Tough Decisions in the face of Cyrus the Great Pactyes was a Lydian in charge of the civil administration of government in Sardis, present-day Turkey. How much can we trust Herodotus to tell the whole story? Nevertheless, this is one of the difficult decisions made in the face of overwhelming power. Pactyes journeyed throughout ancient…
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The Porfirato: Nationalist Reactions to Neocolonialism in Mexico
Despite securing hard-fought independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Latin America experienced a neocolonial resurgence that renewed feelings of oppression throughout the region. Neocolonialism was generally reinforced by strong-man, caudillo-type leaders. These people usually came to power by leveraging a supposed link with the commoner, only to bend to outside influence under the…
Marxist Guerrilla Successes in Cuba and Nicaragua
A quick look at two successful Marxist revolutions during the Cold War American imperial investment in Latin America created a predictable response of violent Marxist communist revolution. Marxism was the natural reaction to centuries of colonial, neocolonial, and imperial exploitation, and suppression of the Latin American economy. After the United States overthrew a democratically elected…
What It’s Like To Go To College In Your 30s
The timing was perfect for me Entering college in my mid 30s was been quite the experience. Every day I witness the vast generational differences. So many students, 18–22 years old, walk everywhere with headphones in and their faces buried in their smartphone, seemingly oblivious to the beauty that is this campus. I fear they…
What Does This Country Owe its Veterans?
The answer is simple Listen and be proactive members of society. Thats it. It is no secret that there exists a divide in the United States between it’s military and veteran population and the civilian population. The gap seems to be exasperated by the ongoing “Forever Wars.” It is furthered by the underlying need for…
Already Forgotten: The Afghan Papers
An ignominious end to an inglorious war In 2019 the Washington Post published official documents from the war in Afghanistan following a multi-year fight with the Pentagon through the Freedom of Information Act. These papers were supposed to be this generation’s version of the Pentagon Papers — a tell-all that exposed the government for what it is. Instead they’ve…
Rome, Carthage, and a few Punic War Hypotheticals
What if things had turned out slightly different? Could Hannibal have secured victory? During two successive wars, it is likely that Rome’s victories were unavoidable. Carthage was predominantly unable to overcome Roman military power due to its inability to comprehend Roman resolve. During the first war, it was unfathomable at the onset to see Rome as…
Organizing Your Thoughts Is Critical to Writing Success
Sometimes writing isn’t really writing Sure, some people will tell you to just write, free write to your heart’s content, and then shape it later. That might work for some ideas, but most writing requires a bit more planning than just throwing up on the page. To produce good writing I brainstorm, outline, source my material,…
Favorite Books of 2022
These were my favorite five books that I read in 2022. All excellent works that might be useful for a great many of you. Here is my annual best books list Soldiers From Experience: The Forging of Sherman’s Fifteenth Army Corps, 1862–1863 by Eric Michael Burke Burke’s novel concept of tactical culture, alongside his brilliant prose,…
How Did The First World War Impact Military Aviation?
The development of three-dimensional combined arms. From the beginning of the war in 1914 through the armistice of 1918, the concept of air power developed from an ad hoc adventure into a formidable component of military strategy and combined arms warfare. Despite inconclusive short-term battlefield effects, military aviation forced commanders to account for it at…