by Andy Weddington
Saturday, 14 November 2015
"If fools did not go to market, cracked pots and false wares would not be sold." Jean Le Bonchanceux
Little more than eighteen years ago, along with three or four dozen other field grade officers - some of whom became general and flag officers, I was at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island for a course in national security strategy and decision-making.
It was a survey course mostly with focus on current events. Some of the pubs still steal valuable space on a bookcase within easy reach. They're dusty.
At the time I remember concluding how wrong-headed it all seemed - ever-chasing to build a model for enemies ahead of us.
The readings, discussions, and lessons have since percolated.
These days I'm convinced that wrong-headed conclusion was however naive insightful.
Two recent world events sandwiching one personal have played hand in concluding an effective, enduring national security strategy (though that term I do not like).
1. Terrorists - ISIS blowing up a Russian civilian airliner in flight.
2. A book - 'One Second After' by William R. Forstchen (a novel but real threat of an enemy [state or terrorists] exploding an EMP over the United States).
3. Terrorists - ISIS attacking the civilian populace in Paris, France, last evening (killing and wounding hundreds).
There is nothing complicated about my proposed strategy - its framework, preventive maintenance, learned in the Marines.
Preventative maintenance applies to the health and well-being of Marines and to any gear, equipment and weapons; used directly or not fighting the enemy. Take care of Marines and their things and all will perform; with rare chance of failure.
Preventative maintenance as adopted for a security strategy can be simplified.
Preemption: a policy of launching a preemptive attack in order to prevent a suspected imminent attack (as defined by Merriam-Webster).
Continuous; aggressive; ruthless; and unpredictable are the hallmarks of a preemption strategy.
Enemies have leveled their threats and gun sights - on the United States and the world. And fired.
Attacks on relatively small segments of the populace is so only because enemy ways and means to launch larger attacks is problematic, but not for long.
But the enemy is trying - scheming, planning, testing, etc. - to annihilate.
Preventive maintenance entails tending to the small problems so that big problems never emerge.
If our defense think tanks have not figured this out they are as worthless as leadership that fails to see and accept the simplicity.
No more thought is necessary.
As a deceased Marine friend was fond of saying, "It's time to go kick some serious ass."
Preemption: There is the strategy, for security yes but more importantly for survival.
Objective?
Extinction (of enemies).
Contrary to the volumes of scholastic and intellectual nonsense and posturing read and committed to paperweights otherwise known as books, ink it on a 3 x 5 in. index card (with room to spare for doodles):
National Security Strategy: Preemption
Objective: Extinction
But today we suffer fools - who buy cracked pots, false wares, and worse.
Now to find the essential element?
Leadership.
It's somewhere in the market.
Buy carefully.
Post Script
Recommend Forstchen's page-turner. An EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) blast over our country is a grave concern. Real. Sobering. Politicians and senior military know it. Our enemies are trying. Fools believe otherwise. The case for preemption strategy not only logical but prudent.
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