scandal? Looks like it to me, particularly if they can find a link to Obama. Of course, the IRS scandal should have been as well. Obama did what Nixon could only dream of doing.
Milspace
An interview with Mike Rogers. At the Space Symposium today he announced that he’s going to introduce legislation to create a Space Corps, attached to the Air Force, presumably per Coyote’s recommendation. This was amusing, though:
Is the development of a replacement for the Atlas 5 rocket’s RD-180 moving quickly enough? Is it moving in a direction you’re satisfied with?
Well, it’s not quick enough. I’m very happy that we’re staying after it. My subcommittee, our full committee, this Congress, is committed to not stop until we have an American-made engine that can get our national security space assets launched. And we’re not going to stop. I’m encouraged. I think we’re pretty close to getting a new engine that’s going to be viable.
Pretty sure he wants to engine that will be built in Alabama, even though no rocket manufacturer wants it.
Colluding With Russia
Did Obama do it in 2012?
We know that he was colluding with Iran for years, maybe even before he got to the White House.
Sorry, Saudis
You have lost control of the oil market, probably permanently. Boo hoo.
[Monday-morning update]
OPEC’s cuts are treading water. “The simplified version is that U.S. oil production is reaching a point where OPEC can choose to sell 100 barrels at $50, or 125 barrels at $40. They can choose between higher profit margins or larger market share, but the days of having both are over for now.”
A Coup Is In Progress
But I beg to differ with Mr. Hinderaker; it’s not a “liberal” coup, but a leftist one.
[Update a few minutes later]
Could someone inform the federal judiciary that Jihadis are Muslims?
Like Charles Cooke, I don’t agree with the policy, but this ruling was lawless.
I dislike this EO as a matter of policy. I’m also outraged by this decision, and think Trump is absolutely right on the legal question.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) March 16, 2017
[Update a couple minutes later]
The courts in Hawaii and the 9th circuit have essentially stripped the president of his powers. It will take SCOTUS to restore. And funny how these people never mind the tyrannical and actually lawless behavior of Barack Obama.
[Update a while later]
Grandstanding judicial supremacy must end. Basically, the ruling was based on mind reading, and feelings.
The Warbird
Tara Copp has written a book that’s been getting good reviews from the defense media. Here’s an excerpt.
So the wonderful @TaraCopp gave me a copy of her new book, The Warbird, I am ENGROSSED.
GO BUY IT.https://t.co/oE75lBl8mz
— Valerie Insinna (@ValerieInsinna) March 14, 2017
A New Cold War With Russia
Michael Totten says to brace yourself.
It’s too bad that Congress doesn’t take human spaceflight seriously, so we remain dependent on them.
The Far Future Fund
This looks interesting. I wonder what they’re doing in terms of opening up space?
An interesting scale. https://t.co/VKZ42jPZZm
— SafeNotAnOption (@SafeNotAnOption) March 3, 2017
Reforming Milspace
Coyote Smith is recently retired from the Air Force, and is apparently free to be much less circumspect about his thoughts on the Air Force:
It is easy to understand why the advancement of American space power has stalled under the Air Force. For very reasonable organizational and bureaucratic reasons, space power simply cannot receive the priority it deserves inside the Air Force.
Everything else will be sacrificed for the air power mission. As a matter of culture, this is the right thing to do. Carl Builder, a RAND analyst working a project for the Air Force Chief of Staff, pointed out in the The Icarus Syndrome that space power is a competing faction that air power advocates must hold at bay. The lesson being, no matter how vital space power becomes to the nation, if it is assigned to the Air Force, or any other service or agency, it will always receive short shrift.
It’s not a new problem. We were talking about it in the eighties. But we may finally be approaching a time in which we can finally fix it. I’ll be on a panel in DC on Monday with Coyote to talk about the U. S. Space Guard.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Sort of related: The coming warbot revolution.