My social media use dropped precipitously when I assumed command because my time is no longer my own.

If you are terminally online while in command, one must be skeptical about how much you are commanding.

Many thanks to both publications for giving this debate a place to be discussed publicly, and to the @warontherocks.bsky.social team for noting my prior thread on the topic and encouraging me to put those thoughts into long form and submit them as an article.

And below was a #WOTR piece discussing the value of information writ large to warfare, and showcasing the #MIG as an essential means by which the #MarineCorps could gain info advantage. It was this last piece that prompted my own response article:

warontherocks.com/2025/10/blin...

This article was a response to the former, advocating for the MIG's retention and discussing its value to the #MarineCorps:

information-professionals.org/killing-the-...

For greater context, below are articles that largely set the stage for this discussion.

The first was this Information Professionals' Association (IPA) article advocating for dismantling the MIG:

information-professionals.org/kill-it-or-f...

We hate assessments because:

1. Doing them in a meaningful way is hard, and

2. We often don't like what they tell us.

It absolutely is, but that fantasy was central to the KMT under CKS well after it became militarily impossible. Elements of that fantasy remain decisive influences on the modern KMT identity and policy. 'One China' remains, although what that means, and to who, varies.

The book concludes that Taiwan's inability to forge a coherent strategy stems from these persistent divisions.

This is a compelling read and a necessary complement to those building a comprehensive understanding of Taiwanese politics, foreign policy, and mainland policy. #PME #ReadFightWin

The author's analysis demonstrates that the KMT’s alignment was primarily a strategic move to secure domestic political goals by collaborating with a "foreign foe" (the PRC) against "enemies from within" (the DPP).

The ultimate objective was internal: to re-establish the centrality of the #ROC as the legitimate “one China” with sovereignty over both Taiwan and the mainland.

Specifically, the KMT aimed to counteract the de-Sinification and Taiwanization campaigns fostered by the main opposition #DPP and its previous leaders.

This controversial accommodationist approach toward #Beijing was a direct consequence of the island's deep-seated partisan fragmentation and polarizing national visions among its elites.

The author's central argument is that #Taiwan's mainland policy was primarily driven by #KMT elite nationalism and the domestic political goal of resurrecting a “one-China” political legitimacy.

This book examines why the #KMT administration, led by former #ROC President Ma Ying-jeou from 2008 to 2016, pursued an under-balancing strategy toward the #PRC, sometimes even resulting in the alienation of the island’s primary security guarantor, the #US.