Tag: Defense
Stevenson’s army, July 9
– Supreme Court finishes announcing decisions for the year at 1000. Follow it on Scotusblog.
-HASC has 1pm hearing with SecDef Esper and CJCS Milley. Expect questions about Lafayette Square operations and Vindman retirement.
– Hopkins has new tracker of school reopening policies nationwide.
– Big clash over who controls NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration) budget. SASC gave DOD more power in its authorization bill, but House Appropriators forbid that in their Energy approps bill. It’s a lot harder to resolve disagreements that can’t come up in a conference committee because of the different legislative vehicles.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, July 7
-Columbia prof Robert Jervis has a devastating critique of John Bolton’s new book and of his performance as national security adviser.
– NYT review Bob Gates’ new book favorably. I’ve just finished reading it and support his call for strengthening the non military tools of foreign policy.
-NYT assesses Biden’s performance as VP on foreign policy and personal diplomacy.
– Phil Gordon as a good piece on post-Trump China policy.
– WSJ reminds us of the severe drop in remittances by foreign workers because of the pandemic.
– New Yorker has a thoughtful piece comparing how Germany confronted its Nazi past and how the US might deal with its legacy of racism.
– Politico has story and links to official documents on the administration’s new exclusions of foreign students.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, July 6
– “Middle East intelligence” sources tell the NYT that Israel was responsible for the explosion at Iran’s nuclear enrichment facility.
-Both US and China have major naval operations now in South China Sea.
– FP says WH personnel will conduct loyalty interviews with DOD political appointees.
– AP says Trump-connected lobbyists captured billions in pandemic funds,
– Defector details weakness and corruption in North Korean military.
-LA Times says WH has agreed to keep 4000 US troops in Afghanistan after US elections.
-And for this week of 90+ degree weather, New Yorker has a 1998 article on life before air conditioners. [I remember]
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Stevenson’s army, July 2
In addition to the usual press coverage below, Charlie wrote a piece today about the significance of July 2:
This year July 3 is the official federal holiday. It really should be today.
The 4th of July really ought to be celebrated on the 2nd, for it was on July 2, 1776, that the Continental Congress voted, 12 states for, none against, that the colonies “are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” The next day, John Adams wrote to his wife, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival…. It ought to be solemnized with bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other….”
In fact, the 3rd and 4th of July were taken up with debate and amendments to the 1,338-word explanation written by Thomas Jefferson and a small committee. A vote approving the text was taken on the 4th, but the actual parchment was not signed until August 2. That document used the July 4 date, and we’ve been stuck with it ever since.
There’s another reason for celebrating July 2 — for it was on that date, eleven years later in the same building in Philadelphia, that the Constitutional Convention broke its deadlock over how to organize the new government. Virginia had proposed proportional representation by population, including slaves. The small states, led by New Jersey proposed equal representation of the states in Congress. The debate and defeat of various plans left many small state delegates angry and frustrated, and drove the convention to the verge of collapse. Many considered leaving the convention if their rights were not protected. Delegates on both sides became more heated and intransigent.
The small states had a point. The three largest states of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts had 45% of the U.S. population and would need only one other state to have a working majority over all other states. On many issues the three most southern states – Georgia and the Carolinas – sided with the big three. Though small at the time, they all expected to grow much larger and saw such an informal alliance as helpful to their other interests.
On July 2, 1787, Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut pressed his resolution for equal representation in the Senate, but with some absentees and some still unexplained vote switches, the delegates tied on the question. That was a parliamentary defeat for the small states, but a game-changing, emotional victory because it kept alive their alternative. On reflection, other delegates realized that this issue of Senate composition could destroy any chance at government reform. They agreed to turn the question over to a committee, and three days later, the committee recommended equal votes in the Senate. At the end of the tumultuous week, the delegates approved the plan.
This broke the logjam on other issues as well. With small state rights protected, their delegates were more willing to strengthen the executive and the central government. By mid-July, delegates agreed on a single executive and gave him veto power.
Those are two strong reasons for venerating and celebrating July 2 — with “bonfires and illuminations” and good beer.
– DOD has a formal report to Congress on overall policy.
– Meanwhile the administration tries to explain its response to reports of Russian bounties.
– China is cracking down in Hong Kong. Here’s the text of the new law.
-Israel is delaying on annexation.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, June 27
– NYT says Trump administration has been sitting on intelligence report since March that concluded that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban for targeting US troops in Afghanistan. Options discussed, but no action.
– Lawfare has good backgrounder on the laws relating to classified information.
– Iraqi forces are going after some Iran-backed militias.
– DOD has named a new chief of industrial policy.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, June 25
– NYT says the administration wants to end the longstanding practice of informal notification of Congress regarding proposed arms sales and allow more quick sales.
-SecDef Esper, facing real challenges with WH over personnel, has submitted the army colonel’s list with Alexander Vindman’s name on it.
– China sanction bill passes Senate.
– O’Brien hypes China threat.
– Senate version of NDAA has detailed cyber guidance.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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