The view from the front: military matters and motivation for 7/5/22.
Discover more from The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell.
The view from the front: military matters and motivation for 7/5/22.
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Hi friend,
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you had a great July 4th weekend. We’re going to keep today’s edition super short, because I’m certain that if you’re like me, you’re a day behind at work and have less time than normal to read today.
We’ll start with a couple of positive things from Ukraine.
I know we all saw a lot of fireworks this weekend, but the video below is the kind of fireworks that make my day right now. (Note how by firing at night, they’re preserving their platforms and protecting them from UAVs and drones.)
The second amazing thing to see was the below item. I’ve got to say it made my day! lol. (If you missed the latest news about the withdrawal from Snake Island, check out last week’s newsletter.)
Moving along, the not-so-good news is the dread of the future that The Economist reminded me of, regarding Ukraine’s upcoming fight and the long-term bet that Putin is making.
Ukraine is a heavy burden. Western defense industries are formidable, but struggle to produce large volumes, especially of ammunition. Ukraine’s government has a monthly deficit of $5 billion and the country will need rebuilding after the war.
Public support for Ukraine in the West will be buffeted by a host of pressures, from inflation to elections — including, as soon as 2023, campaigning in America that may involve a presidential bid by that Ukrainophobic Putin admirer, Donald Trump.
I do worry how long public support will remain, but I guess it’s one day at a time for Ukraine at this point (and for its support in the West).
In other news, I wanted to share one item regarding new technology.
It looks like Maverick in Top Gun was right.
The drones and planes without pilots continue to improve and get one step closer to making regular aircraft with humans obsolete.
Moving further along, I’m sharing the below item just because I’m a sucker for great art and aircraft images.
Here’s the full image:
That’s it for this edition. Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.
As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.
And if you love what you’re reading, throw a couple of bucks in the hat by subscribing below. (Here’s why you should.)
Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War IIand one about Afghanistan.
P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.