Representative government has been a luxury that relatively few people have enjoyed throughout human history. And while the vast majority of dictators fall short of Hitler- or Stalin-like levels of cruelty, history is rife with oppressors, war criminals, sadists, sociopaths, and morally complacent individuals who ended up as unelected heads of government — to the tragic detriment…
Category: Military History
The Bad-Ass Files: Donald Blackburn, Unconventional Warrior
“With a regiment of nearly 5,000 guerrillas at his back, Blackburn began a campaign that systematically destroyed the Japanese 14th Army within the Cagayan Valley.” THE FIRES ON Bataan burned with a primitive fury on the evening of April 9, 1942, illuminating the white flags of surrender against the nighttime sky. Woefully outnumbered, outgunned, and…
How Was Gun Control Imposed on an Unwilling World?
Disarmists use the bandwagon fallacy, (argumentum ad populum) to promote citizen disarmament. In essence, the non-argument makes the claim; everyone else disarms their population – so we should do the same. This is a logical fallacy. Perhaps you remember a parent telling you “if everyone is jumping off a bridge, it does not mean…
World War II History: Planting Dragon’s Teeth in the Enemy’s Garden, The Jedburghs
The SOE and OSS Operations during World War II have been a fascination of mine since I was a boy. In fact I am currently working on a trilogy of fictional short stories based on their amazing operations. The Jedburghs are an integral part of this history.-SF …
Humor: Giant Handguns on Skateboards
23 Literal Translations Of Military Graphics That Actually Make Sense These interpretations make way more sense than their intended meanings. [Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared on the blog of Angry Staff Officer.] I know you all are like me; you get excited when new doctrine gets released. Giddy, even. So…
America was Founded on Secrets and Lies
Espionage, kidnapping, and the dark art of Spycraft is as American as George Washington. With all due respect to early-American hagiographer Parson Weems, George Washington knew how to tell a lie. In fact, he told a lot of them. Moreover, talent for deception was shared by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, all of whom, to…
World War Two History: It’s D-Day for Ike’s Memorial!
The battle over plans for a Washington memorial to Dwight Eisenhower drags on, but meanwhile more and more of the Greatest Generation fades away each day. If Bob Dole, the former Kansas senator and 1996 Republican nominee for president, has anything to say about it, 2016 will be the year in which the funding issues for…
World War I History: Post from the Edge
Social Media Project Brings WW1 to Life in Real-Time “Followers will get see World War One through the eyes of a fictional infantryman named Walter Carter.” THE CONTINUING First World War centenary is getting a decidedly 21st Century treatment, thanks to the creators of a new U.K.-based social media project. WW1 Soldier’s Tale…
We’re Going to Draft Your Daughter to War
I have NEVER been in favor of a Draft and I NEVER will, regardless if it includes women. The stats below speak for themselves. -SF What You Need to Know About a Female Draft Recently there has been a lot of discussion among some of the military’s top brass discussing whether women should register…
Cold War Files: The Soviet’s Secret Moon Base That Never Was
The earliest plans for the Soviet outpost on the Moon sported a soil-drilling habitat and rocket-fuel-burning internal combustion engine. A quarter-century after the Soviet space program dropped its thick veil of secrecy, many fascinating details about the enormous scope of the USSR’s space ambitions are still trickling in. The latest treasure trove of information quietly…