Sanctuary! Laws and Lore

I’ll bet when you glanced at my title, you thought of Victor Hugo’s hunchback, Quasimodo, standing in a portico of Notre dame de Paris, holding aloft the unconscious maiden he has just rescued from the gallows and bellowing, “SANCTUAREEEEE!”  It’s a thrilling cry that reverberates down the ages.  But it’s much older than Hugo’s 19th … Continue reading Sanctuary! Laws and Lore

Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, etc… Need to GTFO Out of America, Now

When asked whether he wanted humanity to survive, Peter Thiel was unable to give a straight answer. Larry Ellison wants every human being on earth to be under surveillance every moment of our lives. Bill Gates is buying up vast swaths of American farmland, and every tech mogul in Silicon Valley is building a compound … Continue reading Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, etc… Need to GTFO Out of America, Now

India-China Startup Ecosystem Comparison – An Unbiased View

For over a week, there has been a comparison across social media between the startup ecosystems of India and China. Shortly after, during the second ‘Startup Maha Kumbh’ event in Delhi, India’s Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal repeated the same points verbatim. It’s unclear whether the meme influenced the minister or vice versa. While comparisons … Continue reading India-China Startup Ecosystem Comparison – An Unbiased View

Understanding Turmoil in Myanmar and India’s Interests in Twelve Maps

On February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, seized control of the country and detained civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. This action severely hindered the democratic progress that had begun in 2011. Tensions had been rising between the military and Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), … Continue reading Understanding Turmoil in Myanmar and India’s Interests in Twelve Maps

Plan Mexico: Winning the Peace #1 (readers’ advisory: esoteric military stuff)

[First published on L!, January 28, 2013] I’ve had opportunity to work overseas with many of Uncle Sam’s alphabet soup agencies (DEA, CIA, DOS, USAID, etc.) and have generally been underwhelmed by their lack of foreign language skills and understanding of the local culture. On the other hand they are filled with lot of really … Continue reading Plan Mexico: Winning the Peace #1 (readers’ advisory: esoteric military stuff)

Plan Mexico Ch. 1(readers’ advisory: esoteric military stuff)

[First published on L!, January 28, 2013] I’ve had opportunity to work overseas with many of Uncle Sam’s alphabet soup agencies (DEA, CIA, DOS, USAID, etc.) and have generally been underwhelmed by their lack of foreign language skills and understanding of the local culture. On the other hand they are filled with lot of really … Continue reading Plan Mexico Ch. 1(readers’ advisory: esoteric military stuff)

Plan Mexico Ch. 1(readers’ advisory: esoteric military stuff)

[First published on L!, January 28, 2013] I’ve had opportunity to work overseas with many of Uncle Sam’s alphabet soup agencies (DEA, CIA, DOS, USAID, etc.) and have generally been underwhelmed by their lack of foreign language skills and understanding of the local culture. On the other hand they are filled with lot of really … Continue reading Plan Mexico Ch. 1(readers’ advisory: esoteric military stuff)

Winning the Peace (Ch. 4) Redux

Winning the Peace (WTP and/or WP – Willy Pete?), and the FAOs in the program are organized within each partner nation similarly to an infantry platoon reinforced. Platoon commander (O-5), platoon sergeant (E-8), corpsman, radio telephone operator (RTOs), squad leaders (O-4), fire team leaders (O-3), and grunts (enlisted advisors). The total number of individuals deployed … Continue reading Winning the Peace (Ch. 4) Redux