Robert Borden Stan Account
@bordenstan.bsky.social
Canadian, Tory, somehow found my way onto Bluesky and am now trapped here. Interested in military history, COIN, foreign military training, jihadism, the KPA, and many others.
“Yeah boss, I’ve got a perfect idea to refute that comment that was really bugging you. We’ve mocked up a PNG of a loyal wingman drone parked static on tarmac. I put AI on the tail too, defence guys are gonna lap up this slop like starving dogs.”
November 15, 2025 at 1:25 AM
“Yeah boss, I’ve got a perfect idea to refute that comment that was really bugging you. We’ve mocked up a PNG of a loyal wingman drone parked static on tarmac. I put AI on the tail too, defence guys are gonna lap up this slop like starving dogs.”
It offers hope, in its portrayal of Duterte supporters who eventually turned on him and opposed him- but also a crushingly cynical last word from one of Evangelista’s colleagues.
November 6, 2025 at 12:53 PM
It offers hope, in its portrayal of Duterte supporters who eventually turned on him and opposed him- but also a crushingly cynical last word from one of Evangelista’s colleagues.
Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista is a fantastic, haunting, nauseating look into this dynamic and Duterte’s dirty war. It feels even more prescient now than it did when she wrote it.
November 6, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista is a fantastic, haunting, nauseating look into this dynamic and Duterte’s dirty war. It feels even more prescient now than it did when she wrote it.
I‘ll take the opportunity to re-up this work by Kennedy, which is a great use of data, history from below and meticulous argument by a (left-wing, Catholic) historian to dismantle many pro-IRA narratives and properly lay responsibility at the feet of Adams and his peers as well as the Loyalists.
November 3, 2025 at 3:18 PM
I‘ll take the opportunity to re-up this work by Kennedy, which is a great use of data, history from below and meticulous argument by a (left-wing, Catholic) historian to dismantle many pro-IRA narratives and properly lay responsibility at the feet of Adams and his peers as well as the Loyalists.
A bit more detail here on the specifics of war planning, and how it was often used for training purposes and for thinking about how the U.S. Army should modernize and improve its organization.
November 3, 2025 at 12:58 PM
A bit more detail here on the specifics of war planning, and how it was often used for training purposes and for thinking about how the U.S. Army should modernize and improve its organization.
A highly interesting, if lengthy, excerpt from Preston’s *Defence Of The Undefended Border*, which shows that US the US Army’s intelligence gathering and war-planning capabilities sprang up with Canada in mind as a possible belligerent and a major priority.
November 3, 2025 at 12:54 PM
A highly interesting, if lengthy, excerpt from Preston’s *Defence Of The Undefended Border*, which shows that US the US Army’s intelligence gathering and war-planning capabilities sprang up with Canada in mind as a possible belligerent and a major priority.
Reading this, and so far Preston’s main arguments for why there have been no further border wars since 1812:
1. Both Canada and the US were initially more preoccupied with national development and settling the West.
1. Both Canada and the US were initially more preoccupied with national development and settling the West.
October 31, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reading this, and so far Preston’s main arguments for why there have been no further border wars since 1812:
1. Both Canada and the US were initially more preoccupied with national development and settling the West.
1. Both Canada and the US were initially more preoccupied with national development and settling the West.
Just as an example: think of the median lieutenant, captain or major you might have encountered. Now consider if they would really internalize what a society or an army that does not acknowledge “the autonomous, rights-bearing individual“ would really look like.
October 30, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Just as an example: think of the median lieutenant, captain or major you might have encountered. Now consider if they would really internalize what a society or an army that does not acknowledge “the autonomous, rights-bearing individual“ would really look like.
From the introduction to Richard A. Preston’s “The Defence Of The Undefended Border: Planning For War In North America, 1867-1939”.
October 27, 2025 at 11:12 PM
From the introduction to Richard A. Preston’s “The Defence Of The Undefended Border: Planning For War In North America, 1867-1939”.
They changed valuation of knife skins.
October 24, 2025 at 12:32 AM
They changed valuation of knife skins.
From “Militia Myths”- again relevant to discussions of citizen-soldiery, the draft and the merits thereof in certain quarters on this site. “Inexpensive sense of security” particularly rings some bells.
October 15, 2025 at 1:01 AM
From “Militia Myths”- again relevant to discussions of citizen-soldiery, the draft and the merits thereof in certain quarters on this site. “Inexpensive sense of security” particularly rings some bells.
“The Defence Of The Undefended Border” came in and brought with it this masterpiece from the New York World in 1888. Which one is your favourite? I think mine is the one where they just gave up and called it Moose.
October 12, 2025 at 12:29 AM
“The Defence Of The Undefended Border” came in and brought with it this masterpiece from the New York World in 1888. Which one is your favourite? I think mine is the one where they just gave up and called it Moose.
This, from Wood, definitely chimes with some of the enthusiasm for conscription and levee en masse in Bluesky- argued not just to be more effective than all-volunteer forces, but also offering an important social role of teaching civic virtues and self-sacrifice to the draftees (chiefly young men).
October 5, 2025 at 10:02 PM
This, from Wood, definitely chimes with some of the enthusiasm for conscription and levee en masse in Bluesky- argued not just to be more effective than all-volunteer forces, but also offering an important social role of teaching civic virtues and self-sacrifice to the draftees (chiefly young men).
I knew people from Battleford who mentioned that old disagreements and grudges from the Northwest Rebellion still hang in the air there. Reading focused on these wars- like Backs To The Wall- can help us to better understand how scarring and terrifying even “little wars” can be.
October 5, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I knew people from Battleford who mentioned that old disagreements and grudges from the Northwest Rebellion still hang in the air there. Reading focused on these wars- like Backs To The Wall- can help us to better understand how scarring and terrifying even “little wars” can be.
By way of contrast, Woods offers a core of professional officers who tried to think seriously about building a Canadian army and preparing for the challenges of national defence and even war abroad. Perhaps their efforts will have something to teach us today.
October 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
By way of contrast, Woods offers a core of professional officers who tried to think seriously about building a Canadian army and preparing for the challenges of national defence and even war abroad. Perhaps their efforts will have something to teach us today.
From James Woods’ ”Militia Myths: Ideas Of The Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921”. When people air the argument that Canada should put its stock in guerrilla warfare against the U.S., this sort of magical thinking comes to mind. Had a very frustrating argument with Doug Saunders over it once.
October 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
From James Woods’ ”Militia Myths: Ideas Of The Canadian Citizen Soldier, 1896-1921”. When people air the argument that Canada should put its stock in guerrilla warfare against the U.S., this sort of magical thinking comes to mind. Had a very frustrating argument with Doug Saunders over it once.
Huh, didn’t expect that
October 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Huh, didn’t expect that
Followed up, fittingly for Bluesky, by an ode to army paperwork:
October 4, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Followed up, fittingly for Bluesky, by an ode to army paperwork:
From “Canadians In Khaki, 1916 Edition”
October 4, 2025 at 10:45 PM
From “Canadians In Khaki, 1916 Edition”
Heneker was a Canadian who served in the British Army in various colonial wars in Africa. He would compile lessons learned and accounts of these campaigns in Bush Warfare, which would be read by British officers until after WW2. He would become a divisional commander in WW1 and survived the war.
October 4, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Heneker was a Canadian who served in the British Army in various colonial wars in Africa. He would compile lessons learned and accounts of these campaigns in Bush Warfare, which would be read by British officers until after WW2. He would become a divisional commander in WW1 and survived the war.
This order came in- unfortunately it’s the first time I’ve bought a lemon. The entire back half of the book (going over specific campaigns and engagements to illustrate the general principles Heneker lays out) is missing entirely. Charts and maps are mangled by shoddy printing.
October 4, 2025 at 11:00 AM
This order came in- unfortunately it’s the first time I’ve bought a lemon. The entire back half of the book (going over specific campaigns and engagements to illustrate the general principles Heneker lays out) is missing entirely. Charts and maps are mangled by shoddy printing.
I absolutely must find a copy of this. I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care what it costs. This is perfect research material.
October 3, 2025 at 11:12 PM
I absolutely must find a copy of this. I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care what it costs. This is perfect research material.
This is the more respectable example of what seems to be a weird micro-genre of looking back at Axis counterinsurgency and small wars, with the disreputable elder brother being this book (“who can say if an SS man who fought Yugoslav partisans was a committed Nazi?”)
October 3, 2025 at 4:43 PM
This is the more respectable example of what seems to be a weird micro-genre of looking back at Axis counterinsurgency and small wars, with the disreputable elder brother being this book (“who can say if an SS man who fought Yugoslav partisans was a committed Nazi?”)
Taking a break from longer form stuff with a shorter book that caught my eye for having a somewhat off-beat topic. I went in cautious and worried about a train wreck, but it’s been good so far. Fasanotti takes a moment in the prologue to note the brutality of much of the Italian campaign.
October 3, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Taking a break from longer form stuff with a shorter book that caught my eye for having a somewhat off-beat topic. I went in cautious and worried about a train wreck, but it’s been good so far. Fasanotti takes a moment in the prologue to note the brutality of much of the Italian campaign.
Tim Cook’s “Lifesavers And Body-Snatchers” offers a great portrayal of how the Canadian Army Medical Corps grew and took on the enormous challenges in force protection, trauma medicine etc. posed by WW1. A good snapshot of how medical services work behind the scenes to keep armies in the field.
October 3, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Tim Cook’s “Lifesavers And Body-Snatchers” offers a great portrayal of how the Canadian Army Medical Corps grew and took on the enormous challenges in force protection, trauma medicine etc. posed by WW1. A good snapshot of how medical services work behind the scenes to keep armies in the field.