Quote of the Day
July 1, 2009
“Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.”
-Aristotle
Vox Populi vox Dei
July 1, 2009
As my readers probably know, on June 28th Manuel Zelaya, former president of Honduras was put into exile by the
Manuel Zelaya
military of Honduras. Mr. Zelaya desired to change the constitution of Honduras so that he could serve another term in office, something specifically forbidden by the constitution. The high court of the country ruled the act illegal, and the congress supported the decision. However, Mr. Zelaya ignored the constitution, the court, and the congress and determined to have a public vote on the matter. Mr. Zelaya was then seized in his home, and sent to Nicaragua by the military.
The act brought down worldwide condemnation upon Honduras. Nearly every influential government has claimed it is impeding to democracy, and a step backwards in every way. These government officials claim that the people must have their say in the matter. The reaction of the world brings one to mind of the ancient Roman proverb: “Vox Populi vox dei”, meaning simply “the voice of the people is the voice of god”. The question then is raised: are the people god?
Under a democracy, whatever the will of the majority of people is, that is law. However, people’s tastes change almost day to day, and can have their minds quickly changed by a pretty face, or eloquent speaker. Honduras (like the United States), wasn’t intended to be a democracy, but a republic. The difference is this: under a republic there is such a thing as absolute law.
The purpose of constitutions is to provide absolute law, so that no one is above the law (including the people). In a government under a constitution, there is such a thing as absolute right, and absolute wrong, determined by the constitution. Under Democracy however, there is no absolute right or wrong. Right or wrong is determined by fad, which may quickly change.
Mr. Zelaya was elected president under the constitution, and did not respect the establishment thereof. In doing this he broke his commitment to the constitution and thus his legal claim to the presidency. This however is ignored by the rest of the world who continue to scream ‘vox populi vox dei!’ The military of Honduras was perfectly justified in what they did, as they had the authority of the Supreme Court, the congress and the constitution.
It is also interesting to note that the actions of the military (authorized by the supreme court) were in the name of the people. As is evident however, the people are divided, but the law, not the vote, is what must prevail. Law is what must rule a land, if law does not rule, tyranny will.
I say kudos to Honduras, and it is my hope that peace and the rule of law shall rein there, not Mr. Zelaya.
This is the week of memorial day, and therefore I would like to dedicate this post to the memory of the men who have died fighting for the United States of America.
A Quick Look at the Life of Edward the “Black Prince”
April 11, 2009
Edward the “Black Prince” was the oldest son of king Edward III of England. He was born on 15 June 1330 and died of an unknown illness on 8 June 1376 at age 45. Dying one year before his father, he was the first Prince of Wales not to be crowned king. His son was crowned king and became Richard II of England. Edward is remembered primarily as a military commander who enabled the great English victories during the Hundred Years War.
Black Prince's Tomb
Born on 15 June 1330 in Woodstock Oxfordshire, he was given the titles Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester. When the king laid claim to the French crown, starting the Hundred Years War, a destructive conflict ensued between the English and the French.
Edward first accompanied his father on his Cressy campaign at age 16. It didn’t take Edward long to prove himself. At the battle of Cressy Edward was given command of the right wing of the army. Before the battle Edward was also presented with a black breastplate, which is where he most likely got his title the “Black Prince”.
The battle was decided by the English longbow, which slew most of the French army before they could even get in close enough to strike a blow. The brunt of the French attack that made it past the bows however, fell on the right wing commanded by the young Edward. Edward held his ground splendidly against the waves of French knights. Edward was knighted for the act. The English victory at Cressy was complete.
Edward continued fighting the French as a general under his father. He took part in the siege of Calais, the Calais counter offensive, and the naval battle of Winchelsea. He became a very popular figure among the English, and was admired everywhere for his bravery.
Edward was finally given command of his own army in the year 1356. At the battle of Poiters he smashed the French army with a devastating flank attack, a very rare maneuver at the time. Edward captured the French king and inflicted devastating losses that the French were never able to fully recover from during the remainder of the war
Edward married his first cousin Joan of Kent in 1360, gaining absolution from the Pope for marrying a blood relative. The king made his son his regent in Aquitaine, and the prince held court in Bordeaux.
Pedro of Castile, king of Spain exiled by his brother during the Castilian Civil War, came to Bordeaux to seek the Prince’s help. Promising the lordship of Biscay if Edward would help him regain his throne, he convinced Edward, and the Black Prince went to war. At the battle of Najera Edward again destroyed his foes and returned Pedro of Castile to his throne (for a time).
Unfortunately while on this campaign Edward became ill and died nine years later of the same illness. The legacy of Edward still lives on however, and he is remembered today as one of the military geniuses of the medieval period. Edward struck terror in the heart of his foes, and love in the hearts of his men. He defeated his enemies, and was usually courteous to those he conquered. Truly, these are the marks of a great commander.
BBC: Man survived both atomic bombings
March 25, 2009
Mr Yamaguchi had the bad luck to be in Hiroshima and then Nagasaki
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Japan has certified a man aged 93 as the only known survivor of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both hit by atomic bombs towards the end of World War II.
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on 6 August 1945 when a US plane dropped the first atomic bomb.
He suffered serious burns and spent a night there before returning to his home city of Nagasaki just before it was bombed on 9 August.
He said he hoped his experience held a lesson of peace for future generations.
‘Horrifying history’
It was already recorded that Mr Yamaguchi had survived the Nagasaki bomb but on Tuesday officials recognised that he had been in Hiroshima as well.
More than 200,000 people were killed in the two atomic bombings
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Certification as a hibakusha or radiation survivor qualifies Japanese citizens for government compensation, including medical check-ups, and funeral costs.
His double dose of atomic bombs, however, does not mean Mr Yamaguchi’s compensation will increase, a Nagasaki city official said.
“My double radiation exposure is now an official government record,” Mr Yamaguchi told reporters.
“It can tell the younger generation the horrifying history of the atomic bombings even after I die.”
About 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki.
Many survivors fell sick with radiation-related illnesses, including cancers, for years after the bombings.
From the German conquest of France to Hitler’s suicide, Bevin Alexander takes the reader through the second world war in Europe to paint a strikingly clear picture characteristic of his writings. “How Hitler Could Have Won World War Two” goes through the important military decisions made through the war, showing missed opportunities and strategic blunders that brought the thousand year Reich to a premature close. In spite of the fact that people enjoy the thought that Hitler’s defeat was inevitable, Mr. Alexander shows in this work that Hitler very well could have – and almost did win the war.
Personally I thought the book to be a very good one. It goes well beyond ‘what if’ history and shows exactly how just a few changes could have won Hitler the war. As a military strategist/historian wannabe it sheds an interesting light on the war, showing how a nation can bring about its own destruction. As a Christian the book is much more meaningful.
Although Mr. Alexander makes no reference to God in his book it is impossible to separate the amazing Providences of God from any historical narrative. To read the book from this perspective leads me to one conclusion that we all should thank God for: it was only His divine intervention that saved the world from a ‘thousand year Reich’. If Hitler had only listened to some of his top commanders the world would be very different today. The battle of El Alamein is the most amazing and obvious providence of all. Alexander shows how in this battle Erwin Rommel very nearly changed the course of history in spite of Hitler’s blunders, but was thwarted by a simple mistake and a few hours.
This book is absolutly a worth while read, and I recommend it to anyone interested in the second world war. It will change your perspective of the war.
AP: Less body armor might be the answer in Afghanistan
March 12, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — Heavy layers of body armor, a proven lifesaver of U.S. troops, also may be an impediment to winning the fight in Afghanistan. where 17,000 additional American forces are being sent to quell rising violence.
Weighing as much as 34 pounds each, the protective vests hinder American forces hunting down more agile insurgents who use the country’s rugged peaks and valleys to their advantage, according to military officials.
The proper balance between troop safety and mobility will be examined this week during a series of oversight hearings by the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. Beginning Tuesday, senior Army and Marine Corps leaders are scheduled to testify on a wide range of subjects, including force protection, readiness levels and ergonomic injuries.
When body armor is added to the assault rifles, ammunition, water and other essential gear troops are required to carry, they can be lugging as much as 80 pounds into combat. Besides moving more slowly, overburdened troops tire more quickly and are prone to orthopedic injuries that can take them out of action, the officials say.
But convincing a war-weary public of a less-is-more approach won’t be easy, they acknowledge. If a commander decides the gear shouldn’t be used for a particular mission and a service member is killed, there could be a backlash, said Jean Malone, deputy director of experiment plans at the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab in Quantico, Va.
“We’ve got to have the internal fortitude to come back and say: ‘We have the data. We made the right decision. We can’t guarantee you that nobody will die in this war,’” he said.
Paring down the amount of armor could actually make troops safer on the battlefield, officials say. Speed and maneuverability give them the best chance of killing or capturing the Taliban and other militants before they can set roadside bombs or get in position for an ambush.
“Being able to maneuver and fight and chase down a fleeing enemy; that’s actually where your protection is (versus) armoring up and being more static,” said Brig. Gen. Tim Hanifen, deputy commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command at Quantico.
The loads carried by modern American troops are equivalent to those “the medieval knight wore into and out of battle back in the year 1000 until about the 16th century,” he said.
Bomb-resistant vehicles that are light and nimble enough to handle Afghanistan’s primitive roads are also needed, according to Hanifen. Trucks that worked well in Iraq, which has a comparatively sophisticated transportation network, may be less suitable in harsher terrains.
As troop levels are surging in Afghanistan, so are roadside bomb attacks, according to the Pentagon’s Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.
In January and February, 52 IED attacks in Afghanistan killed 32 coalition troops and wounded 96 more, according to preliminary figures from the organization. During the same two months in 2008, 21 IED attacks killed 10 troops and wounded 39.
Body armor has become a focus of Marine Corps efforts to lighten troop loads because it weighs so much more than the other gear. The standard kit consists of hardened composite plates inserted into a ballistic vest. The vest and plates protect the upper body from armor-piercing bullets and shrapnel.
Personal armor made of substantially lighter composite materials that are more effective than current models won’t be available for several years. So the Marine Corps is looking for near-term solutions.
The Marine Corps is buying 65,000 vests called “scalable plate carriers” that weigh under 20 pounds. The carrier, which uses the same plates as the standard vest, doesn’t cover as much of the torso. About 14,000 of the plate carriers have been fielded and the feedback has been positive, according to Marine Corps officials.
Over the next two weeks, the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab is conducting an experiment at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to assess the risks of using less armor. The results of the trials will help guide battlefield commanders who make the final call on what gear troops should use.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOaLrFDNvu9EwD6zCikADUdE4f2AD96R13802
LT. CMDR. CHRISTOPHER E. VAN AVERY’S 12 New Principles of War
February 6, 2009
I know it’s an old article, but I thought it was worth posting.
12 new principles of warfare
BY LT. CMDR. CHRISTOPHER E. VAN AVERY
Now that dramatic improvements in weaponry, communications, sensors and even the utility of individual combatants have been demonstrated in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is clear that America must revise and expand its principles of war to effectively plan and execute the more expansive and complex warfare of the future battlefield.
Before redefining the principles of war for future conflicts, three questions must be answered. First, how has the revolution in military affairs (RMA) affected military capability, and how will it affect capability in the future? Second, what types of conflicts and enemies should America expect to confront over the next quarter-century? And third, who will be cooperating with America in military operations of the future? Even these seemingly simple questions have complex answers and significant caveats that must be recognized……READ FULL ARTICLE
Swarming and the Future of Warfare By Sean J. A. Edwards
January 28, 2009
I recently finished reading this free dissertation pdf download “Swarming and the future of Warfare” by Sean J. A. Edwards, published by the RAND Corporation. Below is a review of the dissertation copied and pasted from this page at the RAND corporations web site.
Swarming occurs when several units conduct a convergent attack on a target from multiple axes. In this dissertation the author uses case studies, comparative analysis, and common sense to derive a simple theory that explains the phenomenology of swarming. He researches 23 case studies of swarming, ranging from Scythian horse archers in the fourth century BC to Iraqi and Syrian paramilitaries in Baghdad in 2003, to understand swarm tactics and formations, the importance of pulsing, and the general characteristics of past swarms. He considers command and control, communications, home field advantage, surprise, fratricide, and training. The author identifies five primary variables most important to successful swarming: (1) superior situational awareness, (2) elusiveness, (3) standoff capability, (4) encirclement, and (5) simultaneity. Treating the five variables as binary — either absent or present in a case — he derives 32 possible combinations of these variables that together comprise a “model’ that predicts swarming outcomes based on his theory. He predicts that only six combinations lead to swarm success. The model is tested using a qualitative technique called the comparative method to find patterns of multiple and conjunctural causation. Finally, the author addresses the questions of how swarms can be defeated and whether swarming is relevant for future friendly forces.
The Art of War online.
January 22, 2009
The oldest military treatise in the world is Sun Tzu’s Art of War, written in the 6th century BC. Military commanders through the ages have been inspired by this timeless classic, which is still applicable today. The commander that heeds the council of Sun Tzu wins, and those who do not fail. Below are a few places where you can read this great work for free.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17405/17405-h/17405-h.htm
http://www.sonshi.com/learn.html
http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html
This is the audio version:
http://librivox.org/the-art-of-war-by-sun-tzu/
Enjoy!
