Commentaries

If you read US military theory from around the mid-late 1990s up to 2021 you will see that their vision of future conflict was, literally, pulp fiction like Starship Troopers and Falkenberg’s Legion. Superbly trained light infantry with digital communication networks in the hands of every soldier and post-scarcity fire and air support. Unfortunately, not … Read more

People are flawed, but if their culture’s stories continually emphasize the importance of doing the right thing, then there is a higher chance that they will when the time comes. In the American film Saving Private Ryan, Upham convinces his squadmates to free a disarmed German rather than murder him. The movie portrays this as … Read more

I hear all the time about GDP. GDP this! GDP that! NATO trolls all seem to think GDP is a giant pile of free money but that’s not how it works. GDP is simply the sum of all economic activity that year. You can’t just say “No one is allowed to get a haircut this year and we’re sending all the haircut money to Ukraine,” that’s just not how it works.

The USSR was comprised of 15 (16 until 1956) allegedly equal and sovereign republics. Stalin used this logic to argue for 16 UN seats, to which the US replied they should get 50 seats. They compromised on the USSR getting three seats for Belarus, Ukraine and the USSR. Note that distinction. The other states could … Read more

I kept my travel plans private until after we left, but I am now writing from Crimea! I have uploaded some notes and photos from our stop in Kerch. I am typing all of this from my phone so won’t repeat myself, but you can view it on my substack here. I will now be … Read more