Arab Gulf states vastly outspend Iran on military http://t.co/9Aq2RBpSJm—
ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) July 29, 2015
Arab Gulf states vastly outspend Iran on military
01 Aug 2015 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economic history, war and peace Tags: arms races, Gulf States, Iran, Middle-East politics, Saudi Arabia
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
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
A map of countries Britain never invaded
29 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in economic history, rentseeking, war and peace Tags: British empire, British imperialism, colonisation
A world map according to the countries Britain never invaded i100.io/8YNMkgK http://t.co/l5BO1hehEf—
i100 (@thei100) April 28, 2015
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.
Some of our enemies are fighting our other enemies, whom we want to lose
26 Jul 2015 1 Comment
in war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Iran, Iraq, ISIS, Israel, Middle-East politics, Syria, war against terror
"Some of our enemies are fighting our other enemies, whom we want to lose." http://t.co/JDP1UbyZWr—
William Easterly (@bill_easterly) September 25, 2014
Jewish survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp, some still in their camp clothing on the deck of the refugee ship Mataroa, July 15, 1945, Haifa port
15 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in laws of war, war and peace Tags: Israel, The Holocaust
The track record of the United Nations Human Rights Council
13 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Hamas, Israel, Left-wing hypocrisy, United Nations
More than half of Syria’s pre-2011 population has now fled
12 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in war and peace Tags: Syria
More than half of Syria's pre-2011 population has now fled econ.st/1UFqoLT http://t.co/I0LfuPpIIi—
Nick Timiraos (@NickTimiraos) July 10, 2015
Matt Ridley on the nature of glory
11 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in liberalism, war and peace Tags: capitalism and freedom, Matt Ridley
Mount Vesuvius eruption in the midst of WWII
09 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in war and peace Tags: Italy, Mount Vesuvius, World War II
Mount Vesuvius eruption in the midst of WWII, as captured by American pilots, March 1944 http://t.co/7J5b4mE2AM—
Classic Pics (@classicepics) June 08, 2015
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
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
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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