Recommended Reading & Viewing

Second, there seems to be a strong link between literacy, as in the ability to read and understand complex texts and the possibility of mass democracy. As I.F. Stone writes in his book, The Trial of Socrates….

Grand Blog Tarkin – The Tarkin Doctrine and the Sith Way of War 

You find someone in your organization with vision and strategic acumen. In Palpatine’s case, that person is Moff Milhuff Tarkin. Tarkin’s a man with a plan. He thinks that Palpatine should rule through fear of force rather than force itself. Tarkin understands deterrence. This is a man that recognizes that the Empire cannot kill its way to victory, but it can intimidate. This is counterinsurgency and stability through deterrence, based on a credible, overwhelming threat. That credible, overwhelming threat is the Death Star. Palpatine’s promotion of Moff Tarkin to Grand Moff, an entirely new rank, is evidence that 1) Palpatine recognized that Tarkin had a strategic vision and 2) the Empire heretofore lacked a military strategic vision. Palpatine rose to power through Machievellian politics and deception rather than military force. He didn’t defeat the Jedi clone army, he co-opted it. He defeated the Jedi through betrayal and deception, a skill set that may not work in the face of a galaxy-wide insurgency.

Palpatine, at some level, must recognize this as Tarkin, during the events of A New Hope, is the Stonewall Jackson to Papatine’s Robert E. Lee. Yes, Vader is present on the Death Star but he’s not in charge. Tarkin gives the order to destroy Alderaan after all. All Vader does is torture a prisoner and then reacts to the rebel assault by joining the fight himself. Both tactical level actions. ….  ( Hat tip Westphalian Post ) 

Lexington Green –Creators Day 

Thomas PM Barnett –The irony: as America executes “strategic pivot” to contain Chinese military, the US economy continues to open up to Chinese FDI 

HG’s World –Let’s always speak softly people, and carry a “Big Stick.” 

Wikistrat Blog –Ask A Senior Analyst – Mr. Andrew Small

Paul Pillar-The Counterinsurgency Laboratory in Colombia 

Dave Schuler –Foundational Myths 

OTB (James Joyner)-John Nagl Next Haverford Headmaster 

WPR –With Market Forces Flowing, Mexico’s Cartels Consolidate 

Gene Expression-The cheating of the chosen and The waning of the nuclear family 

Ribbonfarm –The Varieties of Scientific Experience 

David Armano –Social Business for Complex Organizations

RECOMMENDED VIEWING:

John Cleese (yes, of Monty Python) on Creativity

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