Stuff and Nonsense

Bullet Points:

** From BRM – The Future of Warfare is Devastation… Col McGregor discusses his vision of future warfare. He’s right, of course, but warfare has always meant devastation. To borrow from Hollywood: Question “What is best in life?” Answer “Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.”

** CDR Sal: Remarks by Commander Salamander before the Congressional Research Service, Defense Breakfast Seminar, Wednesday, 22 March 2023. It’s worth reading.

** In Russia (h/t Claudio) – The number of military-age men coming of age is falling rapidly because of a low birth rate. There are also long-used methods to avoid conscription or otherwise being forced into the military. These techniques were developed two centuries ago when the Russian monarchy first introduced conscription. Families would try to hide their military-age men, simply leave the country, or bribe conscription officials. The proportions of each varied over time – leaving the country was not possible during most of the communist period, while bribery rose in the 1990s and really took off after the first Chechen war (1994). The government got new soldiers any way they could and life went on. 21st-century Russian recruiters have tried to adapt but the young men and their families are not cooperating.

…This was not to say that Russia could not win a long war. They were victorious during World War II but at a cost of 30 million dead (18 percent of the population) and a ruined economy. Many of those losses were the result of sending newly mobilized, and so effectively untrained, reservists out to face German combat veterans. Russia made this same “short war” mistake in 2022 when it invaded Ukraine. Against the invaders, defending Ukrainians had an advantage because they were defending their country and were not only more motivated but were better trained and led than most of the Russian invaders because they had adopted Western training methods including effective NCOs. NATO countries sent Ukraine billions of dollars worth of weapons, ammunition, and equipment each month of the war. Most of Russia’s peacetime combat forces have by now been destroyed by heavy personnel and equipment losses….you should read the whole article.

** Mouse House News – Walt Disney Company on Monday began 7,000 layoffs announced earlier this year, as CEO Bob Iger works to save the company some $5.5 billion, in a letter sent to employees Monday.

** (American Thinker) – Alvin is trying – To lift a line from the immortal Dean Wormer: “Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life…” here amended to fat and stupid.  Case in point, Alvin Bragg, now the Manhattan district attorney, and a guy who never met a calzone he didn’t eat.  Calzones deserve a better fate.

Bragg — who badly wants to carve up Donald J. Trump, but won’t — was boosted into office in November 2021 in yet another spasm of virtue signaling by the Rotted Apple’s smart set, and whose campaign was lubed by dollars from George Soros to the aptly named “Color of Change PAC.”

Bragg is another swell diversity hire.  They abound in America’s deteriorating cities.  And not incidentally — in fact, importantly — he’s a Soros and establishment sock puppet.  In going after Trump — and as of this writing, flailing conspicuously in his gambit — he’s paying his dues to the Man.  Diversity hire’s only requirement is doing the Man’s bidding.  Alvin is trying.

** Heather’s New Toy – My daughter, Heather, mother of two boys, turned 38 yesterday.  Heather teaches elementary school and just started moonlighting for Lambert Research LLC on the side. I called her on her birthday and asked her what she did. “I traded in the VW Atlas because it was too much of a soccer mom car.”  So what did you buy? Dear readers, you’re ahead of me. A BMW 440 Convertable. I mumbled something about paying her too much and rather than be humble, she laughed.  I fear that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

From WSF

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