Archive for 2018
August 13, 2018
CHANGE: Mattis ‘in Favor of Warfighting Capability Organized Along the Lines’ of a Space Force. “Department will organize proposal ‘for efficiency and make sure it’s fit for purpose,’ then wait for Congress to act on things DoD can’t do.”
Can we please call it Starfleet?
AT LEAST THEY WEREN’T TIRED WHEN THEY WENT: Laziness led to extinction of Homo erectus.
INFLATION IS ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE A MONETARY PHENOMENON: Prof. Steve Hanke has a suggestion (probably behind a paywall) for how Erdogan can save the Turkish Lira – institute a currency board. I’m not holding my breath.
PROCUREMENT BLUES: Army’s XM25 program officially goes kaput.
The ill-fated weapon, known as the XM25 and nicknamed “The Punisher,” was once hailed as a game-changer for ground troops who would be able to use it to target enemies hiding behind cover. But it came under closer scrutiny several years ago after schedule slippage, cost overruns and aborted operational testing in Afghanistan.
In 2016, the Pentagon inspector general recommended that the Army consider ending the program and instead invest its nearly $1 billion in funding elsewhere. The program remained in limbo since early last year, when the Army canceled its contract with main contractor Orbital ATK Inc., but an Army official overseeing the effort could not clarify its overall status.
The shoulder-fired, semi-automatic weapon was designed to fire 25 mm high-explosive grenades that burst in mid-air over enemy troops taking cover behind walls or inside bunkers or trenches where they’re difficult to hit.
It’s a shame they couldn’t make the thing work.
NEWS YOU CAN USE: Most People Who Think They Have a Penicillin Allergy Are Wrong.
ROGER L. SIMON IS SKEPTICAL of Ed Morrissey’s defense of Keith Ellison.
BRACE FOR RESISTANCE MELTDOWN: FBI fires anti-Trump agent Peter Strzok.
RASMUSSEN: TSA Is On the Up-And-Up With Americans. “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now says that reports of possible cuts to screenings at smaller airports were merely part of a budget exercise to study cost-saving options.”
I’m not buying it.
CHRISTIAN TOTO: Spike Lee Is Wrong About Racism in 2018.
FROM TYLER O’NEIL — WHO WAS THE PJ MEDIA REPORTER: Antifa Protester Yells at Police, Friend Knocks PJ Media Reporter’s Phone Out of His Hand.
CLAIM: Russia’s Next Fighter Might Have a New Way to Shoot Down F-22s and F-35s.
I’ve noticed that the fighters Russia hasn’t built are always superior to the ones we have.
SHE’S ALSO A DEMOCRAT, THOUGH THEY DON’T GET AROUND TO TELLING YOU THAT UNTIL THE END OF THE STORY: She ran on responsible gun regulation, now she’s accused of killing her campaign treasurer.
EDITORIAL: Trump’s Anti-Press Talk Makes Us Feel Bad.
THE KIDS AREN’T ALL RIGHT: Sean Malone of FEE looks at the conflict between what we know about motivation from neuroscience and what today’s trendy philosophies tell kids. As Shawn says,
I contend that a lot of these ideas ultimately serve to destabilize young people’s sense of their own individuality and wreck their ability to deal with reality in ways that are most likely to leave them depressed and despondent.
Sounds right to me.
SICK MAN OF EUROPE: Turkey is failing primarily because strongman Erdogan doesn’t understand basic economics.
WHEELS TURNING, SLOWLY: Peter Strzok Fired From The FBI.
IN THE MAIL: From Barbara Oakley, Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens.
DON’T BE EVIL OR WHATEVS: Google Knows Where You Are, Even If You Disable Tracking.
ANALYSIS: Don’t expect Beijing’s South China Sea ‘breakthrough’ to weaken US ties with Asean nations. “While Chinese state media hailed a new code of a conduct in the disputed waters as a ‘rebuke for foreign meddling’, Southeast Asian states are likely to be keen to maintain long-standing ties to Washington.”
Indeed. China’s naked aggression in the region seems more likely to strengthen American ties to smaller nations in the region than anything else.