A Commentary On America's Navy And The Rise Of China

Eliseo Fernandez/Courtesy Reuters

America’s Navy And The Rise Of China -- George Will, Washington Post

Scholars at the Naval War College here probably nodded in vigorous agreement with a recent lecture delivered at another military institution 130 miles away. Speaking at West Point to leaders of tomorrow’s Army, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that “any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as General MacArthur so delicately put it.” This underscored Gates’s point that “the most plausible, high-end scenarios for the U.S. military are primarily naval and air engagements — whether in Asia, the Persian Gulf or elsewhere.”

Read more ....

My Comment: An interesting analysis from someone whose primary focus is on domestic politics, and not international military strategy. Read it all.

Is She Speakng For The White House?

Photo: Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright: USA No Longer Intends To Be World's No.1 State -- Pravda

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright took part in the forum too. She particularly participated in the meeting titled “Non-Economic Aspects of Entrepreneurship.”

Madeleine Albright said during the meeting that America no longer had the intention of being the first nation of the world.

The former US Secretary of State surprised the audience with her speech. She particularly said that democracy was not the perfect system. “It can be contradictory, corrupt and may have security problems,” Albright said.

Read more ....

Update: Madeleine Albright: America doesn’t want to be number one -- Examiner

My Comment: Her comments and remarks are depressing. It is unbelievable that she was once our Secretary of State. Everyone wants their country to be #1 .... everyone. The exception being one former Secretary of State.

On a side note, this story comes from Pravda of all places. The Examiner has also taken up on her remarks .... but the rest of the media .... nothing but silence.

The Axis Of Upheaval

Uniformed militia men parade in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
Photograph: Mohamed Sheikh Nor/AP

Foreign Policy Blog:

Forget Iran, Iraq, and North Korea—Bush’s “Axis of Evil.” As economic calamity meets political and social turmoil, the world’s worst problems may come from countries like Somalia, Russia, and Mexico. And they’re just the beginning.

Seven years ago, in his State of the Union address on Jan. 29, 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush warned of an “axis of evil” that was engaged in assisting terrorists, acquiring weapons of mass destruction, and “arming to threaten the peace of the world.” In Bush’s telling, this exclusive new club had three members: Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Bush’s policy prescription for dealing with the axis of evil was preemption, and just over a year later he put this doctrine into action by invading Iraq.

Read more ....

My Comment: I cannot disagree with this article's assessment. The world has changed since 9/11 .... the threats and conflicts are now different .... and just as dangerous.