Harlan Ullman

Did Donald J. Trump break the law by requesting assistance from a foreign government to discredit former Vice President Joe Biden, in this case Ukraine? Or does the president have the authority to solicit such support regardless of the source? If the president is guilty of breaking the law, what is the proper remedy: acquittal, impeachment, censure or removal from office? On these questions, the … [Read more...] about Can guilt or innocence be established today without facts, truth and reality?

For the fourth time in American history, impeachment proceedings have been launched against a sitting president. In 1868, eleven articles of impeachment were levied against Andrew Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act by firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Johnson had vetoed that law; it was overridden; and later declared unconstitutional. Johnson was acquitted in the Senate by a … [Read more...] about What can possibly go wrong in impeachment: everything

Make no mistake: the attacks against Saudi oil facilities last Saturday were impressive by any standard. While countries with advanced weapons could have imposed as much damage, attacking without absolute attribution is a far more difficult and higher bar of operational prowess. But regardless of attribution, these strikes are especially worrying well beyond whether or not retaliation against Iran … [Read more...] about A frightening new face of old war?

Former U.S. Defense Secretary, retired Marine General James Mattis, with Francis ("Bing") West, authored a remarkable book on leadership applicable well beyond the frontiers of military service. Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead is a modern day equivalent of Marcus Aurelius' Emperor's Handbook. CHAOS, Mattis' Marine Corps call sign, arose from an irreverent compliment for "colonel has another … [Read more...] about Call sign chaos: leading from the front

Eighteen years have elapsed since the attacks of September 11th. The impact on America and well beyond the Middle East and Persian Gulf has been profound. Great Britain now is experiencing a tectonic unraveling in the form BREXIT that could have equally far reaching effects for Europe and the Atlantic Alliance as September 11th had for America. At this stage, all likely BREXIT outcomes are fraught … [Read more...] about Brexit: don’t forget, people change their minds

Geese fly in V-formations. At the apex is a leader. Without a leader, geese would become a disorderly gaggle. This analogy applies to the international order.After World War I, no international leader emerged. America became isolationist. Britain and France were bled white by the war. Germany lay in ruins with her future prospects crippled by excessive reparations. Revolution consumed Russia … [Read more...] about The greatest threat to us: us

Eighty year ago on September 1st, 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland starting World War II. Code named Operation Fall Weiss, under the pretext of a staged Polish attack against German troops, five German armies with about 1.5 million soldiers, 2000 tanks and 1900 aircraft stormed into Poland without warning or declaration. By mid-September, the Blitzkrieg had neutralized the much smaller Polish army … [Read more...] about Operation fall weiss: the start of World War-II

Dear Don;You asked my advice about properties that might be for sale. Your idea of buying Greenland was stunning. But, unfortunately, the regarding that sale, the Shakespearean view that "something is nasty in Denmark" clearly remains true. And the deal is dead-for the moment. Perhaps that was good luck.That said, you should look elsewhere for international real estate. Perhaps India's … [Read more...] about Dear Don

In politics, contradictions abound. Today's opponent is tomorrow's ally. Yesterday's denial is today's policy. Yet, the linkage, tensions and symbiotic relationships between politics and policy are the heart of governing. That is one of many reasons why the United States is in such deep trouble and its broken government has floundered in providing viable solutions desperately needed by its … [Read more...] about Politics and policy: political plutonium

Here is a simple question that could determine who becomes president in 2020. In 1980, Ronald Reagan asked Americans if they were better off than four years before. The answer helped him trounce Jimmy Carter.Today, are America and her allies safer or more secure than two years ago? The answer must be a resounding no!One hundred and five ago, the guns of August erupted starting World War I. … [Read more...] about The guns and yuan of August