Possum Appreciator
@kcroyfan.bsky.social
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Reposted by Possum Appreciator
On July 22, 1950 a little known FSO on the State Department policy planning staff named George Butler wrote a 24 point memo almost describing verbatim every inflection point in the Korean War in the coming months. So why did his insights have so little influence over policy? My first piece of 2026⬇️
George H. Butler and the Limits of Being Right
The 38th Parallel Paper and the Failure of Strategic Restraint in Korea
secretaryrofdefenserock.substack.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:06 PM
On July 22, 1950 a little known FSO on the State Department policy planning staff named George Butler wrote a 24 point memo almost describing verbatim every inflection point in the Korean War in the coming months. So why did his insights have so little influence over policy? My first piece of 2026⬇️
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
The FBI sniper at Ruby Ridge was prosecuted by Idaho. The federal district court initially dismissed the charges but was overruled by the Ninth Circuit, allowing it to proceed. The case only ended when a new district attorney was elected and decided to drop it.
Remember: Federal officials do not enjoy categorical, absolute immunity from state-level prosecutions. They are entitled to removal to federal court. But conduct that is unreasonable or unnecessary for the execution of their law enforcement duties is susceptible to criminal prosecution.
January 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM
The FBI sniper at Ruby Ridge was prosecuted by Idaho. The federal district court initially dismissed the charges but was overruled by the Ninth Circuit, allowing it to proceed. The case only ended when a new district attorney was elected and decided to drop it.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
The attempted rescue of Kayla Mueller and operations against the Islamic State's Oil and Gas and Immigration ministries in 2015 were just as complicated; everyone was watching then, they're watching now.
The hazard is that - like with the Iran War - we're revealing exquisite supporting capacity.
The hazard is that - like with the Iran War - we're revealing exquisite supporting capacity.
January 7, 2026 at 2:36 PM
The attempted rescue of Kayla Mueller and operations against the Islamic State's Oil and Gas and Immigration ministries in 2015 were just as complicated; everyone was watching then, they're watching now.
The hazard is that - like with the Iran War - we're revealing exquisite supporting capacity.
The hazard is that - like with the Iran War - we're revealing exquisite supporting capacity.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
Emblematic of defense illiteracy, almost every single paragraph in this article has something wrong with it.
www.wsj.com/world/the-gr...
www.wsj.com/world/the-gr...
The ‘Growler’ Signal-Jamming Jet That Helped Capture Nicolás Maduro
The U.S. used the jet for jamming and spoofing Venezuela’s air defense. It is a key tool in the military’s renewed focus on electronic warfare.
www.wsj.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Emblematic of defense illiteracy, almost every single paragraph in this article has something wrong with it.
www.wsj.com/world/the-gr...
www.wsj.com/world/the-gr...
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
Emergency Second Breakfast is live!
We’re talking Venezuela, international law, implications for Taiwan and NATO, and more:
@uticaeric.bsky.social has the opening monologue
open.spotify.com/episode/1ies...
We’re talking Venezuela, international law, implications for Taiwan and NATO, and more:
@uticaeric.bsky.social has the opening monologue
open.spotify.com/episode/1ies...
Emergency Second Breakfast: Venezuela
open.spotify.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Emergency Second Breakfast is live!
We’re talking Venezuela, international law, implications for Taiwan and NATO, and more:
@uticaeric.bsky.social has the opening monologue
open.spotify.com/episode/1ies...
We’re talking Venezuela, international law, implications for Taiwan and NATO, and more:
@uticaeric.bsky.social has the opening monologue
open.spotify.com/episode/1ies...
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
WHOA: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) stands next to image of Jan 6 plaque on Senate floor.. and is noting the pardoned rioters who have been arrested again
Tillis: "We let bad people go"
Re: plaque Tillis says he'll seek unanimous consent to get approval for THIS version of plaque to be hung
Tillis: "We let bad people go"
Re: plaque Tillis says he'll seek unanimous consent to get approval for THIS version of plaque to be hung
January 6, 2026 at 9:15 PM
WHOA: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) stands next to image of Jan 6 plaque on Senate floor.. and is noting the pardoned rioters who have been arrested again
Tillis: "We let bad people go"
Re: plaque Tillis says he'll seek unanimous consent to get approval for THIS version of plaque to be hung
Tillis: "We let bad people go"
Re: plaque Tillis says he'll seek unanimous consent to get approval for THIS version of plaque to be hung
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
BREAKING: The Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh, per source.
Harbaugh won Super Bowl XLVII and six division titles with Baltimore in 18 seasons.
Harbaugh won Super Bowl XLVII and six division titles with Baltimore in 18 seasons.
January 6, 2026 at 10:12 PM
BREAKING: The Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh, per source.
Harbaugh won Super Bowl XLVII and six division titles with Baltimore in 18 seasons.
Harbaugh won Super Bowl XLVII and six division titles with Baltimore in 18 seasons.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
A teachers’ union in Texas sued the state’s education agency over its investigations into educators who criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death.
Texas Teachers Union Sues Education Agency Over Investigations Into Charlie Kirk Posts
The Texas branch of American Federation of Teachers said the state agency violated its members’ free speech.
on.wsj.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:50 PM
A teachers’ union in Texas sued the state’s education agency over its investigations into educators who criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
Jan. 6, 2021: Sherrod leaving for D.C. at 5:09 a.m. No amount of presidential pardons & shameful attempts to rewrite history will change what I remember about the violence on our Capitol that day. For nearly 45 minutes, we could not determine Sherrod’s whereabouts, or whether he was even alive.
January 6, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Jan. 6, 2021: Sherrod leaving for D.C. at 5:09 a.m. No amount of presidential pardons & shameful attempts to rewrite history will change what I remember about the violence on our Capitol that day. For nearly 45 minutes, we could not determine Sherrod’s whereabouts, or whether he was even alive.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
Hard to pin down a worst”or most shameless part of the WH J6 anniversary propaganda page, but describing these three people as having been “killed” that day is wild
(they died of an amphetamine overdose, heart disease, and heart disease, respectively)
www.whitehouse.gov/j6/
(they died of an amphetamine overdose, heart disease, and heart disease, respectively)
www.whitehouse.gov/j6/
January 6, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Hard to pin down a worst”or most shameless part of the WH J6 anniversary propaganda page, but describing these three people as having been “killed” that day is wild
(they died of an amphetamine overdose, heart disease, and heart disease, respectively)
www.whitehouse.gov/j6/
(they died of an amphetamine overdose, heart disease, and heart disease, respectively)
www.whitehouse.gov/j6/
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
our fourth risk for 2026: europe under siege
in france, germany, and the united kingdom, the political center is failing
while the european union finds itself between major adversaries:
russia and (increasingly) the united states
in france, germany, and the united kingdom, the political center is failing
while the european union finds itself between major adversaries:
russia and (increasingly) the united states
January 6, 2026 at 1:52 PM
our fourth risk for 2026: europe under siege
in france, germany, and the united kingdom, the political center is failing
while the european union finds itself between major adversaries:
russia and (increasingly) the united states
in france, germany, and the united kingdom, the political center is failing
while the european union finds itself between major adversaries:
russia and (increasingly) the united states
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
the donroe doctrine is our third risk, and this weekend, you saw why.
trump is reasserting power over the western hemisphere
not just to deter adversaries like china, but to assert american primacy.
the consequences here--across the region and for the world--should not be underestimated
trump is reasserting power over the western hemisphere
not just to deter adversaries like china, but to assert american primacy.
the consequences here--across the region and for the world--should not be underestimated
January 5, 2026 at 9:10 PM
the donroe doctrine is our third risk, and this weekend, you saw why.
trump is reasserting power over the western hemisphere
not just to deter adversaries like china, but to assert american primacy.
the consequences here--across the region and for the world--should not be underestimated
trump is reasserting power over the western hemisphere
not just to deter adversaries like china, but to assert american primacy.
the consequences here--across the region and for the world--should not be underestimated
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
our number 2 risk might surprise you: overpowered.
the defining technologies of the 21st-century economy run on electrons, and that includes ai.
china has mastered post carbon tech. the united states is ceding its leadership.
in 2026, that divergence will become impossible to ignore.
the defining technologies of the 21st-century economy run on electrons, and that includes ai.
china has mastered post carbon tech. the united states is ceding its leadership.
in 2026, that divergence will become impossible to ignore.
January 5, 2026 at 7:45 PM
our number 2 risk might surprise you: overpowered.
the defining technologies of the 21st-century economy run on electrons, and that includes ai.
china has mastered post carbon tech. the united states is ceding its leadership.
in 2026, that divergence will become impossible to ignore.
the defining technologies of the 21st-century economy run on electrons, and that includes ai.
china has mastered post carbon tech. the united states is ceding its leadership.
in 2026, that divergence will become impossible to ignore.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
the number one risk this year is the us political revolution.
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
Risk #1: US political revolution | Ian Bremmer on 2026's Top Risks
YouTube video by GZERO Media
www.youtube.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:44 PM
the number one risk this year is the us political revolution.
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
trump is systematically dismantling checks on his power and weaponizing government against his enemies. (as he and his supporters believe they have weaponized it against him)
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
top risks 2026 is officially out
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
Eurasia Group | The Top Risks of 2026
www.eurasiagroup.net
January 5, 2026 at 1:41 PM
top risks 2026 is officially out
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
One thing I’ve noodled with but haven’t had time to pursue is the distinction b/w types of professions. The military does not fit the classic physician/accountant model but is more like clergy. There too the institutional monopoly impedes the self-policing function.
January 6, 2026 at 1:17 PM
One thing I’ve noodled with but haven’t had time to pursue is the distinction b/w types of professions. The military does not fit the classic physician/accountant model but is more like clergy. There too the institutional monopoly impedes the self-policing function.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
"Ukraine has used these autonomous systems effectively to substitute for other capabilities that it lacks, like artillery and infantry mass."
Where pretty much all of these types of articles collapse is their presumption that NATO has such capabilities.
Where pretty much all of these types of articles collapse is their presumption that NATO has such capabilities.
“Ukraine’s battlefield technologies — especially drones — do not yet constitute a new way of warfare. Instead, they function mainly as substitutions for missing capabilities and have produced stalemate rather than decisive maneuver.”
A New Way of Warfare Requires More Than New Tech
When I look back at my 45 years of military service, one of the highlights of my military education was a battlefield tour I participated in during 2001
warontherocks.com
January 6, 2026 at 11:46 AM
"Ukraine has used these autonomous systems effectively to substitute for other capabilities that it lacks, like artillery and infantry mass."
Where pretty much all of these types of articles collapse is their presumption that NATO has such capabilities.
Where pretty much all of these types of articles collapse is their presumption that NATO has such capabilities.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
Slain lawmaker's children urge Trump to remove post with false claims about her death www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Slain Minnesota lawmaker's children call on Trump to remove social media video amplifying false claims about her death
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in June.
www.nbcnews.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:32 AM
Slain lawmaker's children urge Trump to remove post with false claims about her death www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
if Cuba had killed 32 Americans in the process of abducting the head of state of some third country, we’d empty the magazine of the USS RHODE ISLAND into Havana
OSINT: The Government of Cuba has announced that 32 Cubans were killed in the recent military operation by the United States to capture Venezuelan President President Nicolás Maduro, most of which were likely part of the security team protecting Maduro. 2 days of mourning have been declared in Cuba.
January 5, 2026 at 3:35 AM
if Cuba had killed 32 Americans in the process of abducting the head of state of some third country, we’d empty the magazine of the USS RHODE ISLAND into Havana
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
We are SO psychologically unprepared for a peer conflict.
January 4, 2026 at 6:20 PM
We are SO psychologically unprepared for a peer conflict.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
“The law probably won’t matter in court” seems a pretty accurate headline right now
Because laws don't matter in our courts anymore, because we are no longer a nation of laws. One dictator kidnapped and jailed another.
U.S. capture of Maduro may be illegal; that probably won’t matter in court www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. capture of Maduro may be illegal; that probably won’t matter in court www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. capture of Maduro may be illegal; that probably won’t matter in court
The Venezuelan leader faces a multi-count indictment in New York. Experts in international law question his arrest, but that probably will not affect his trial.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:50 PM
“The law probably won’t matter in court” seems a pretty accurate headline right now
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
My whole life, advocating war has been fed to me as “the adult position,” akin to drinking your coffee black or reading the business section of the newspaper. Let’s be very clear — war is the childish nonsense of impulsive destructive idiots playing baby-brained video games with real human lives.
January 4, 2026 at 2:02 AM
My whole life, advocating war has been fed to me as “the adult position,” akin to drinking your coffee black or reading the business section of the newspaper. Let’s be very clear — war is the childish nonsense of impulsive destructive idiots playing baby-brained video games with real human lives.
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
honestly wild that I, a citizen of the United States, do not know if we have conquered Venezuela or not, and I have no confidence that the print or broadcast media are capable of telling me the answer
January 4, 2026 at 12:45 PM
honestly wild that I, a citizen of the United States, do not know if we have conquered Venezuela or not, and I have no confidence that the print or broadcast media are capable of telling me the answer
Reposted by Possum Appreciator
scrawny 18-year-old about to fall out of an army helicopter over tehran: this is so epic. this is totally sigma, right babe?
AI e-girl operated by a balding intelligence officer in virginia: that's right baby, Iran is totally cringe
AI e-girl operated by a balding intelligence officer in virginia: that's right baby, Iran is totally cringe
January 10, 2024 at 2:09 PM
scrawny 18-year-old about to fall out of an army helicopter over tehran: this is so epic. this is totally sigma, right babe?
AI e-girl operated by a balding intelligence officer in virginia: that's right baby, Iran is totally cringe
AI e-girl operated by a balding intelligence officer in virginia: that's right baby, Iran is totally cringe