Russia’s Ties to Blasts in Czech Republic, Ukraine and Recommendations
Recent History is Instructive: Massive explosions in two democracies in the past seven years suggest Russian sabotage, state terror, and military operations against sovereign neighboring and nearby states, including: (1) the Czech Republic at an ammunition depot outside Prague on Oct. 16, 2014; (2) and multiple explosions at Ukrainian ammunition depots between 2015 and 2018…
Putin’s impulsion trends in leadership error
Vladimir Putin’s military build-up on the Ukraine border and partial pull-back today, combined with visible anger in his red-line rhetoric threatening harsh punishment for those who disrespect Russia’s security interests showed signs of impulsiveness in one inexperienced at commanding military forces. It was interesting that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signaled the pullback. A breakthrough…
Writing on the Kremlin Wall: Putin’s government arrests 4,500 Russians and Counting
With 4,500 arrests and counting during Navalny freedom protests, Putin’s authoritarianism is showing its deterministic premise that individuals’ free will should not clash with the will of the state, no matter the letter and spirit of the laws. Alexei Navalny was poisoned, recovered in Germany, and was swiftly arrested and jailed on returning to Russia.…
Snapshot of Early Indicator of Strategic Military Program in the Arctic
After the text below, see three images, Top, Middle and Bottom, the top image showing a likely early indicator of Russian strategic military intent in the Arctic. *To see the images up close with clarity, right click and view images in new window.* As the U.S. was closing bases and not building icebreakers, the Russians…
Lai Xiaomin and China’s Anti-Democracy Narrative to the United States
With the execution of Lai Xiaomin of China Huarong Asset Management Co., China executed a subtle sword block and strike in the art of information war against the United States. Beijing’s leadership-level propaganda piggy-backs on decades’ long Russian intelligence narratives and memes marinating military, law enforcement, far right, and angry young men in the notion that…
US-Self-Sabotage: Energy Policy and Nord Stream 2
Bloomberg reports that Nord Stream 2 is again underway at a clip, with Russia pushing forward and Germany trying to proof the project against the Trump-led U.S. sanctions against our German NATO ally, friend, and fellow democracy. In 2014, Representative John Boehner and others argued that fast-tracked, increased U.S. LNG exports abroad would free global supplies…
Argument: Dynasties in U.S. Politics Present Security Vulnerabilities
Power families using their resources, names, and influence to repeatedly win or determine political offices can become de-facto dynasts to the detriment of U.S. national security. Much like software, firmware, or operating systems, such families are like programs running public offices with informational and other flaws that become well known and more vulnerable over time.…
Brief Discussion: Is It Treason for High Officers to Aid Nazism, Neo or Otherwise?
Listen Instead… The answer to the question of whether it is chargeable treason for U.S. high officers to aid Neo-Nazis in any form acting with hostility toward the United States in loyalty to the historic Nazi regime, I don’t know. A case could be made. Here are some preliminary thoughts worthy of discussion and further…
Breaking the Divisiveness Pickle
“The Social Dilemma” documentary offers a pithy insiders’ look at social media’s and search engine roles in the ‘divisiveness pickle’ felt by U.S. Americans, to use the baseball term also known as a “rundown” between bases. The false dichotomies in demagogic, agitation propaganda, and partisan narratives make “the pickle” an apt…
Covid19 Vaccine Influence in Latin America
Followup: This note adds context to discussions of ways to meet challenges to U.S. policies reversing autocratic digital influence in Latin America. Reports: Andres Oppenheimer wrote in the Miami Herald that the Trump Administration, as recently as late July, was not planning to supply Latin America with U.S.-developed vaccines while Russia and…