'US-led policing force'????

No, no, no. Biden has *got* to give a hard no to this.

North Korea fired more than 200 rounds of artillery shells near the inter-Korean border on Friday, according to the South Korean military, leading the ROK to conduct artillery drills in response and triggering evacuation alerts for three border islands.

nknews.org/2024/01/north-…

The last couple sentences are, of course, exactly right, but I note that Crenshaw, who’s surely been aware of it for years, seems to have been perfectly happy to have his constituents riled up by bullshit until he was personally attacked.

The Trump law team’s growing insistence on immunity is a tell that they think he broke the law badly enough that they can’t obscure or dissemble about it. Progress.

US might scrap, at large expense to itself, ATACMS missiles that have reached expiry but could still be used by Ukraine to hit back at Russia.

Lunacy.
newsweek.com/us-atacms-miss…

The Korean Peninsula: Growing Tension or Successful Deterrence?

Back in 2017, then Commander USFK/CFC/UNC General Vincent Brooks gave an excellent overview of the challenge of deterrence on the Korean Peninsula. Below is not full text, but GEN Brooks' comments are in the…

Since it’s that time of year again, 12 end-of-year and start-of-new-year thoughts about Russia’s war against Ukraine and its implications. A long 🧵

Is there any other population which routinely declares its intent to defy laws like gun-owners👇?

It’s amazing how accepted this posture is. What if I said this about paying my taxes or parking tickets?

North Korea: we don’t want reconciliation/unification. South no longer seen as the same ethnicity (동족) but as a belligerent neighbor. Couple this with NK‘s involvement as producer of arms&ammo to Russia and 2024 is already shaping up to be a dismal year.

Alright boys start the clock

THREAD: North Korea's end-of-year plenum offers crucial insights into its strategic direction.

Gone are the NYD speeches, replaced by multi-day meetings that reflect on progress and set future objectives.

A thread on the key takeaways & implications:

nknews.org/pro/what-to-ma…

It still perplexes me that this has not gained widespread attention. If you want to know how the Russians can sustain such equipment losses and still keep the fight going, look to what the PRC is sending: atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla…

One thing I've been thinking about: government, in a large, wealthy, functional modern democracy, is pretty boring. Lots of bureaucracy, lots of agencies, lots of complexity, lots of rules, mostly incremental change. It's not particularly *dramatic*. That makes it ...

A lengthy statement from President Biden following one of Russia's biggest assaults on Ukraine in months:

'Overnight, Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since this war began. This massive bombardment used drones and missiles, including missiles with hypersonic…

Losing is rarely a good way to teach anyone anything. This is a terrible idea

The biggest war of the 21st century shapes perceptions of the balance of global power much, much more than a balloon that flew for a few days and then got shot down. Can’t believe I have to say that.

In case you were wondering which side of the Ukraine war the PRC is on

“The Civil War, you see, was started by Democrats, and they’re still at it.”

Sometimes, I’m relieved to find that I can still be shocked by new depths of ghastly cynicism.

Blame the conservative legal movement👇. By insisting on rigid ‘textualism,’ a strict reading of the 14th Amendment almost certainly disqualifies Trump. Can’t wait to see Alito gimmick his way out of that

Very sad news such a talented actor would end his life over the controversy in Korea over what were very minor drugs use issues and small scandals.

It’s unfortunate this country creates such a toxic environment around celebrity mishaps and drugs use.