Saturday, October 20, 2007

U.S. Navy RIP

"The U.S. military unveiled a new maritime strategy Wednesday--its first created jointly by the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard--shifting from a narrow focus on sea combat toward one that stresses the use of 'soft power' to counter terrorism and deliver humanitarian assistance", Houston Chronicle, 20 October.

Are our admirals idiots? Are they trying to win popularity contests in Brussels? Who needs a maritime version of "meals on wheels"? George Patton once described the job of the U.S. Army, "to kill people and break things". Admirals, can you apply that to the oceans? Alfred Mahan (AM), author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1890, must be spinning in his grave. Who was AM? President of the US Naval War College (NWC) when he wrote the book. I wonder if it is even on the NWC's current reading list.

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