Fortune (April 27)
“The Iran conflict has confirmed a transformation in the economics of warfare toward cheap, mass-produced weapons, forcing a wholesale rethinking of military procurement.” Iran’s strategy “is the opposite of the West’s model of precision lethality.” It deliberately embraces mass losses because “even the most advanced defenses can be overwhelmed with sufficient volume” and “cost asymmetry” places tremendous burden on the enemy. In this case, “cost asymmetry is worsened by severe production and supply-chain constraints.” The U.S. has burned through 50% of its THAAD interceptors, with the next delivery of THAAD interceptors not expected until April 2027.
Tags: Cheap, Conflict, Cost asymmetry, Economics, Iran, Mass losses, Mass-produced, Military procurement, Precision lethality, Production, Rethinking, Supply-chain constraints, THAAD interceptors, Transformation, U.S., Volume, Warfare, Weapons
Wall Street Journal (August 26)
“Energy common sense is in short supply these days, so all the more reason to cheer Japan for rethinking its flight from nuclear power.” Germany is currently debating whether to keep “its three remaining reactors online. Maybe Japan’s decision will prove compelling. “This should be an easy call as natural gas shortages loom this winter. Advanced economies need reliable base load power, and at least Tokyo understands this.”
Tags: Advanced economies, Base load power, Common sense, Debating, Germany, Japan, Natural gas, Nuclear power, Reliable, Rethinking, Short supply, Shortages, Tokyo, Winter
Reuters (January 14)
“Firms from JPMorgan to AT&T are rethinking political donations after last week’s Capitol violence…. The storming of the seat of U.S. government has spurred a sea change in corporate America. AT&T, the biggest company spender in the last election cycle… is suspending political donations to Republican lawmakers who objected without evidence to the November presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. Others, like JPMorgan, paused their giving altogether to reassess their strategy.”
Tags: AT&T, Biden, Capitol, Donations, Election cycle, Government, JPMorgan, Republicans, Rethinking, Trump, U.S., Violence
New York Times (January 9)
“Given that the Japanese justice system is also on trial, it may be better for this saga to play out in the court of public opinion…. Japan needs to take a close look to see whether its justice system is due for a fundamental rethinking.”
Tags: Court, Japan, Justice system, Public opinion, Rethinking, Saga, Trial
