Brookings Institute: Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, Discussant

This discussion was held at the Brookings Institute, Washington, DC on January 28, 2019.  It was to include plans for the future and an assessment of its maritime current activities.

Now I know that the navy has an especial role in the conduct of a military theater and that it can take advantage of its particular geographical placement: on the seas, capable of reaching any earth-based land   Nor is its fire power constrained to the realm of water.  Its drones and planes hop around nimbly on land masses!  The Admiral admitted the US navy plans are limited to a 5-year cycle, after which is pause for assessment, I would surmise.

The navy's mission even in peacetime involves patrolling international sea lanes and cable networks under the oceans so to protect from threat of interference thus enabling commerce and trade.  At the meeting, questioners from the audience wondered about China's patrolling of the South China Seas, though the Admiral did not make specific comment on the issue of whether China was doing a responsibly good job.  Nor did the Admiral have some apparent comment regarding the Russian detainment of Ukrainian sailors and their ships on the open waters separating Ukraine from Crimea.  He did not take a clear position on whether NATO should have become involved after the seizure.

I came away from the presentation in a puzzling frame of mind regarding naval patrolling of international waters:  is the navy actively attempting to resolve issues of control of international water lanes?

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Note-taking of the discussion by Kyla Roberts, Catholic University Graduate Student
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The odyssey continues...about plans to assure that international waterways are being properly guarded--what could the US navy be doing amid all the shipping and transporting water lanes worldwide?          

The Russians have apparently taken over a port-city in Syria for their own use in warm-water.  They are also anticipating China to build a deep-sea port for them in the Crimea.    Meanwhile, China is developing  military installations  in the South China Seas. Even more surprising, England, which once ruled the seas, is now going independent from the EU, perhaps a move to reclaim itself as the  major sea power in the world?  

Brookings Institute: Conversation with General David Goldfein, Chief of Staff, US Air Force

How to bring along our partners in defense to embrace state-of-the-art technologies, including AI, in their weapon systems?  General Goldfein's surprising answer: military camaraderie!  The US air force has the F35 AI military systems and can make use of it in plotting defensive strategies, but it remains for our military partners to design and install their own AI network programs. His remarks came at the Brookings Institute discussion-event regarding the US military budget, February 19, 2019, in Washington, DC.

Suggested I've heard it described, that the military could identify the big industrial suppliers and developers of US software and hardware to lend a helping hand for start-up companies (funded through venture capital) in these allied countries.  In this respect, President Trump has called upon them to increase their military budgets, even as the US Congress has proposed for 2020 here. It is said that China and Russia are our great competitive rivals in military advancement, leaving out of the equation that we are committed to progress in the military of countries aligned with the US military, including S. Korea and Japan, to name just a few concerned specifically over North Korea's military threat.

General Goldfein praised the Israeli military for wanting to incorporate its strategies into the F35 design phase.  Israeli weaponry can be a tactical advantage to our own military might.

To my way of  thinking, there are wars and situational violence areas today which bespeak the need of dramatic overhaul of military organization in certain countries.  Nigeria, that for years has suffered from internal rebellion and strife, should no doubt strengthen its military to overwhelm the enemy from within.  And, it is a scandal how ineffectual the French military is in quelling the violence from homegrown  protesters!  I would think there is need for reorganization to maintain peace and security of the citizenry in instances of unrest and instability whether caused from within or without.

For it seems necessary that our military partners, working with us toward enjoined military progress, requires continual encouragement to act together as a military might, so as to get beyond conventional warfare techniques and make use of cloud technology and AI capabilities in this new era of military readiness.         

'Crazy' President Trump should make the upcoming trade deal with China!

It's something I've had to use as a strategy since my career started: When you need to work with a robber-baron/crook do bring to bear all the forces of good to make the deal happen--the intended result into your achievement!

You remember how when Nixon went to China to explore relations with that Communist government, the State Department Diplomats laugh-ed?  "Nothing good could come of those initial conversations!"  Ha!!

Now with China in 2019, our dealings with them have come a long way.  They're not US, to be sure, but they're coming fast in less than a century!  Patience, please!

Now, President Trump knows how to work with robber-barn/crooks.  Let him lead in the trade talks with China at this crucial stage!  Please!   

In the Spanish parliament, the Catalans join with other groups to bring down the budget

Sensing the need to make a statement on behalf of Catalan Independence the Catalan legislators helped defeat a budget proposal for Spain, insisting that the Spanish Government must be reckon with Catalan Independence in the near, near future.  They will not be denied their independence!

Aspen Institute holds panel discussion on community colleges for financial gain

The panels were convened at the Aspen Institute, February 4, Monday, in Washington, DC, including the one devoted to community colleges.

Though the concept has been around for over a hundred years, the community colleges hadn't found their niche in academia until the 1990s.  Were they an extension of high school, a sort of remedial secondary school for those students who wanted entry to some four-year college; or, were they really a trade school with a scattering of some high school subjects--just what?  Having taught some years in a community college in the Chicago area and thinking that community colleges offer opportunities to improve one's financial future by providing on-the-job training while encouraging them to increase their participation in their society beyond the level of an ordinary citizen, I have witnessed jockeying over the years that the movement has edged itself into higher education as a legitimate way for its graduates to become bona fide members of their community in good standing.  More likely than not, they have a job that the community college trained them for and they take civic pride in the duties and activities afforded their status as the stable backbone of their society.

Indeed, in some states, the government is so enamored by their presence and by their contributions to the common weal that they encourage the upcoming crop of youth to take advantage of their educational opportunities free of charge! Just pay for texts and room and board.