The Intrep360 is working for you guys to establish chronological and empirical trends, I applaud that effort. Yet your work effort went thru the roof and I remain in awe that you can function by catnaps.
I see Pres Trump differently. I suggest you use a Rubric of DIME then evaluate. Yet I am not using a Rubric to write, just expressing my opinion.
Also keep in mind, Trump Nobel Peace prizes are "Trump Stunts" engineered to disrupt and cause chaos in his quest for Greenland or whatever the latest strategies are. He repeats this pattern over and over. Its exhausting, wierd and that is the intent. It works.
He is not my ideal leader yet there is an allure to the man that both repells and attracts me because of the underlying strategy and policies are correct. He is the modern Samuel Flagg Bemis pumped up on steroids and automomously programmed to overwhelm by any means.
He "flipped the script" (takingJons favorite saying, his epitaph to be used on his tombstone) on NATO, assigning accountability, both in mission and money, which actually strengthened NATO as the little birdies were kicked out of the warm U.S. nest.
He correctly embraced U.S. (Elbridge Colby) strategic interests against China and protection of the "the commons" and "containment" with conservation of arms for the next long enduring 100 year war in the Pacific. I believe Taiwan is indefensible yet there will be a fight soon.
Nice take on strangling China with oil as it is intentional (you must be give credit to Trump Mark) as it is China's archilles heel.
While Trump is regenerating alliances to protect the second island chain in the Pacific he reinvigerated the Monroe Doctrine by removing a pesky dictator in Venezuela, disrupting drug trade and giving both its people and Chevron (I own stock) blue skies while waving off Commies and Putin.
He smartly did not make the "Fools Errand" (CATO book) of nation building instead made deals with its present forever corrupt institutions. Pres Little George Bush with his Neocon aspirations, Trump is not.
He changed the stupid European Greta Thornburg goals to waste trillions to reverse climate change and instead listened to Steven Koonin to prepare geoengineering and adaptation. He disrupted the European extremist trend to control free speech. Its a long term fight.
Lets face it, EU NATO has exhausted both you and Jon by endless meetings, fretting and the full use of a proxy war that is exhausting the Ukrainian people and its resources. Your goals to help Ukraine are just getting crushed by Europeans.There is so much fragility in EU it cannot function. Until EU spills its own blood in Ukraine, they await thier own demise.
Putin's endless destruction and inhumane quest to sieze Ukraines freedom is repugnant. Putin is a monster and he will use thermonuclear devices if his regime wobbles to destroy Kiev and Ukraine and noone will lift a retalitory finger in Europe or the U.S.
If the Ukrainian war stays coventional and Europe does not spill blood, Pandoras box will be cracked opened. Russia will continue to advance. Eventually, Poland and it's eastern, Baltic and Northern allies will erupt. Pres Trump will not use nuclear weapons as no U.S. strategic goals are at risk nor will he race to EUs rescue as "he only helps those who help themselves" (Kieth Kellogg).
NATO I now believe with their endless failure to take action to protect "Europe and Ukraine" will likely break apart on its own without the U.S. deciding to leave. All its ancient rivalries just behind their exquisite doors will tear it apart. The pressure from the east is speeding up the fracture which will both weaken and strengthen Europe.
Europe does not have unity of action nor a single responsibile commander without the U.S. Its nuclear umbrella is not reliable nor adequate. That eastern pressure will further fracture it. Some will go east, some West, some will try to hide in neutrality.
Europe is already lost in the "fog of war" of indecision while the U.S. has a clear strategic path, building it's own sphere of influence, protecting the commons, arranging economics and staying out of decisive and costly battles like Iran and Ukraine.
Putin released a nuclear arms race. Its covert yet make no mistake, its there. Greenland is the close consequence and it is essential to Canada, the U.S. and NATO (if it survives) to build the Golden Dome. I believe Carney will get fired over China in Canada and a less stupid person will be elected.
Yet right now, Europe continues to fret over the U.S. while Putin and Xi flood EUs area of responsibility increasing horizontal warfare pressure with the Chinese method of War Without Rules,(Gen Robert Spalding) over-immigration, lethal drugs, loss of freedom of speech, sabotage and economic turmoil and "little kinectics".
Pres Trump and his administration is shaping the world and Europe doesnt get it. Trump is mean, weird and very correct. It's very ugly to watch. Yet my hope is that EU NATO sheds blood in Ukraine soon.
Ray, The best work advice I ever received from my grandfather was to find something you are passionate about & work will never seem like working.
For him, that passion was flying. Alas, I am color blind so that option—at the time—was not available to me.
National security is our passion. This isn’t work for us. It’s a mission well worth the personal sacrifice of time, etc.
Our workload is no different doing these. As I mentioned to you earlier on X, the INTREP360 reports are simply recording electronically what Jon & I were already doing behind the scenes to write our pieces, provide commentary on air, & in podcasts, etc.
Instead of letting all that research go to waste, we want to share it—and, in effect, be an early warning signal for people re: patterns, emerging threats, etc., impacting U.S. national security.
We also wanted a more dynamic platform where we could be less formal than TV, podcasts, columns & radio & that would facilitate talking with our readers & not at them.
If we are doing it right—and to be sure, we are still refining this; the INTREP360s are in their infancy—then hopefully readers feel like we are having an ongoing conversation with them at a coffee shop or on the sidelines of a game waiting for it to start.
Having a comments section enables people to have their say re: any given issue. Too often on X, comments are driven by trolls with agendas that have nothing to do with what we are writing.
Re: Trump. Trust me, we get the strategy. We just don’t agree with it. As we pointed out here, absolutely, sometimes it leads to short-term gains but at what long-term cost?
U.S. presidents are stewards, not permanent fixtures of power. As such, when it comes to national security, they need to be mindful of what instruments they are leaving for the next president to wield.
Too often—in my opinion—Trump is focused on building personal power, not presidential power. That, in turn, potentially hurts the next person who sits in the Oval Office.
Jon & I just believe there is a better way. His theatrics are getting stake. Global leaders see through them. People aren’t biting as they once did.
I understand your perspective and certainly respect both Jon and your effort. Itsca great synergy of effort. While I may disagree at times, your chronological tracking definately gives you perspective. Staying away from political comments is not a clean affair and I believe impossible. I've become Machivalli realpolitic as I age.Keep going!
The Intrep360 is working for you guys to establish chronological and empirical trends, I applaud that effort. Yet your work effort went thru the roof and I remain in awe that you can function by catnaps.
I see Pres Trump differently. I suggest you use a Rubric of DIME then evaluate. Yet I am not using a Rubric to write, just expressing my opinion.
Also keep in mind, Trump Nobel Peace prizes are "Trump Stunts" engineered to disrupt and cause chaos in his quest for Greenland or whatever the latest strategies are. He repeats this pattern over and over. Its exhausting, wierd and that is the intent. It works.
He is not my ideal leader yet there is an allure to the man that both repells and attracts me because of the underlying strategy and policies are correct. He is the modern Samuel Flagg Bemis pumped up on steroids and automomously programmed to overwhelm by any means.
He "flipped the script" (takingJons favorite saying, his epitaph to be used on his tombstone) on NATO, assigning accountability, both in mission and money, which actually strengthened NATO as the little birdies were kicked out of the warm U.S. nest.
He correctly embraced U.S. (Elbridge Colby) strategic interests against China and protection of the "the commons" and "containment" with conservation of arms for the next long enduring 100 year war in the Pacific. I believe Taiwan is indefensible yet there will be a fight soon.
Nice take on strangling China with oil as it is intentional (you must be give credit to Trump Mark) as it is China's archilles heel.
While Trump is regenerating alliances to protect the second island chain in the Pacific he reinvigerated the Monroe Doctrine by removing a pesky dictator in Venezuela, disrupting drug trade and giving both its people and Chevron (I own stock) blue skies while waving off Commies and Putin.
He smartly did not make the "Fools Errand" (CATO book) of nation building instead made deals with its present forever corrupt institutions. Pres Little George Bush with his Neocon aspirations, Trump is not.
He changed the stupid European Greta Thornburg goals to waste trillions to reverse climate change and instead listened to Steven Koonin to prepare geoengineering and adaptation. He disrupted the European extremist trend to control free speech. Its a long term fight.
Lets face it, EU NATO has exhausted both you and Jon by endless meetings, fretting and the full use of a proxy war that is exhausting the Ukrainian people and its resources. Your goals to help Ukraine are just getting crushed by Europeans.There is so much fragility in EU it cannot function. Until EU spills its own blood in Ukraine, they await thier own demise.
Putin's endless destruction and inhumane quest to sieze Ukraines freedom is repugnant. Putin is a monster and he will use thermonuclear devices if his regime wobbles to destroy Kiev and Ukraine and noone will lift a retalitory finger in Europe or the U.S.
If the Ukrainian war stays coventional and Europe does not spill blood, Pandoras box will be cracked opened. Russia will continue to advance. Eventually, Poland and it's eastern, Baltic and Northern allies will erupt. Pres Trump will not use nuclear weapons as no U.S. strategic goals are at risk nor will he race to EUs rescue as "he only helps those who help themselves" (Kieth Kellogg).
NATO I now believe with their endless failure to take action to protect "Europe and Ukraine" will likely break apart on its own without the U.S. deciding to leave. All its ancient rivalries just behind their exquisite doors will tear it apart. The pressure from the east is speeding up the fracture which will both weaken and strengthen Europe.
Europe does not have unity of action nor a single responsibile commander without the U.S. Its nuclear umbrella is not reliable nor adequate. That eastern pressure will further fracture it. Some will go east, some West, some will try to hide in neutrality.
Europe is already lost in the "fog of war" of indecision while the U.S. has a clear strategic path, building it's own sphere of influence, protecting the commons, arranging economics and staying out of decisive and costly battles like Iran and Ukraine.
Putin released a nuclear arms race. Its covert yet make no mistake, its there. Greenland is the close consequence and it is essential to Canada, the U.S. and NATO (if it survives) to build the Golden Dome. I believe Carney will get fired over China in Canada and a less stupid person will be elected.
Yet right now, Europe continues to fret over the U.S. while Putin and Xi flood EUs area of responsibility increasing horizontal warfare pressure with the Chinese method of War Without Rules,(Gen Robert Spalding) over-immigration, lethal drugs, loss of freedom of speech, sabotage and economic turmoil and "little kinectics".
Pres Trump and his administration is shaping the world and Europe doesnt get it. Trump is mean, weird and very correct. It's very ugly to watch. Yet my hope is that EU NATO sheds blood in Ukraine soon.
Ray, The best work advice I ever received from my grandfather was to find something you are passionate about & work will never seem like working.
For him, that passion was flying. Alas, I am color blind so that option—at the time—was not available to me.
National security is our passion. This isn’t work for us. It’s a mission well worth the personal sacrifice of time, etc.
Our workload is no different doing these. As I mentioned to you earlier on X, the INTREP360 reports are simply recording electronically what Jon & I were already doing behind the scenes to write our pieces, provide commentary on air, & in podcasts, etc.
Instead of letting all that research go to waste, we want to share it—and, in effect, be an early warning signal for people re: patterns, emerging threats, etc., impacting U.S. national security.
We also wanted a more dynamic platform where we could be less formal than TV, podcasts, columns & radio & that would facilitate talking with our readers & not at them.
If we are doing it right—and to be sure, we are still refining this; the INTREP360s are in their infancy—then hopefully readers feel like we are having an ongoing conversation with them at a coffee shop or on the sidelines of a game waiting for it to start.
Having a comments section enables people to have their say re: any given issue. Too often on X, comments are driven by trolls with agendas that have nothing to do with what we are writing.
Re: Trump. Trust me, we get the strategy. We just don’t agree with it. As we pointed out here, absolutely, sometimes it leads to short-term gains but at what long-term cost?
U.S. presidents are stewards, not permanent fixtures of power. As such, when it comes to national security, they need to be mindful of what instruments they are leaving for the next president to wield.
Too often—in my opinion—Trump is focused on building personal power, not presidential power. That, in turn, potentially hurts the next person who sits in the Oval Office.
Jon & I just believe there is a better way. His theatrics are getting stake. Global leaders see through them. People aren’t biting as they once did.
I hope this answers some of your questions!
We completely respect if you disagree.
Best, Mark
I understand your perspective and certainly respect both Jon and your effort. Itsca great synergy of effort. While I may disagree at times, your chronological tracking definately gives you perspective. Staying away from political comments is not a clean affair and I believe impossible. I've become Machivalli realpolitic as I age.Keep going!