https://twitter.com/nytgraphics/status/625780164610379777/photo/1
ISIS has inspired or directed attacks in at least 14 countries outside of Iraq and Syria nyti.ms/1Lfwbof http://t.co/ptDFG3EXRU—
NYT Graphics (@nytgraphics) July 27, 2015
ISIS terrorist attacks this year
30 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, war and peace Tags: ISIS, Middle-East politics, war against terror
John Howard’s birthday – what I admire most about him
26 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, politics - Australia, Public Choice, Thomas Schelling, war and peace Tags: Australian national security policy, East Timor, game theory, Indonesia, John Howard
What I admire most about John Howard was his decision to intervene in East Timor to stop massacres, which were a by-product of succession struggles within TNI. Howard didn’t have to do that. He didn’t.
If there ever was a prime directive in Australian national security policy, more so than have a great and powerful friend (first the UK, than the USA, dumping Britain like a stone in 1941 when a better great and powerful friend became available), it’s never put Australian military forces in a position risking an exchange of fire with TNI.
That did happen during the East Timor intervention. There were armed stand-offs at roadblocks between the Australian Army and TNI. Platoon leaders in the Australian Army had to keep their cool with guns drawn on both sides otherwise it would be a real shooting war that could spiral out of control.
That is why there is a genuine risk of major war not from accidents in the military machine but through a diplomatic process of commitment and escalation that is itself unpredictable. Schelling also argues that nations, like people, are continually engaged in demonstrations of resolve, tests of nerve, and explorations for understandings and many misunderstandings.
In Schelling’s view, many wars including World War 1 were products of mutual alarm and unpredictable tests of will. When people discuss the futility of World War 1, they under rate the role of unintended consequences and the dark side of human rationality in situations involving collective action.
Indonesia and its politically ambitious and corrupt military wing are next door to Australia forever. A pragmatic approach is a necessity of survival along such a volatile border.
That’s actually why Whitlam did what he did, and sat on his hands over the East Timor massacres in 1975. Australia had no credible capability of intervening, particularly against a country with such a large military and unstable politics. In 1975, the Indonesian military most certainly would have shot back.
What do American soldiers get paid
24 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, labour economics, occupational choice, occupational regulation Tags: military pay
Salaries of Active Duty US Military Personnel bit.ly/195NbKb http://t.co/3fNenWtcF2—
Catherine Mulbrandon (@VisualEcon) December 24, 2013
For the first time in 14 years, USA not engaged in a major ground war
08 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: war against terror
#Dailychart: For the first time in 14 years, America is not engaged in a major ground war econ.st/1TeK8oR http://t.co/qUmjCIDQaQ—
The Economist (@ECONdailycharts) June 11, 2015
The current state of play in Syria
08 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: Middle-East politics, Syria, war against terror
A weak ISIS and a weak U.S. strategy: wapo.st/1H5LE4i http://t.co/3IpQclcSvg—
Post Graphics (@PostGraphics) July 07, 2015
Can the American fighters fly slow enough to intercept the Russian bombers
08 Jul 2015 1 Comment
in defence economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: obsolete military technology, Russia
Droll critique of ISIS training video
06 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of media and culture Tags: ISIS, Middle-East politics, war against terror
War is declining
05 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: civil wars, interstate wars
Worldwide battle deaths decline. Technology, trade & institutions matter. vox.com/2014/9/23/6829… #22maps #22maps http://t.co/WfbzdQFCjR—
Mark Steckbeck (@msteck1) June 13, 2015
America’s wars
05 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: American Civil War, Korean war, Revolutionary War, Vietnam war, War of 1812, World War I, World War II
Undeclared war:
bloom.bg/17bV5nM http://t.co/xx51J6R0sA—
Bloomberg VisualData (@BBGVisualData) May 31, 2015
War Plan Red: The 1930 US War Department plan to invade Canada
03 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: Canada
War Plan Red: The 1930 US War Department plan to invade Canada – bit.ly/1srJcxW via @ezraklein http://t.co/ai3A96nY34—
Brilliant Maps (@BrilliantMaps) December 14, 2014
The Empire of Japan in 1939
03 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, war and peace Tags: China, colonisation, imperialism, Japan, World War II
The Empire of Japan in 1939, read how it got there brilliantmaps.com/russo-japanese… http://t.co/wop0insgnD—
Brilliant Maps (@BrilliantMaps) January 21, 2015
A partial map of geopolitical anomalies
16 Jun 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, war and peace Tags: defacto states, enclaves, exclaves, geography, maps, political geography
Google maps of India differ in India and China
07 Jun 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of media and culture, war and peace Tags: border disputes, China, Google, India, maps
The occupation, partition and annexation of Germany, 1947
06 Jun 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: Germany, World War II
Occupation zones in Germany, 1947. The territories east of the Oder-Neisse line, ceded to Poland & the Soviet Union http://t.co/iY3aHRaCga—
History Facts 247 (@historyfacts247) June 05, 2015
The war situation in Iraq and Syria
10 May 2015 Leave a comment
ISW Iraq SITREP. Baiji-Repeat of Tikrit w/ roles of Iranian militias vs. Coalition airstrikes?
iswiraq.blogspot.com/2015/05/iraq-s… http://t.co/QLwhV0lkhS—
ISW (@TheStudyofWar) May 09, 2015
ISW Syria SITREP is out. Did Hezbollah decide to not engage JN or is "Qalamoun battle coming"? bit.ly/1JOMZ4R http://t.co/eb3zIQuhwU—
ISW (@TheStudyofWar) May 05, 2015
HT: Lorenzo M Warby
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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