The 12/31/21 dispatch.
a.image2.image-link.image2-485-728 { display: inline; padding-bottom: 66.62087912087912%; padding-bottom: min(66.62087912087912%, 485px); width: 100%; height: 0; } a.image2.image-link.image2-485-728 img { max-width: 728px; max-height: 485px; } Happy Friday! Hope everyone has had a great week!
I’m going to keep this one short, just because with it being New Year’s Eve, I know most aren’t really in the newsletter mood. (But I said I’d put this out twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, so damn it, I’m putting one out today.)
The situation in Russia continues to be unchanged. Biden and Putin held a call, but I can’t see that much was accomplished by it.
The Atlantic wrote a piece saying the threats by Russia are already backfiring. (See below.)
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Jeffrey Goldberg @JeffreyGoldberg"Rather than directly invade Ukraine again, Russia instead seeks to further destabilize the country in advance of its elections, station troops in Belarus, divide NATO, and precipitate Western concessions to de-escalate the crisis." -- @KoriSchake:
Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine Is BackfiringPutin’s military moves are rallying Ukrainians and unifying NATO.theatlantic.comDecember 29th 2021
66 Retweets166 LikesThe article cites a report that “despite its massive deployment and threatening rhetoric,” Russia is not planning to invade Ukraine.
From the article:
The report, produced by the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute … finds that the political and economic costs of an actual invasion are too high for Russia to sustain.
“Putin may be attempting a strategic misdirection that impales the West in a diplomatic process and military planning cycle that will keep it unprepared,” the report argues. Rather than directly invade Ukraine again, Russia instead seeks to further destabilize the country in advance of its elections, station troops in Belarus, divide NATO, and precipitate Western concessions to de-escalate the crisis.
Even without an invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s military moves pose serious threats to America’s allies, including the Baltic states. Russia demands, as the price of even considering drawing down its military buildup, that NATO accept a different security framework for Europe, abandon any future NATO accessions, and forswear military cooperation with any non-NATO state.
But so far, none of this is happening. Instead, the article states that:
“Russia’s past attempts to intimidate Ukraine into not choosing a westward path have backfired. Fifty-eight percent of Ukrainians now say that they would vote for NATO membership, and the nation has developed a greater sense of national identity and a more resilient society. Sweden and Finland are moving into closer alignment with NATO, as Russia illustrates the dangers of remaining outside the Western mutual-defense pact. NATO has held united, refusing to accept that Russia gets a veto over either its membership or its actions. The United States, while averting military involvement, has crafted a credible set of penalties and garnered international support for them. Putin lacks the imagination to see that launching successful military operations is not the same as winning a war, a lesson the U.S. recently relearned in Afghanistan.”
You can read the full article here: Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine Is Backfiring.
I thought I’d share just one tech article this week, since I’m keeping things short. But this way, well, mind-blowing.
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Defense News @defense_newsUS Air Force squadron becomes first operational unit to drop StormBreaker bomb trib.al/DiDugPZ 
December 28th 2021
9 Retweets32 LikesFrom the article:
The 204-pound StormBreaker is a relatively small weapon measuring 69 inches long and about 7 inches in diameter, allowing the Strike Eagle to carry up to 28 of them. This would come in handy when an F-15E needs to strike multiple ground targets with a high level of accuracy, the Air Force said.
The weapon has a 105-pound warhead. It can strike stationary targets up to 69 miles away and moving targets up to 45 miles away using a combination of millimeter wave active radar homing, semi-active laser guidance, infrared homing, GPS-coupled inertial guidance and data link technology.
The Air Force said the bomb’s connectivity allows redirection to a new target midair after launch.
Like I said, we’re keeping it short today. Here’s some motivation and wisdom to carry you into the new year.
#Quotes ","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Tue Dec 28 21:00:14 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FHuSuz...
Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosLive an optimistic lifestyle. #Quotes 
December 28th 2021
65 Retweets181 Likes
CSM Nicholas M. Curry @realPatriot_7
December 29th 2021
4 Retweets21 Likes
Kathleen Delano @kdelano001
December 28th 2021
5 Retweets25 Likes#Inspirational","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Tue Dec 28 15:00:16 +0000 2021","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":111,"like_count":303,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosSometimes it is better to be kind than to be right. We do not always need an intelligent mind that speaks, just a patient heart that listens.#InspirationalDecember 28th 2021
111 Retweets303 LikesThat’s it for this edition. And as a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love and support your fellow Americans. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Please don’t name-call the other side. They are mothers and fathers and folks not much different than you.
As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it, as well as comment below.
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Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I write fast-paced military and mystery thrillers. You can find all ten books here: amazon.com.
