23-7-12 Xina prepares for war - Hudson > .
22-10-19 Lithuania: On Frontline of European Security - HR & Ingrida Šimonytė > .
Friday, July 10, 2020
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Treachery Act 1940
The Treachery Act was deemed necessary because treason still had its own special rules of evidence and procedure which made it a difficult offence to prove and prosecute (see Treason Act 1695). The new offence of treachery, a felony, was designed to make securing convictions easier as it could be proved under the same rules of evidence as ordinary offences. It was also needed because there was doubt whether the treason laws were applicable to German saboteurs.
Sixteen people were shot by firing squad or hanged for treachery. The first British subject to be executed under the law was George Johnson Armstrong, who was hanged at HMP Wandsworth on 10 July 1941. Duncan Scott-Ford was also executed for treachery in November 1942. German agent Josef Jakobs, the last person to be executed in the Tower of London, was court-martialled and executed by firing squad under this Act. The last person to be executed under the Treachery Act was the British soldier Theodore Schurch, executed on 4 January 1946, who was the last person to be executed in the United Kingdom for an offence other than murder.
George Johnson Armstrong (1902 – 9 July 1941) was the first British citizen to be executed under the Treachery Act 1940. Only four other British subjects were executed under this Act; saboteur Jose Estelle Key (a Gibraltarian), Duncan Scott-Ford, Oswald John Job (born in London to German parents) and Theodore Schurch.
Armstrong was an engineer by occupation. He was tried on 8 May 1941 at the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey in London) and convicted for communicating with the German Consul in Boston, Massachusetts, to offer him assistance before the United States entered the Second World War.
His appeal on 23 June 1941, at the Court of Criminal Appeal, was dismissed, and on 10 July 1941 at the age of 39 Armstrong was executed by hanging at HM Prison Wandsworth by Thomas Pierrepoint.
Armstrong was an engineer by occupation. He was tried on 8 May 1941 at the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey in London) and convicted for communicating with the German Consul in Boston, Massachusetts, to offer him assistance before the United States entered the Second World War.
His appeal on 23 June 1941, at the Court of Criminal Appeal, was dismissed, and on 10 July 1941 at the age of 39 Armstrong was executed by hanging at HM Prison Wandsworth by Thomas Pierrepoint.
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
UNI - America's National Interests
21-4-16 Is Taiwan important to the USA? - Hoover > .
23-8-20 NATO's Rearmament & Spending - NATO's R-U Response - Perun > .
23-6-14 [Unambiguous US-T commitments - thwarting invasion] - Hoover > .
23-5-2 America Spends $800 Billion on Vets & War Prep - T&P > . skip > .
23-2-20 Military spending: UK may offer some insights - CNBC > .
22-12-20 US military in Pacific to prevent Xinese invasion of Taiwan - PBS > .
22-12-14 US National Security Strategy in 6 points – Geopolitics c Alex Stubb > .
22-11-17 US-Xina-Taiwan relations (G20 2022) - Update > .
22-10-11 Condeleeza Rice - Xina and Taiwan - Hoover > .
22-10-7 What If Pootin Nukes Ukraine? - OBF > .
22-8-4 Situation Zoom: Pelosi Visits Taiwan | Goodfellows - Hoover > .
22-7-21 Why Every NATO Member Joined (Why Others Haven't) - Spaniel > .
22-4-14 Beyond Hype: How To Rate Military Power? - mah > .
22-1-31 Will Taiwan Spark a US-China Conflict? - Whatifalthist > .
21-12-28 Why China Wants to Annex Taiwan | What Could Go Wrong - gtbt > .
America's National Interests (1998):
The real competition is perforce economic. If this is true, there are a few simple logical steps America can take to enhance its economic competitiveness. Step one would be to slash its bloated defense budget by half and re-invest the money saved into research and development. Step two would be to completely withdraw all its defense forces from the Middle East and stop fighting unnecessary wars, which have cost American taxpayers $5 trillion since the post-9/11 wars began. Step three would be to reverse all the steps that the tRUMP Badministration took in the trade war with China. Why reverse them? They didn’t weaken the Chinese economy. Indeed, they may have damaged America’s economy instead.
There are only five vital national interests:
- to prevent the threat of an attack of weapons of mass destruction on U.S. soil or its military abroad;
- to ensure U.S. allies' survival and cooperation to shape an international system in which we can thrive;
- to prevent the emergence of hostile powers on U.S. borders;
- to ensure the viability of major global systems;
- and to establish productive relations with nations that could become adversaries.
A president faces six cardinal challenges:
- to strengthen partnerships with Japan and European allies despite an immediate threat;
- to facilitate China's entry onto the world stage without disruption;
- to prevent the loss of control of nuclear weapons;
- to prevent Russia's reversion to authoritarianism or chaos;
- to maintain the United States singular leadership;
- and to marshal forces that promote freedom and prosperity.
Interests are defined as vital, extremely important, important and secondary.
- Vital interests are necessary to enhance America's survival.
- Extremely important interests would prejudice but not imperil the United States. Important interests would, if compromised, have major negative consequences for the United States.
- Secondary interests are desirable conditions, but have little direct impact on the United States.
The report provides a summary of national interests -- listing them in three categories of descending importance -- in China, Russia, Europe and NATO, the Middle East, the Western Hemisphere, nuclear future, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drugs, international trade and development, cyberspace, global environment, and military capabilities.
---
Misconceptions about China: Evidence shows that China stopped supporting fellow communist parties decades ago. China’s real mission is to rejuvenate Chinese civilization, not waste time exporting communist ideology. The second misconception is that when China becomes the number one economic power in the world, replacing America, it will, like America, go on a universalizing mission and export the Chinese “model,” just as America exported the American “model.” Here’s a perfect example of America’s total ignorance of its adversary. The most basic fact that Americans should know about the Chinese people is that they do not believe that anybody can be a Chinese in the way that Americans believe that anybody can be an American. The Chinese believe, quite simply, that only Chinese can be Chinese. And they would be puzzled if anybody else tried to become Chinese.
Beijing doesn’t give a fig whether a country is a democracy or autocracy. It only cares whether it can work effectively with a given country. Hence, if the birthplace of Western democracy, Greece, decides to join the Belt and Road Initiative and welcome Chinese investment in its Port of Piraeus, China doesn’t care whether Greece is a democracy or not. It will cooperate with any country for mutual benefit.
US Recruitment Stratagems
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The US Military's Shady Recruitment Practices - Second > .23-9-4 The Recruiting Crisis: US Military Adapts to Zoomers || Peter Zeihan > .
Twitch stats
https://twitchtracker.com/statistics .
https://www.streamscheme.com/twitch-s... .
https://sullygnome.com .
Sergeant Hard Times
https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/15/ar... .
Army’s formerly Top-Secret civilian database
https://www.nyclu.org/en/joint-advert... .
Focus 22
https://casa.army.mil/Documents/USARE... .
Twitch recruiting
https://www.thenation.com/article/cul... .
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/army-re... .
https://www.pcgamesn.com/twitch/army-... .
https://theherald.home.blog/2020/09/3...
Vietnam War info
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... .
https://www.thoughtco.com/napalm-and-... .
https://thevietnamwar.info/my-lai-mas... .
Iraq War info
http://informationliteracy.org/users_... .
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ir... .
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22794451 .
The Calling ad series
The Calling (David): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkmOt... .
The Calling (Jennifer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjrLc... .
The Calling (Janeen): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmRa... .
The Calling (Rickie): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWo5-... .
The Calling (Emma): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIYGF... .
Civilian Support Branches
The US military has come under fire recently for a new aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at enticing Gen Z to enlist.
Twitch stats
https://twitchtracker.com/statistics .
https://www.streamscheme.com/twitch-s... .
https://sullygnome.com .
Sergeant Hard Times
https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/15/ar... .
Army’s formerly Top-Secret civilian database
https://www.nyclu.org/en/joint-advert... .
Focus 22
https://casa.army.mil/Documents/USARE... .
Twitch recruiting
https://www.thenation.com/article/cul... .
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/army-re... .
https://www.pcgamesn.com/twitch/army-... .
https://theherald.home.blog/2020/09/3...
Vietnam War info
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... .
https://www.thoughtco.com/napalm-and-... .
https://thevietnamwar.info/my-lai-mas... .
Iraq War info
http://informationliteracy.org/users_... .
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ir... .
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22794451 .
The Calling ad series
The Calling (David): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkmOt... .
The Calling (Jennifer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjrLc... .
The Calling (Janeen): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmRa... .
The Calling (Rickie): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWo5-... .
The Calling (Emma): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIYGF... .
Monday, July 6, 2020
War Rooms
Churchill and The Cabinet War Rooms - Sir Winston Churchill's secrets unveiled > .
Peter Mansbridge > .
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, London UK (HD1080p) > .
Peter Mansbridge > .
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, London UK (HD1080p) > .
Parliament, Government - WW2 - ViDo >> .
Churchill - tb >> .
Churchill - tb >> .
The Cabinet War Rooms (now an historic underground complex) housed a British government command centre throughout WW2, being abandoned in August 1945 after the surrender of Japan.
As above, in 1936 the Air Ministry, the British government department responsible for the Royal Air Force, believed that in the event of war enemy aerial bombing of London would cause up to 200,000 casualties per week. British government commissions under Warren Fisher and Sir James Rae in 1937 and 1938 considered that key government offices should be dispersed from central London to the suburbs, and non-essential offices to the Midlands or North West. Pending this dispersal, in May 1938 Sir Hastings Ismay, then Deputy Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, ordered an Office of Works survey of Whitehall to identify a suitable site for a temporary emergency government centre. The Office concluded the most suitable site was the basement of the New Public Offices (NPO), a government building located on the corner of Horse Guards Road and Great George Street, near Parliament Square. The building now accommodates HM Treasury.
Work to convert the basement of the New Public Offices began, under the supervision of Ismay and Sir Leslie Hollis, in June 1938. The work included installing communications and broadcasting equipment, sound-proofing, ventilation and reinforcement. Meanwhile, by the summer of 1938 the War Office, Admiralty and Air Ministry had developed the concept of a Central War Room that would facilitate discussion and decision-making between the Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces.
Construction of the Cabinet War Rooms, located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall area of Westminster, began in 1938. They became fully operational on 27 August 1939, a week before Britain declared war on Germany. The War Rooms remained in operation throughout the Second World War, before being abandoned in August 1945 after the surrender of Japan.
As ultimate authority lay with the civilian government the Cabinet, or a smaller War Cabinet, would require close access to senior military figures. This implied accommodation close to the armed forces' Central War Room. In May 1939 it was decided that the Cabinet would be housed within the Central War Room. In August 1939, with war imminent and protected government facilities in the suburbs not yet ready, the War Rooms became operational on 27 August 1939, only days before the invasion of Poland on 1 September, and Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 3 September.
During its operational life two of the Cabinet War Rooms were of particular importance. Once operational, the facility's Map Room was in constant use and manned around the clock by officers of the Royal Navy, British army and Royal Air Force. These officers were responsible for producing a daily intelligence summary for the King, Prime Minister and the military Chiefs of Staff.
The other key room was the Cabinet Room. Until the opening of the Battle of France, which began on 10 May 1940, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's war cabinet met at the War Rooms only once, in October 1939. Following Winston Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister, Churchill visited the Cabinet Room in May 1940 and declared: 'This is the room from which I will direct the war'. In total 115 Cabinet meetings were held at the Cabinet War Rooms, the last on 28 March 1945, when the German V-weapon bombing campaign came to an end.
As above, in 1936 the Air Ministry, the British government department responsible for the Royal Air Force, believed that in the event of war enemy aerial bombing of London would cause up to 200,000 casualties per week. British government commissions under Warren Fisher and Sir James Rae in 1937 and 1938 considered that key government offices should be dispersed from central London to the suburbs, and non-essential offices to the Midlands or North West. Pending this dispersal, in May 1938 Sir Hastings Ismay, then Deputy Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, ordered an Office of Works survey of Whitehall to identify a suitable site for a temporary emergency government centre. The Office concluded the most suitable site was the basement of the New Public Offices (NPO), a government building located on the corner of Horse Guards Road and Great George Street, near Parliament Square. The building now accommodates HM Treasury.
Work to convert the basement of the New Public Offices began, under the supervision of Ismay and Sir Leslie Hollis, in June 1938. The work included installing communications and broadcasting equipment, sound-proofing, ventilation and reinforcement. Meanwhile, by the summer of 1938 the War Office, Admiralty and Air Ministry had developed the concept of a Central War Room that would facilitate discussion and decision-making between the Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces.
Construction of the Cabinet War Rooms, located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall area of Westminster, began in 1938. They became fully operational on 27 August 1939, a week before Britain declared war on Germany. The War Rooms remained in operation throughout the Second World War, before being abandoned in August 1945 after the surrender of Japan.
As ultimate authority lay with the civilian government the Cabinet, or a smaller War Cabinet, would require close access to senior military figures. This implied accommodation close to the armed forces' Central War Room. In May 1939 it was decided that the Cabinet would be housed within the Central War Room. In August 1939, with war imminent and protected government facilities in the suburbs not yet ready, the War Rooms became operational on 27 August 1939, only days before the invasion of Poland on 1 September, and Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 3 September.
During its operational life two of the Cabinet War Rooms were of particular importance. Once operational, the facility's Map Room was in constant use and manned around the clock by officers of the Royal Navy, British army and Royal Air Force. These officers were responsible for producing a daily intelligence summary for the King, Prime Minister and the military Chiefs of Staff.
The other key room was the Cabinet Room. Until the opening of the Battle of France, which began on 10 May 1940, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's war cabinet met at the War Rooms only once, in October 1939. Following Winston Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister, Churchill visited the Cabinet Room in May 1940 and declared: 'This is the room from which I will direct the war'. In total 115 Cabinet meetings were held at the Cabinet War Rooms, the last on 28 March 1945, when the German V-weapon bombing campaign came to an end.
On 22 October 1940, during the Blitz bombing campaign against Britain, it was decided to increase the protection of the Cabinet War Rooms by the installation of a massive layer of concrete known as 'the Slab'. Up to 5 feet (1.5 metres) thick, the Slab was progressively extended and by spring 1941 the increased protection had enabled the Cabinet War Rooms to expand to three times their original size. While the usage of many of the War Rooms' individual rooms changed over the course of the war, the facility included dormitories for staff, private bedrooms for military officers and senior ministers, and rooms for typists or telephone switchboard operators.
Two other notable rooms include the Transatlantic Telephone Room and Churchill's office-bedroom. From 1943, a SIGSALY code-scrambling encrypted telephone was installed in the basement of Selfridges, Oxford Street connected to a similar terminal in the Pentagon building. This enabled Churchill to speak securely with American President Roosevelt in Washington, with the first conference taking place on 15 July 1943.
Later extensions were installed to both 10 Downing Street and the specially constructed Transatlantic Telephone Room within the Cabinet War Rooms. Churchill's office-bedroom included BBC broadcasting equipment; Churchill made four wartime broadcasts from the Cabinet War Rooms. Although the office room was also fitted out as a bedroom, Churchill rarely slept underground, preferring to sleep at 10 Downing Street or the No.10 Annexe, a flat in the New Public Offices directly above the Cabinet War Rooms. His daughter Mary Soames often slept in the bedroom allocated to Mrs Churchill.
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sī vīs pācem, parā bellum
igitur quī dēsīderat pācem praeparet bellum therefore, he who desires peace, let him prepare for war sī vīs pācem, parā bellum if you wan...
