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Commentary

Weapons

Environment

Preface

My mutterings on these pages are neither PC nor strictly scientific in format (the usual citations and footnotes have been dropped). These notes are not strictly scholarly in nature. The analyzes in these notes are done in an hard-nosed, ice water in the veins, unemotional manner, leaving out any ideological considerations as far as that is possible. Cold, hard reasoning is often the only effective tool to analyze a scenario correctly. This then means including alternatives that would normally be considered strictly taboo, yet exactly this thinking outside of the accepted box is what often produces an eventual solution.

And furthermore, although being an unredeemable liberal at heart (and no, being a liberal is not a form of intellectual leprosy as some may want you to think), I fully recognize that not all conflicts are necessarily solvable through diplomatic means. At times force may/will become necessary. But in any case, it should always be the “ultimo ratio” and also important, dosed according to the situation at hand. To be able to exert the necessary force and limit the collateral suffering accordingly, the spectrum of possibilities needs to be examined without artificial boundaries. A comprehensive review can, at times, propose weaponry that for some verge on the obscene, yet without a complete analyze of the problem and the means to meet the threat, any exclusion of a means could actually be counterproductive and increase the eventual suffering needlessly.

Hand-in-hand, the use of force also creates the obligation to aid the helpless, innocent victims of the conflict, after the threat has been eliminated. Either through active relief and/or helping a new government/society structure to establish itself to forestall a renewed threat from reappearing. A country's entire population shouldn't have to suffer permanently because of their misguided government and leaders (perhaps even democratically elected by using appeals to patriotism and external threats/terrorism). (Translation for our Yank friends, peacekeeping and nation-building)

Contents

Commentary

Comments about politics and defense matters.

Military and Strategic Matters

Articles ranging from tacticals choices for anti-proliferation (e. g. Iran) to specific weapons systems (e. g. ABL)

Libya, Gates and the No-Fly Zone

Environment

As an example, does it make sense, in terms of carbon-dioxide footprint to dilute enriched uranium for reactor fuel rods?