BRANDON J. WEICHERT | REAL CLEAR PUBLIC AFFAIRS The United States remains the world’s most dominant power. Its military possesses … More
Tag: Saddam Hussein
Caution Killed George H.W. Bush’s Presidency
“But, because George H.W. Bush was more concerned with playing petty politics based on short-term assumptions, rather than acting boldly and taking the licks for his decisions. Even his actions in Desert Storm were indecisive, which created many more problems for the United States in the long-run than there otherwise would have been. This is why George H.W. Bush’s presidency was an unmitigated failure (to say nothing of his domestic failures).”
How to Lose Wars and Infuriate People
“Unless American leaders begin accepting limits on what pure military force can achieve (without becoming doves), and more fundamentally, inherent limitations on their power to conduct war, then a sound strategy will never be crafted in war. Rather, we will continue to “do stuff.” Action will be conflated with accomplishment. And, threats will never be mitigated. Instead, they will simply multiply–even as we increase our expenditures and commitments to the conflict.”
The New-Old World Order is Here (Part V)
“Basing our foreign policy on hard-to-discern ideals–or conflating the ideals that must define the American citizens’ relationship with his government with the kind of brutish action that is often necessary to preserve the national interest abroad–is idiotic.”
Outlook: Trump’s North Korea Options Are Bad–But Choose He Must!
“The president’s options on North Korea are bad. However, the president must make a choice. This is the sad world we currently live in today. It’s a simple lose-lose calculation: do we lose little by dictating the course of conflict with preemptive strikes before North Korea gets fully functional ICBMs, or do we lose big by suffering a mass casualty attack and, potentially, being forced out of the Asia-Pacific entirely?”
The Enemy of My Enemy Is Not Always My Friend and Regime Types Matter
The old adage, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” should not be the basis of foreign policy. What’s more, not all autocracies are created equally. Read more to find out why
THE WEICHERT REPORT 