Outside the Beltway

A clear violation of the laws of war. But do they apply?

A childhood friend claims he had PTSD from his actions.

A suspect, an Afghan national, is in custody.

Support is low, but opposition is tepid.

The former Defense Secretary and Vice President is gone at 84.

It’s not an unprecedented stance.

The Pentagon’s couch cushions are huuuuge.

A million dollars a day.

What could possibly go wrong?

The SOUTHCOM commander has resigned and the Senate is debating, but it won’t matter.

Congress, Schmongress.

She was not amused by the administration’s workaround.

The obvious has been made expllicit.

A long and unusual speech has implications for civil-military relations.

A reaffirmation rather than a revelation.

A few more details have emerged.

Every general and admiral in a command billet has been called for a last-minute gathering about some unspecified topic.

A little bit more than the law would allow.

Memories are fading, as they are wont to do.

Another day, another step closer towards military policing in the US.

A meme that is as muddled and authoritarian as the President who posted it

A potentially costly rebrand and strange bedfellows.

A historically inaccurate bit of symbolic silliness.

The former White House physican (and current Congressman)’s demotion for misconduct has been reversed.

Wildly unpopular policies in hyperpolarized times.

Representative Comer doesn’t understand much, it would seem.

Politicizing the military is legal, but dangerous.

The takeaway of Hegseth’s video and the Pentagon’s clarification is meant to be obvious. 

The last survivors want us to remember the horrors of nuclear war.

The preliminary DIA assessment has been leaked.

For all practical purposes, the Constitutional war powers have been stood on their head.

Maximalist claims are almost surely overstated.

We’re officially past rhyming and into history (or at least rhetoric) repeating.

Spoiler alert: the joke wasn’t funny

But Not Really (Wink Wink)

Trump’s speech at Fort Bragg.

One poll, to be sure, but not one in Trump’s favor.

Things are getting ugly in LA.

An Air Force colonel spread misinformation to hide the stealth program.

You can’t take the politics out of politics.

The renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk is a prominent illustration.

It was rather unusual.

A 20% reduction would require massive changes in law and approach.

A series of orders impacting military education.

Roughly a thousand will be discharged forthwith.

They’ve reversed a lower court ruling. For now.

Whether it’s a good policy will depend almost entirely on execution.

The Asia pivot is happening very slowly.

A natural evolution in American foreign policy, albeit a concerning one.

No more woke crap.