A long-term acquaintance on a small group mailing list chose this week to move from a steady drip of more-or-less-ignorable libertarian/objectivist statements into Full Frontal Wingnut. After circulating a long, badly-written, tediously unfunny “humorous letter” about the Self-Proclaimed So cia list President Obama’s Nazi-Inspired Campaign to Trick Innocent Americans Into “Flagging” Their Neighbors for Thought Crimes Against IRS Death Squads of the So-Called-Health-Reform Task Force to Destroy the World’s Best Medical System, they were rebutted with great patience by fellow members from all points of the political spectrum. Amidst the ensuing squid-cloud of butthurt, rules-lawyering, and accusations of bad faith, Acquaintance announced that they get all their news from four “smart, unbiased” online sources: Instapundit, Google, and two “trustworthy” milblogs, Winds of Change and Blackfive.
I know nothing of military blogs or bloggers, but I suspect that if Glenn Reynolds is the measure of smart & trustworthy, then these two may bear the same relationship to military news as Icanhascheezburger bears to veterinary science. Can the better read among you, especially the veterans, provide some recommendations for sane milblogs that won’t be too frightening to someone with a bad case of Starship Troopers Syndrome?
celticdragon
The only blogs I would trust for military news are Abu Muqawama and Small Wars Journal.
http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama
http://smallwarsjournal.com/
celticdragon
For military tech (I read this one daily…)
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/
SGEW
I miss Andrew Olmsted.
Linkmeister
Tom Ricks, formerly of the WaPo, now hangs his hat at Foreign Policy. You may remember him from his book Fiasco, about Bush’s misadventure in Iraq.
cRaB8y
My better half, who is an Iraq War vet, suggests the following: abu muquwama, kings of war, best defense, and ink spots.
cRaB8y
…and he also confirms that blackfive is nutty.
JK
Glenn Reynolds is a smarmy, repulsive, lying sack of shit. It’s a profound tragedy that this obnoxoious prick is a law professor. In a perfect world, Reynolds would be a janitor.
celticdragon
Sorry to keep at it…But a very good resource is The Department of War Studies at Kings College, London.
http://kingsofwar.wordpress.com/
This is the department blog, and their blogroll is simply outstanding if you want both field analysis and military theory.
Includes:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/
http://defenceoftherealm.blogspot.com/
http://www.d-n-i.net/dni/
http://easterncampaign.wordpress.com/
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/
(this blog is considered one of the best COIN blogs along with Abu Muqawama)
http://www.longwarjournal.org/
Hope that helps. This is a sample of the Blogroll at Kings College…so look for yourself.
Ruckus
@JK:
And take away a job from
someoneanyone who actually deserves one?celticdragon
Oh dear…my post seems to have vanished.
This is the faculty blog at the Department of War Studies for Kings College, London. Their blog roll is outstanding.
http://kingsofwar.wordpress.com/
thingsbreak
Abu Muqawama
Tom Ricks
Marc Lynch
Small Wars Journal
ArmsControlWonk
Armchair Generalist
Danger Room is nice for tech coverage and its level of access, but at times it seems to suffer for the latter in terms of forming realistic views of the US and its allies.
A sometimes helpful roundup of progressive takes on foreign affairs: http://www.progressiverealist.org/
amorphous
‘Scuse me, waiter? There’s a possibly first-time-ever use of the word “butthurt” on my B-J front page.
/It’s doing the backstroke
//that sounds dirty
Stoic
I don’t know if this counts but try…
http://www.globalsecurity.org/index.html
Not a blog but not bug-fuck crazy either.
lutton
http://armyofdude.blogspot.com/
Barry
Black Five is where people hang out who think that Cheney was a peace-loving liberal hippy.
I used to cruise by every so often, but gave it up. Anybody who cites them is both full of it, and is extremely right-wing whackjob.
celticdragon
GlobalSecurity.org is a very good news source, and I do use it. I didn’t include it since it really is not a blog.
kommrade reproductive vigor
I can’t add to these suggestions ‘cos I’m laughing too hard at the squid-cloud of butthurt.
NEW TAG PLZ!
Chris
Pat Lang @ Sic Semper Tyrannis
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/
old school. good school
Patton
I second all of the recs for Abu M, SWJ, and Armchair Generalist. I would also add Information Dissemination, for nautical coverage. Although Galrahn, the main guy at ID, tends to be conservative (as do some of his co-bloggers), I can’t recall any Full Frontal Wingnut episodes. Also, they added Robert Farley, of LGM, recently, so they now have more balance. I’d also also recommend Spencer Ackerman’s “Attackerman” blog on Firedoglake, War is Boring (superb independent military coverage by David Axe and several other reporters), and Afghan Quest (written by a National Guardsman training Afghan soldiers).
DeadlyShoe
David Axe kind of counts. He does freelance war correspondence with occasional musings/articles on military subjects.
His work on/in Somalia has been particularly interesting.
http://warisboring.com/
Skippy-san
As a military blogger myself-I can tell you that Blackfive and Winds of Change hardly represent any type of logical thinking. ( Especially Uncle Jimbo-who is positively deranged). There is an unwritten rule when it comes to Milblogging. Support stupidity or else. Voice an opinion that is contrary to teabagger orthodoxy-and you will be branded as a lunatic or a liberal, both words have the same meaning in Greyhawk’s universe.
I served 29 years in the US Navy and took up blogging about four years ago. One of the things that has really depressed me about the blogosphere is how much of an echo chamber most Milblogs have become. Want to see that in action? Got Neptunus Lex and post a comment that is opposed to its prevailing right wing ideology. Watch how fast the herd descends on you and calls you every name in the book. Now mind you, the author of that blog is great writer and when he writes about aviation-his words are beauty unleashed. But when he writes on politics or issues of international relations-he does nothing but echo right wing tripe. His readers however will abide no opposing views-and I have been a regular commenter for years. ( Although I go there less and less-I can only stand getting beat up so much).
The Mil-blogging sphere is the same as any other politically motivated group. They have their orthodoxy and anyone who thinks differently gets branded as “deranged”. That’s even though there are lots of veterans who think like me-and are tired of the same old mindset.
John Cole
@thingsbreak: The Armchair Generalist is the jackass who mocked me when I merely noted that a unit designated for domestic activity seemed odd. I wouldn’t trust that armchair cowboy with anything.
Fronobulax
For Naval stuff, I like http://www.informationdissemination.net.
JK
OT
Woman Shouts “Heil Hitler!” At Jewish Man Praising Israel’s National Health System
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/18/woman-shouts-heil-hitler_n_262554.html
The more I see of these crazy protesting motherfuckers, the more I wish Obama would stop being such a pussy and ram thru the strongest healthcare bill possible thru Congress. These shithead protesters and the Republican assholes in Congress will never accept Obama no matter what he says or he does. He needs to stand up these swine and tell them to go fuck themselves.
@Ruckus: I can’t help it. To me , Glenn Reynolds is one of the biggest scumbags in the right wing blogosphere. His wife Dr Helen is also a smarmy, lying asshole.
@Stoic: @thingsbreak: I dig these choices
JenJen
Umm… excuse me, but I have been getting my veterinary advice from Icanhazcheezburger for years now.
;-)
Great post, and good timing, Anne. We get closer to Peak Wingnut every day, as evidenced by the bizarre morphing of several people in my personal orbit as well. I never know whether to laugh, cry, or smash something in utter frustration.
void_pelican
another vote for spencer ackerman at attackerman.firedoglake.com and the washington independent. lots of good mil-bloggy stuff from a somewhat progressive perspective, plus he frequently posts hip-hop and hardcore music videos and other random pop culture stuff.
JK
Good Military related website
Center for Defense Information
http://www.cdi.org/index.cfm
OT
Activist Who Staged Gun Interview At Obama Event Was Prominent Defender Of ’90s Militia
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/ernest_hancock_viper_militia_gun_obama_event.php?ref=fpblg
fouroboros
Remember how, when you finally outgrew them, it was fun to pretend you were napalming your GIJoe and the rest of your army men with lighter fluid, cherry-bombing the lot of them as they huddled in the Lincoln Log bunker you’d made as the evil Pez-head men, packed with last July 4th’s firecrackers instead of candy, made swooping suicide attacks while your sister’s half clothed Nurse-Barbie® struggled valiantly to give CPR to Special Forces Joe®?
No? The Blackfive guys do. It was four o-clock this afternoon.
JK
“Nukes & Spooks” is written by McClatchy correspondents Jonathan S. Landay (national security and intelligence), Warren P. Strobel (foreign affairs and the State Department), and Nancy Youssef (Pentagon).
http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/nationalsecurity
Mike in NC
Honestly, as a Navy Reserve O-6 with almost 30 years in, I come up empty. Military.com sucks since anybody can create an account there.
hilzoy
SGEW: I was going to say exactly the same thing.
Anton Sirius
Google is a source of news now?
cleek
how?
CT
Anne Laurie: Great post-I nearly sprayed the monitor with the apple I was munching on when I got to the icanhazcheezburger line-awesome.
kid bitzer
@28–
now *that* is funny.
(as is “squidcloud of butthurt”, although instead it could be the name of the big chief in a mel brooks oater.)
funny helps to take away the pain of no andrew. damn. he was sane, where sanity is rare and precious.
grimc
Another vote for Small Wars Journal and Attackerman.
And I miss Steve Gilliard.
Molly
@fouroboros: “No? The Blackfive guys do. It was four o-clock this afternoon.”
You win. Hands down.
JenJen
CNN Breaking News: “Sources: Dems consider pushing through health care reform without GOP support.”
They had scant information, but it was encouraging to hear, and Anderson Cooper specifically referred to 51 votes.
I’d like to see the word “consider” just plain drop-kicked out of that opening sentence.
fouroboros
Cheers! Just tryin to add somethin since my fave, phil carter’s intel dump, has gone dark.
Ruckus
@JK:
I may not have made myself clear. 100% in agreement with you, just saying why should he get a good janitors job when many far more deserving people need the work.
kid bitzer
sorry, jenjen. haven’t you heard? elections have consequences, but only when they produce republican victories.
whereas when democrats are swept into office with huge majorities, the election is a stern repudiation of the platform on which they ran.
why am i even explaining this to you? you watch cnn; you know the drill.
pip
Hello hilzoy!
Tsulagi
If you’re talking about a blog written by someone currently active duty, not likely you’re going to find one with strong political opinions. That’s a no-no with DoD. If they have one, service members have to register their blogs and they are monitored. Actually, on balance I agree with that.
There were some good active duty milblogs around the beginning of OIF, but then the Rummy on-message police started with the regs. One I liked was written by a pro-Bush, pro-OIF CASH surgeon. He wrote some funny shit. He was shut down. Not for OPSEC violations. Guess because he was letting people in on the secret soldiers get killed and injured in wars. Not good for the message.
Reservists, though, get a little more slack. Your bleg made me think of one I came across a few years back that have a feeling you’d like. Don’t think anyone could shut up this chick. On any subject. She’s a feminazi of the first order and proud of it. Impressively foul-mouthed. She cracked me up. Haven’t read her in probably three years or so. Just now looked to see if A View from a Broad is still there. It is; from her bio…
Warren Terra
@ JK, #24
Her letter to the editor published in the current issue of Mother Jones was hilarious. A deliberate parody could scarcely have exceeded it. I reproduce it for your delectation:
I guess that’s what happens to your brain when you mainline Ayn Rand once too often.
JenJen
@kid bitzer: I know. Next, CNN will tell me that Democrats are considering writing a very stern letter to McConnell and Boehner.
All kidding aside… the fact that blowing off the GOP is finally, officially on the table is the best news this Democrat has heard in years. Took f’n long enough.
Legalize
For military news I religiously read Jesus’ General. What?
shy me
@hilzoy:
hi hilzoy! I had the same thought. I so wish he were here.
OT: Very happy to hear from you. If you’re interested in sharing – how is/was Africa?
Wek
Army of Dude. He’s by far the best writer to emerge from the Iraq War.
MarkusB
I don’t have anything substantive to offer, but let me also add my vote for “squid-cloud of butthurt” as a major entry in teh funny sweeps.
lee
Army Of Dude not really a milblog but a blog by a soldier. It has some of the absolutely best stories you will read.
Ash Can
@kommrade reproductive vigor:
QFT
GregB
Is it considered mil-blogging when General Bill Kristol opines on military strategy?
-G
thingsbreak
@John Cole:
Duly noted. He was at the end of the list, as I don’t read him all that often.
I used to read Attackerman more often, but the whole weird incestuousness of that group of bloggers can get a little overwhelming.
srv
Most of the best milbloggers are defunct now.
2nd vote, to the right in the blogroll, Pat Lang. Connected to the old school folks still in power.
http://turcopolier.typepad.com….._tyrannis/
For a SOF in early Vietnam, he’s a bit of a fainting daisy when it comes to criticism. Der Dolchstoss on Vietnam and all that, threatens to stop blogging every month when someone snarks a silly/confused post of his. Just chalk it up to dottiness.
As for someone ex-military who blogs on how-we-have-forgotten-all-the-lessons of old battles, life, the universe and was the best commenter on the defunct intel-dump:
http://dlgellar.blogspot.com/
Calming Influence
One more vet vote for Army of Dude.
And my veterinarian follows icanhascheezburger religiously.
Calming Influence
Not a blog, but the late Col. Hackworth’s site, http://www.sftt.org/ is still a good source/advocate for issues affecting our front line military.
Steve Hynd
John,
Most of the blogs that have been mentioned in comments are foreign policy blogs rather than milblogs (unfortuantely, whether Dem or GOP its often hard to tell the difference between military and foreign affairs) and most are distinctly neoliberal interventionist even when ostensibly mildly proggie (like Attackerman). As for Small Wars Journal, its a stenography dept for the neocons still in the Pentagon’s basement.
However, I’d definitely recommend Danger Room at Wired, Army of Dude and Pat Lang. I’d also recommend Josh Foustua at Registan.Net. For a more non-interventionist FP outlook, there’s Michael Cohen at Democracy Arsenal, the folks at The Seminal, Rething Afghanistan and, of course, Newshoggers :-)
Regards, Steve Hynd, newshogers.com
Zuzu's Petals
@Warren Terra:
So Doctah Helen is from Tennessee. I see here that Tennessee receives $1.27 back in federal money for every $1 of taxes it sends in.
Making Doctah Helen’s state a slave master to all us slave blue staters out here who are supporting her.
General Winfield Stuck
@hilzoy:
Sorry I missed ya, but hi anyways!
Zuzu's Petals
@lee:
His response to Limbaugh’s disgusting “phony soldier” remark was one of the best pieces ever.
Keith G
At http://milpubblog.blogspot.com/ you will find some of the guys who made Intel-dump worthwhile minus Phil Carter.
JK
@Warren Terra:
Thanks for reproducing and linking to that letter by Dr Helen, the Instawife.
Glenn Reynolds and his dimwit wife are Tweedle Dumb Ass and Tweedle Bigger Dumb Ass.
srv
@Keith G: Frack! They started up again and I didn’t get an invite.
The Main Gauche of Mild Reason
@Tsulagi:
I hope you’re using “feminazi” in jest. I really do.
I’ve been reading her awhile now, and she’s more or less the same tone as Amanda Marcotte or the other feminist bloggers. It’s fucking ridiculous that commentary about men being the problem in gender relations–which is demonstrably true in every single country in the world and a perfectly rational view–as some sort of extremist ideology. Now, clearly, there are some men who whine and bitch about this–thinking that saying that “men are the problem” is equivalent to saying “all men are evil rapists”–to whom I say grow a fucking pair.
Linkmeister
@Tsulagi: Oh, hell yes, ginmar. Her on-scene reporting when she was in Iraq was terrifying.
shecky
Thanks for some interesting leads. The only blogger I ever liked that was remotely in this category was the War Nerd. Whenever someone linked me to an actual war/mil blog, it always seemed to be in order to expose some kind of lunatic writer rather than spread the news on an interesting writer.
DeadlyShoe
I hope this “While Woodstock Rocked, GIs Died” article isn’t typical of Small Wars Journal. That was just fuckin stupid. Robert Farley ably butchered it in the comments though.
lawnorder
Col. Hackworth… I miss his columns!
@The Main Gauche: I’m a “feminazy” and hardly think men are THE problem. There are a lot of bad women who reinforce the patriarch society, and a lot good non misogynist men out there.
Cassidy in Iraq
—to whom I say grow a fucking pair.
Sure, but say that to a woman who complains all the time about male dominated society and how unfair it is, then you’re a mysogynist.
Is there going to be a blog roll created just for milblogs?
Breezeblock
My suggestion:
http://zenhuber.blogspot.com/
Jeff Huber only writes about once a week or so, but he’s funny and serious at the same time.
linda
completely ot, but a most excellent barney frank moment that you will certainly enjoy:
http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2009/08/18/barney-frank-is-a-god/
MikeJ
Barney Frank should be cloned at least 534 times.
Cat Lady
@MikeJ:
That’s my Congressman! Woot!
I’ve been to his meetings. He always attracts a lot of LaRouchies, so he’s had years of practice at put-downs. That, however, was a thing of beauty.
Keith G
For a stomich-cramping experience watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIc4UwIttaQ&NR=1
It is Neil Cavuto and Fox idjits playing only a very small small clip of Frank’s meeting and then complaining how unprofessional Barney is.
kid bitzer
@72–
man, in that clip he got in not just one but three solid whacks at that whacko.
still, i’m glad that he supports the first amendment rights of dining room tables.
Keith G
@linda: I have a youtube link showing a “news” show not being fair and balanced about Mr. Frank’s behavior. My comment is being moderated (20 min at this point) and will be released in time for it to be irrelevent.
sigh.
Cataphract
Abu Muquwama was headed by Andrew Exum, who works for CNAS now. While it is probably a good blog for warriors and the like, the CNAS ideology is largely necon-ish/liberal interventionist in orientation.
Blackfive came off as knee-jerk low-info stuff, though they did have the original article for “Taking Chance.”
I could be wrong on both (surprise, surprise), so judge for yourself.
vacuumslayer
Does this count?
Barry
I soured on Pat Lang; in the end, he’s just too defensive of the system. He and I got into a spat about whether the CIA lied to Congress. Frankly, anybody who assumes that any intelligence agency doesn’t regularly lie to that country’s parliament/congress/whatever has serious problems with reality.
The Grand Panjandrum
@SGEW:
Wow. A simple comment on a blog got me teared up. I’ll just add my me too.
someguy
Surprised nobody mentioned Michael Yon. He doesn’t seem too batshit insane.
Docrailgun
BlackFive is surely the last refuge of the Wingnut.
Information Dissemination often has good commentary in naval issues, and is also good for it’s blogroll (which has a mix of craziness such as Blackfive, and slightly more sane blogs such as Lawyers, Guns, and Money).
KevinD
I would add this guy:
http://rangeragainstwar.blogspot.com/
Bryant
No mention of Flit yet? Real military guy, Canadian, smart.
scott
I’m a gay Marine and read a bunch of milblogs but their general right wing (OK batshit crazy right wing and homophobic) bent tends to turn me off.
That having been said, give Chap a looksee over at Chapomatic — http://gmapalumni.org/chapomatic/
Its not all mil all the time so it doesn’t get tedious about the latest weapons systems and other such mil/porn and its very smart with interesting takes on social issues as they relate to the military.
And even though Chap is a squid he’s still a good guy. For a squid that is.
Hyperion
slightly OT but…
i’d like to nominate “butthurt” as one of the most over-used terms on the ‘tubes.
it used to be that anal sex was referenced infrequently and indirectly by mentioning prison shower scenes. our host here still does it occasionally.
but now it seems that folks cannot keep themselves from invoking it at the drop of a hat (instead of at the drop of a bar of soap). why?
Hyperion
@srv: wow. a good summary of my problems with Lang.
plus he writes obscure posts and when someone asks for an explanation, he comes up with BS like “you have to figure it out for yourself.” ok. so what do i need pat lang for?
he also is hyperbolic about some pretty silly things: Obama bowed to a Saudi leader!?!!! OMG!
moreover, his strange text formatting choices sometimes make it hard to discern what he is quoting and what he is stating.
so for me, his potentially interesting ideas are overwhelmed by his various personal idiosyncracies.
soonergrunt
Blackfive isn’t just batshit crazy but flat out dishonest. Uncle Jimbo’s profile over there describes him as “former special forces master sergeant” implying a long career in SF. He actually serves one (incomplete) tour as a Staff Sergeant before getting out of the reglar army and joining the National Guar, where to be fair, he actually did make Master Sergeant before he retired. When called on this by real SF operators who knew the story (and could prove it,) he demurred. Of course his co-bloggers demanded that he man up with the truth…NOT. They went on the warpath, questioning the SF vets integrity, accusing them of being KOS plants–everything except answering the question. None of them has a shred of credibility.
Aaron
I put a link to my del.icio.us links of military blogs in my name above.
comments indicate which are the ones who are nuts.
Tsulagi
@The Main Gauche of Mild Reason:
Geez. What, PC police want to pull me over to write a ticket for exceeding the snark limit? Bleh.
@soonergrunt:
Figures. Anyway, I don’t consider blogs like Blackfive to be milblogs. They’re written by those who served. Past tense. By that definition Balloon Juice could be called a milblog by a DAT. Or a TWAT (Tanker Without A Tank).
KevinD
@Breezeblock:
Second that. Jeff Huber is a riot and pulls no punchs.
mutt
Abu Muq, Small Wars Journal. Check out SWJ on torture & torturers- Abu M, too.
Slightly OT- Serious retired CIA guys, inc. the Afghan Station Chief, on how truly bad this Afghan idea is-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI
I link it to give an example of the kind of thinking you can find at above mentioned blogs- the comments, as here, are often extremely illuminating.
Im a Viet vet, with some combat behind me (thankfully) and have traveled in wierd places. Those of you not so familiar with the …..pointy end of foriegn policy can learn a lot here. Demystify, pick up a lot of good points if you are opposed to the Wars & Occupations…
malclave
Heh. Funny comments. Pretty much as intolerant as expected. but there were a few that seemed to be edging towards the capacity for independent, critical thought.
mutt
and of course…
http://www.sftt.org/
Hackworth’s outfit is still carrying out his work….
Akinoluna - a female Marine
My blog! http://akinoluna.blogspot.com
I don’t talk politics very much, and focus more on the female side of things.
Jason
@John Cole:
Jesus, John – are you still carrying that cross? I apologized, do you want me to beg?
You can judge me by that one post or you can judge me by my continued actions to discuss progressive viewpoints on military issues. Just call Noah Schactman or Rob Farley if you want a character reference.
V/R
J. “Armchair Cowboy” Sigger
John Cole
@Jason: It is not a cross, it is that you reflexively trust anything that comes from the Pentagon or the DoD, to the point when someone asks something innocuous about how what they are doing is legal or good, and your gut instinct is to mock them as being liberal weenies, despite the person asking the question having almost a decade in the military.
That, to me, shows suspect judgment. I want analysis that questions military authority, not stands in awe of it.
Jason
“That, to me, shows suspect judgment. I want analysis that questions military authority, not stands in awe of it.”
Well that shows that you haven’t read any of my military posts, homeland security posts, or CBRN defense posts other than the one NORTHCOM-CCMRF issue. I’m critical enough. Ah well, not gonna convince you, have a good life. Whether you believe it or not, we’re on the same side.