Free Republic

The United States “is not good at counter insurgency and never has been”, according to George Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Forecasting. He also calls for an end to the limitedly successful Surge in order to redeploy troops to Kuwait or the uninhabited south west of Iraq, so that they might “flank” any expansive Iranian moves toward Saudi Arabia (for example). First and foremost, the lessons of 2003 to 2006 in Iraq show Iraqi and foreign resistance/insurgency is inversely proportional to the size of the U.S. or U.K. footprint. Dr. Friedman’s analysis calls for a reversal of successful policies...

What keeps you busy? With all of our so called “technological” advances, you don’t really have more time for yourself, do you? Admit it! None of us do. Most of the blessings of Western Civilization don’t feel like blessings. When your boss calls you on your cell phone on a Saturday for a status report, you flinch at your caller ID. When the “self checkout kiosk” at your local Home Depot can’t seem to read the bar code on your new ceiling fan, you sigh at the clerk. “A little help over here!” you say, with a tone of superior...

HUMINT: In the Long War we are all in; a new religion is emerging. I call it Non-Confrontationalism. The disciples of Non-Confrontationalism preach abstinence. Not premarital or extramarital “sexual” abstinence, but “conflictual” abstinence. The best thing to do, so they say, is nothing. They seek segregation, appeasement and flawed compromises to solve fundamental disagreements – because they believe the West cannot afford a decisive victory in the Long War. Non-confrontationalists pervade politics and war. It’s always been that way, but never before did they have so many converts. As their movement grows stronger, the United States is made weaker. Ironically,...

HUMINT: This course has no official curriculum. It has no Professor or TA. A list of references may help you pass; however, the value of each reference is largely dependent on your own interpretation of the material. While there are no prerequisites for this course, consider taking World History 101 and Economics 101 concurrent with Freedom 101. Course materials consist of this essay, your personal experience, your community and your government. RULES Tests are not schedule but they will occur. No letter grade will be given. Freedom 101 is strictly PASS/FAIL. If you fail, you are obligated to take this...

What kept the Cold War from spinning dangerously out of control was a bilateral foreign policy developed around Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) of civilian population centers. MAD worked because it developed out of a mutual experience. The Soviets, Americans and almost everyone else caught in between experienced the devastation wrought by WWII. Deterrence from war meant ensuring both sides were evenly balanced in the art and supplies of conventional and non-conventional warfare. The Cold War had a relatively clear set of rules that sprung from the shared experience of WWII. When they talk about terrorism today, politicians and an international...

HUMINT: When at war, it’s best to objectify your enemy. A few wars ago, an American might’ve expected their government to dehumanize their enemies for them. Not anymore America. Your government isn’t willing to objectify your enemies any longer. The reasons for the shift are many, but that’s not the point of this piece. The point of this piece is to acknowledge the shift and introduce a, “do it yourself” attitude to objectifying your nation’s enemies during war. But be careful, if you screw up the objectification process, you’ll probably end up making a symbol out of your enemy and...

HUMINT: In terms of economics, a dollar is a unitized reference for value. Think about it; we trade value everyday in the marketplace; not widgets, services or currency but value. If you’re like me however, you seldom stop to think about the fact that a product’s price is just a reference of its actual value. In a truly free market, Adam Smith philosophically asserts “price is set by what consumers are willing to pay”. Beyond supply and demand, we can see value being traded in the market place when, for example, a customer chooses one tomato over a less appealing...

REPORTERS PRODUCE STORIES: The international press is a permanent force in modern warfare. Journalists and their crews crawl over the battle space looking for the latest “story”. Lest we forget, stories are a commodity. Each story’s singular purpose is to attract and keep the attention of an audience sufficiently long enough for the audience to watch commercial content. Never forget, advertisements are priority one. No citizen should assume the responsibility of the press is to inform the public. It isn’t. Only on rare occasions does the press inform American citizens. As a citizen, you are solely responsible for your own...

True pleasure comes from finding things out. Acquiring knowledge is like a zero dollar investment that can pay its owner dividends for the rest of their life. If you’ve ever experienced the feeling of breaking new intellectual ground, you know it’s transcendent. Discovery is a form of renewal, more revolutionary than any war or politics. Having experienced epic revelation is like being born again; renewed through cognitive baptism. When you know you’ve learned something [so extremely] important, it consumes you, that’s Shangri-La! Learning has an extremely spiritual dimension to it which makes it deserving of its own religion. Learnianity, for...

Corruption is killing Iraq’s future. In a recent report released by the U.S. Government Accountablity Office entitled; REBUILDING IRAQ, Integrated Strategic Plan Needed to Help Restore Iraq’s Oil and Electricity Sectors, the section detailing corruption is particularly disturbing. As a conscious member of the human race, I am unashamedly concerned about the black market trade in petroleum. Why? Because hundreds of millions of dark dollars are going to projects unlikely to benefit U.S. national security, or the security of America’s allies. Under the circumstances, these illicit funds are more than likely funding America’s enemies. A reasonable solution would be to...

POLITICAL ILLUSION: When the supportive architecture of a democratic society is misinterpreted and subsequently portrayed to be tyrannically suppressive. POLITICAL VISION: The empowerment of officers in society to protect and serve all citizens’ liberties without infringing on existing democratic architecture. ESSAY: Optical illusions are visually perceived Images that trick our senses into seeing what may or may not exist. For example, Rubin’s Vase is a popular, two dimensional illusion. Indeed, it’s a perfect specimen to illustrate the major premise of this essay. For the uninitiated, the curves of Rubin’s Vase double as a silhouette of two opposing human faces. If...

INTRODUCTION: This is a short story called “Worth Fighting”. It relates to America’s Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If this piece works, it will not need further explanation. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try a different approach. The point being, America’s wars in the Middle East are justified and should therefore be popular among Americans and Middle Easterners. What appears to be lacking in America today is the appropriate context to defend any military conflict under any circumstances. While I can understand anti-War emotion, Americans should not be paralyzed by it. Pacifism belies a universal truth. Some causes are worth...

CROWD THEORY: If you want to understand crowds, you’ve got to immerse yourself in them. Not just one kind of crowd, but all kinds of crowds. There are a number of cross cultural similarities between crowds. As an observer, I’ve always enjoyed watching crowd mechanics in action. Concerts, demonstrations, games in stadiums, lines, speeches and parties are just a few examples of situations where crowds coalesce. Why study crowds? Why not? We move through them every day. Every crowd is a microcosm of society. Case in point, your government represents an institutionalized manifestation of crowd control theory. CROWD MEMBERS:...

For high crimes and misdemeanors, proceedings resembling impeachment are long over due. Start the process now! If it cannot be done domestically then Americans must turn to the international community. The United Nations Security Council must be compelled to authorize action. Everyone in the United States knows it, but surprisingly few will stand up to support it. None of this is secret. The leadership of this regime is guilty of inciting and committing terroristic violence. Add to that; its flagrant abuses of spirituality to consolidate power, institutionalized misogyny, racism and sectarianism. This administration does not respond to its people....

HUMINT: If we quit our wars now, will terrorists follow us home? In other words, will terrorists attack Americans in the United States, IF the U.S. Army precipitously withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan? It’s a simple, YES or NO question. If YES, the U.S. Army should stay to win the wars we’ve started. If NO, we have already won our wars; let’s end the fighting by bringing the troops home now. Sounds simple, right? But it isn’t that simple. The repercussions of wars are never simple. Indeed, the question is terribly misleading. By asking it, the inquisitor creates two faux...

Muslim Americans are free to practice Islam in the United States whenever and however they choose. These are not just high-minded ideals. Freedom of religion is practiced in the United States precisely because it is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The PBS broadcast of America...

For the sake of this essay, liken Hezbollah’s operational doctrine to a geopolitical script. It was written as high drama by one of the most ambitious men of the 20th century. While most Westerners remain oblivious to this virulent Middle Eastern narrative, the author’s infamous name is highly recognizable. His name is Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. To his follower’s dismay, few scenes have lived up to Khomeini’s script. In hindsight, it’s clear his plot was intellectually corrupt and spiritually bankrupt. Oddly, when Khomeini’s actors took the world stage, performing their first dress rehearsal, their actions were not dramatic at all. Instead...

America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are hell on earth. All wars are. Every sane person in America wants to see them both come to an expedient end. Unfortunately, the quest for peace cannot and should not overshadow America’s relentless pursuit of sustainable peace. Sustainable peace throughout the world is not only a legitimate American foreign policy; it is the only legitimate foreign policy. Irrespective of the violence we are witnessing in Iraq and Afghanistan today, the pursuit of sustainable peace is the ultimate American foreign policy objective. It is a fact that the United States Government is working hard...

FORT HUACHUCA — The Intelligence Center has added another top facility to its list of accomplishments — the Department of Defense’s Human Intelligence Training Joint Center for Excellence. “Fort Huachuca is the natural place for the joint training,” said Army Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Although a class has completed a course at the facility in Tallmadge Hall, the official ceremonial ribbon-cutting opening for the facility was held Tuesday, with a number of senior intelligence officials — military and civilian — in attendance. Maples said the facility is needed because it will enable America’s...

SMILE FOR EFFECT, A PREQUEL TO “THE AMERICAN STREET”. Months ago I wrote a post about the American Street. In it, I describe a verbal exchange I had with a communist propagandizer. Despite the obnoxious T-Shirt this snake oil salesman was wearing, and despite the fact he was trying hard to attract attention – almost everyone around him was doing a good job of ignoring him. I however could not ignore him. You might be asking, why did humint notice a subversive newspaper salesman among an ocean of busy bodies, shuffling diligently from point “A” to point “B”? The answer...