Dec 27
I particularly favour the sentence quoted:
…
Will the new [defence] team simply reinforce the pursuit of global dominance with the use of military power to control and shape development inside other peoples’ societies?..
Related:
The Persistent and Pernicious Illusion of the Imperial President
Whilst the Canadian defence minister takes a very broad perspective himself:
National Defence Minister MacKay’s Weltpolitik and Weltanschauung
Mark Collins is a prolific Ottawa blogger
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December 29th, 2012 at 10:15 am 8c8
Very related, note end of final sentence quoted:
“America’s Superpower Status Goes Over The Fiscal Cliff
…
Regardless of whatever window dressing is used to pitch any new strategy if needed, the bottom line is that it will force the U.S. military to abandon for good its long-standing two-war construct to one that looks more like the defense posture of the rest of the world.
The two-war construct, as imprecise a measurement as it was, provided a basis of comparison against which to assess American hard power. The ability to fight and win in two major engagements at once proved to be a reasonable approximation of the forces necessary to maintain a military with global reach and responsibilities. The official death of this standard means that America will not be able to do as much around the world because of increased strain on shrinking forces…
The only question is in what order and by how much key defense priorities will take a hit in the 2014 budget. The favored pot of money raided since 2010 has been modernization. That trend will surely continue and accelerate in a post-sequester budget…
As Gordon Adams points out,
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/27/budget_agreement_reached
there are several common themes across of all these reports that speak to the conventional wisdom regarding where the Pentagon might invest, and where the military should cut. Among the points of emphasis include special operations forces, increased attention on cyber warfare, and, despite current negative trends in future research and investment, defense R&D spending. Areas for additional reductions identified by defense analysts across town and the ideological spectrum include ground forces, the nuclear arsenal, and modernization programs, especially in areas like tactical aircraft…”
http://defense.aol.com/2012/12/28/america-s-superpower-status-goes-over-the-fiscal-cliff/
Mark Collins
2a1