Tag: war

Military, strategyLeave a comment

Strategy and Contradiction: Towards a Theory of Strategic Judgement

Colin Henderson

M.L.R. Smith Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those derived from personal academic reflection. They do not represent or reflect any views or positions, either formal or informal, of any branch of the Commonwealth of Australia. Strategy is often understood as the intellectual process through which political purposes are related to the means available for their achievement, usually under conditions of uncertainty and opposition.[1] It is this understanding that provides the starting point for most strategic thought.[2] Conceiving strategy in these terms, however, invites an earlier question. Before political ends can be related to available means, before courses … Continue reading Strategy and Contradiction: Towards a Theory of Strategic Judgement

sociology

The Sadness of Being the ‘Last Man’

Colin Henderson

​ Francis Fukuyama has long been considered a naive triumphalist. He now wants to set the record straight. Gal BeckermanSeptember 9, 2026 Francis Fukuyama never promised us we’d be happy. To be fair to the many readers who thought otherwise, The End of History and the Last Man, his famous 1992 book, did give off a whiff of utopia, trumpeting a post–Cold War world in which liberal democracy had vanquished competing political systems and everyone could lie back on their affordable chaise longues and raise a glass to the expiration of all strife and struggle. “Several” people each week still ask … Continue reading The Sadness of Being the ‘Last Man’

Geopolitics

Morning Briefing — Thursday, April 2, 2026 · EST · 1,290 words⸻

Colin Henderson

Today’s environment is dominated by two inter-locked escalations: Trump’s prime-time Iran address last night — heavy on rhetoric, thin on exit architecture — and the growing NATO rupture it is accelerating. Neither resolved; both moved. The secondary story is the one-year anniversary of Liberation Day tariffs, which arrive today with a Supreme Court ruling largely gutting them — a quiet structural reversal getting minimal airtime amid the war noise. ⸻ 1. Top Stories — What Changed Trump addresses nation on Operation Epic Fury: war “nearing completion”In a roughly 20-minute prime-time address Wednesday, Trump declared Iran’s navy destroyed, its air force … Continue reading Morning Briefing — Thursday, April 2, 2026 · EST · 1,290 words⸻

Geopolitics

Morning Briefing — Tuesday, 31 March 2026 · 07:46 EST · 1,240 words⸻

Colin Henderson

Today’s briefing is dominated by the Iran war entering its 31st day with no ceasefire in sight, as three interlocking flashpoints converge simultaneously: the Strait of Hormuz standoff, a new Israeli invasion front in Lebanon, and a Knesset death-penalty law that is drawing sharp international condemnation. Economic and market anxiety is tightening — oil above $110 and a Fed boxed in by stagflationary pressures — while the April 6 Trump ultimatum on Iranian energy infrastructure sets a hard near-term deadline. The AI sector is moving at pace in the background, largely drowned out by the war. ⸻ 1. What Changed … Continue reading Morning Briefing — Tuesday, 31 March 2026 · 07:46 EST · 1,240 words⸻

Geopolitics

America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future

Colin Henderson

And They’re Already Here By Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt September/October 2024 Published on August 5, 2024 On the battlefields of Ukraine, the future of war is quickly becoming its present. Thousands of drones fill the skies. These drones and their operators are using artificial intelligence systems to avoid obstacles and identify potential targets. AI models are also helping Ukraine predict where to strike. Thanks to these systems, Ukrainian soldiers are taking out tanks and downing planes with devastating effectiveness. Russian units find themselves under constant observation, and their communications lines are prone to enemy disruption—as are Ukraine’s. Both states are racing … Continue reading America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future