Reposted by Eustis Bell
I was listening to @thebulwark.com's Next Level podcast today and they were thinking through the chance that Trump actually tries to seize Greenland and there was a @jvl.bsky.social sort of 'I kinda hope he does it to drop the mask entirely' and I just cannot scream loudly enough: No, You Do Not. 1/
January 7, 2026 at 4:15 AM
I was listening to @thebulwark.com's Next Level podcast today and they were thinking through the chance that Trump actually tries to seize Greenland and there was a @jvl.bsky.social sort of 'I kinda hope he does it to drop the mask entirely' and I just cannot scream loudly enough: No, You Do Not. 1/
Reposted by Eustis Bell
A variation of the same holds true for the defense VC side of this....the use by @uticaeric.bsky.social and others of the word "cult" when describing the gizmo cult isn't accidental
You could see this forming in realtime even a decade ago, but it wasn’t that bad, fairly innocuous. It has now permeated everywhere
i think it goes underdiscussed that a growing subsection of silicon valley / tech really does, more and more, sound like a legitimately dangerous and frightening cult
January 7, 2026 at 1:56 AM
A variation of the same holds true for the defense VC side of this....the use by @uticaeric.bsky.social and others of the word "cult" when describing the gizmo cult isn't accidental
Reposted by Eustis Bell
I believe Jim Mattis had a letter of reprimand in his USMC file at nearly every rank he held. I expect Hegseth’s letter of reprimand to be a similar credit to Senator Kelley’s record. It’s still terrible for SecDef attempting to penalize obviously protected political speech.
January 6, 2026 at 9:43 PM
I believe Jim Mattis had a letter of reprimand in his USMC file at nearly every rank he held. I expect Hegseth’s letter of reprimand to be a similar credit to Senator Kelley’s record. It’s still terrible for SecDef attempting to penalize obviously protected political speech.
Reposted by Eustis Bell
Smart piece by @hoanssolo.bsky.social: "the raid’s very success poses a strategic danger: It reinforces a U.S. military culture excessively focused on precision strikes and special operations raids."
The Maduro raid reinforces a U.S. strategic culture favoring quick tactical fixes over long-term planning.
The Venezuela Raid Is Great TV—but Won’t Win America’s Next War
Donald Trump’s obsession with quick strikes and flashy successes is bad news for military readiness.
foreignpolicy.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Smart piece by @hoanssolo.bsky.social: "the raid’s very success poses a strategic danger: It reinforces a U.S. military culture excessively focused on precision strikes and special operations raids."
Reposted by Eustis Bell
Here. I wrote about American threats against Greenland and the fate of NATO.
othermeans.io/p/the-next-g...
othermeans.io/p/the-next-g...
The Next Great Crisis
Greenland and the Fate of NATO
othermeans.io
January 6, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Here. I wrote about American threats against Greenland and the fate of NATO.
othermeans.io/p/the-next-g...
othermeans.io/p/the-next-g...
Reposted by Eustis Bell
Reposted by Eustis Bell
The point is, there will likely be significant and long-lasting global ramifications to the administration’s treatment of the Venezuelan opposition.
Let’s say there was covert-action finding encouraging regime-change in Iran. If you were part of the Iranian opposition, would you trust the US to support you in any substantial way whatsoever down the road? The IRGC could just “do a deal” to gave the US access to Iranian natural resources.
January 5, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The point is, there will likely be significant and long-lasting global ramifications to the administration’s treatment of the Venezuelan opposition.
Reposted by Eustis Bell
I also think the discussion would be more fruitful if they acknowledged that distinction, because that would get at the heart of it: there's a lot of things for which "that was bad, dumb, probably illegal, and if you want to stop it elect better leaders" is in fact (unfortunately) the right answer
January 4, 2026 at 10:18 PM
I also think the discussion would be more fruitful if they acknowledged that distinction, because that would get at the heart of it: there's a lot of things for which "that was bad, dumb, probably illegal, and if you want to stop it elect better leaders" is in fact (unfortunately) the right answer
The horse knocks another one out of the park.
Deng Xiaoping has done more good for fat people than President Xi. Full stop.
January 4, 2026 at 10:09 PM
The horse knocks another one out of the park.
Reposted by Eustis Bell
The best way to argue on BlueSky is blocking
January 4, 2026 at 8:51 PM
The best way to argue on BlueSky is blocking
I want to start by saying that civil-military relations are important and I don't want to make it seem like I do not appreciate that, however...
On the list of what's expected from a professional military, it's one of many, many, many areas of concern.
1/x
On the list of what's expected from a professional military, it's one of many, many, many areas of concern.
1/x
January 4, 2026 at 9:15 PM
I want to start by saying that civil-military relations are important and I don't want to make it seem like I do not appreciate that, however...
On the list of what's expected from a professional military, it's one of many, many, many areas of concern.
1/x
On the list of what's expected from a professional military, it's one of many, many, many areas of concern.
1/x
Reposted by Eustis Bell
In summary, status quo ante and status quo are sometimes victories because the only place to go from the top is down.
January 4, 2026 at 8:42 PM
In summary, status quo ante and status quo are sometimes victories because the only place to go from the top is down.
Reposted by Eustis Bell
I want to clarify for all the commenters who clearly don’t have experience with modern combat. It’s extremely complex and few people have a view of the entire context of a mission.
But they don’t know what orders are illegal and which aren’t. If everything flows from that fact, everything falls apart.
January 4, 2026 at 4:54 PM
I want to clarify for all the commenters who clearly don’t have experience with modern combat. It’s extremely complex and few people have a view of the entire context of a mission.
Reposted by Eustis Bell
Compare this to Biden leaving Afghanistan & think about what the incentives are for every American politician
everyone on the tv wants you to know that this is good actually
January 4, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Compare this to Biden leaving Afghanistan & think about what the incentives are for every American politician
Reposted by Eustis Bell
- The American people (not exactly this website, but also this website in part) need to do a better job of recognizing their actual responsibility here, because they've sluffed it off for decades
- There is no good clear answer for servicemembers in any of this, only varying levels of bad choices
- There is no good clear answer for servicemembers in any of this, only varying levels of bad choices
So allow me to preface this by saying that I genuinely want to understand your position, and I ask every question in good faith.
Your claim, if I understand it correctly, can be restated as "it is improper for the military to act as a check on civilian leadership (under conditions of democracy)"
Your claim, if I understand it correctly, can be restated as "it is improper for the military to act as a check on civilian leadership (under conditions of democracy)"
You want civilian control of the military in a democracy. Well, this is it. Elect better civilians.
You want the military to be part of the checks and balances? That’s a praetorian guard.
You want the military to be part of the checks and balances? That’s a praetorian guard.
January 4, 2026 at 4:58 AM
- The American people (not exactly this website, but also this website in part) need to do a better job of recognizing their actual responsibility here, because they've sluffed it off for decades
- There is no good clear answer for servicemembers in any of this, only varying levels of bad choices
- There is no good clear answer for servicemembers in any of this, only varying levels of bad choices
Reposted by Eustis Bell
You want civilian control of the military in a democracy. Well, this is it. Elect better civilians.
You want the military to be part of the checks and balances? That’s a praetorian guard.
You want the military to be part of the checks and balances? That’s a praetorian guard.
Real black pilled on the military. The oath means absolutely nothing at all, apparently. Happy to be praetorians, just as long as the check clears.
January 4, 2026 at 1:58 AM
You want civilian control of the military in a democracy. Well, this is it. Elect better civilians.
You want the military to be part of the checks and balances? That’s a praetorian guard.
You want the military to be part of the checks and balances? That’s a praetorian guard.
Reposted by Eustis Bell
one reason people are already talking themselves into dumb conspiracies about why this is happening is because the actual reality is extremely hard to wrap your brain around
OH MY FUCKING GOD THEY HAVE NO PLAN
January 4, 2026 at 12:21 AM
one reason people are already talking themselves into dumb conspiracies about why this is happening is because the actual reality is extremely hard to wrap your brain around
Reposted by Eustis Bell
Reposted by Eustis Bell
They didn’t even bother to ask for an AUMF, impeachment
January 3, 2026 at 6:45 AM
They didn’t even bother to ask for an AUMF, impeachment
Reposted by Eustis Bell
Can we normalize warfare?
January 3, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Can we normalize warfare?
Reposted by Eustis Bell
cia fans 🤝 the cia 🤝 cia haters
falsely attributing organic social unrest to the cia
falsely attributing organic social unrest to the cia
January 3, 2026 at 5:50 AM
cia fans 🤝 the cia 🤝 cia haters
falsely attributing organic social unrest to the cia
falsely attributing organic social unrest to the cia
Reposted by Eustis Bell
This is a good write up of what we're seeing in mechanized warfare in Ukraine with good recommendations for the Army. But really, if the Army wants to avoid that kind of fight, they should be asking for a bigger Air Force.
warontherocks.com/2026/01/why-...
warontherocks.com/2026/01/why-...
Why Mechanized Warfare Will Still Be Decisive in the Next Land War
Mechanized warfare is not dead. Observers have been debating this topic since the Ukrainian military and volunteers beat back the Russian assault on Kiev
warontherocks.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:18 PM
This is a good write up of what we're seeing in mechanized warfare in Ukraine with good recommendations for the Army. But really, if the Army wants to avoid that kind of fight, they should be asking for a bigger Air Force.
warontherocks.com/2026/01/why-...
warontherocks.com/2026/01/why-...
Reposted by Eustis Bell
They can play word games all they like but "Integralists" in this context explicitly reject the U S. Constitution and hold up as models Franco's Spain or Pinochet's Chile. They are enemies of American democracy.
William Branson Donahue—president of College Republicans of America—says that he is promoting “integralism, not theocracy,” but his post misleadingly omits that “integralism” is shorthand for “Catholic integralism” & that the doctrine seeks to “integrate” Church & state. 1/
x.com/realwilldona...
x.com/realwilldona...
January 1, 2026 at 6:53 PM
They can play word games all they like but "Integralists" in this context explicitly reject the U S. Constitution and hold up as models Franco's Spain or Pinochet's Chile. They are enemies of American democracy.