China’s Military Shakeup Reveals Weakness in Combat Readiness

China’s Military Shakeup Reveals Weakness in Combat Readiness

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s purge of those not fully aligned with his ever-evolving party line has led to unexplained and sudden changes in senior military personnel, including the removal of the Defense Minister and the expulsion of nine high-ranking People’s Liberation Army officers (PLA) from the national legislature, as well as dropping … Read more

Is China’s Military a Paper Tiger Like Russia’s?

Is China’s Military a Paper Tiger Like Russia’s?

Russia is stalled in a war in Ukraine that has humiliated the nation’s military. There is no link between reality and the Russian propaganda videos that show a formidable fighting machine capable of conquering the world. Russia struggles to take over its smaller neighbor with roughly one-third of its population. On paper, … Read more

Col. Donald Cook: “A Valiant Defender of Christian Morality”

Col. Donald Cook: “A Valiant Defender of Christian Morality”

Heroes are commonly seen as people who face and overcome an external enemy. Marine Col. Donald Gilbert Cook is an example of someone who heroically faced an external enemy, but his greatness comes primarily from the war he waged against himself. This Catholic Marine posthumously received the Medal of Honor because of … Read more

Drafting Women into Combat Spells the Death of Chivalry

Drafting Women into Combat Spells the Death of Chivalry

The American military has always had recourse to the draft in times of emergency. Through this means, combat soldiers can be quickly recruited from the most effective human resource pool—strong young men. The draft is not about finding careers for young people or helping them develop their full potential. War ruthlessly depletes … Read more

Saint Joan of Arc’s Military Genius Was of Divine Inspiration

Saint Joan of Arc’s Military Genius Was of Divine Inspiration

“At the age of eighteen Joan possessed the same military genius as Condé when he was twenty,” writes one of her biographers. Those who were her nearest friends have expressed themselves in a similar way. The Duke of Alençon says that Joan was very experienced in all things military, whether it was … Read more

Forcing Ladies Into the Military Is Dishonorable

Forcing Ladies Into the Military Is Dishonorable

Ray Smith served our country admirably in the Vietnam War where he earned the Silver Star for his actions in the Tet Offensive and a Navy Cross during the 1972 Easter Offensive. He deservedly reached the rank of a two-star general and in 1998 he had an interview with then-Secretary of the … Read more

Woodrow Wilson or the Virgin Mary: Who Was Right About Peace?

Woodrow Wilson or the Virgin Mary: Who Was Right About Peace? 1

Arrogant men throughout history have claimed that they can establish peace on earth. Modern examples abound. The United Nations Charter talks of faith, but not of God. At their “summit meetings” world leaders constantly talk about peace yet it evades them.  All too often lofty aspirations vanish as words are forgotten. November 11, … Read more

Calculating the Value of a Few Good Souls

Calculating the Value of a Few Good Souls

Giles Milton’s, Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a very interesting book with a lot of lessons for all who are engaged in today’s Culture War. At first glance, such a conclusion might not be obvious, but it will hopefully be clear by the end of this review. This book tells the … Read more

Honoring the Fallen With a Place at the Table

Honoring the Fallen With a Place at the Table 1

Forced by circumstances to get a bite to eat at a “fast food” place, I expected to find that frenetic, machine-like service, centered on maximum efficiency and the worship of speed. Fast food facilities are designed to move people in and out quickly, with little concern for the pondering of anything. They … Read more

Reflections on “Taps”

Reflections on “Taps” 1

“Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.”   Such are the words of the sublime bugle call “Taps.” It is played when the troops retire for the day. It is also sounded at funerals when veterans … Read more