Strategos came from a long series of posts on strategy and politics on the blog site of The Nation. I had been posting there for several months, and written some good ideas into posts arguing over BushCo strategic policy, when my wife asked me “so, have you actually convinced anybody yet?” It struck me that if I wanted my ideas and my strategic understanding to have any real impact, I’d better get them out there and before the eyes of others. Since publishing in this subject area in history is often less than fruitful (being often too far after the fact to have an effect on policy beyond a few politicians who actually read history), and I had already seen how politically effective good strategic ideas could be when people actually knew the possibilities and outcomes, I determined to start a blog dedicated to spreading an understanding of strategy and its application to current policy and politics throughout our society.
Most of the posts here will be dedicated to strategy broadly conceived, that is to any area that might bear on the safety, security, or success of the nation. That easily covers a range from pure military policy and diplomacy to environmental policy and income distribution. This blog’s purpose is to encourage those who would be strategoi of our tribe, to offer the advice and insight of one trained to think in strategic terms to them and the demos at large, on the safety of the state and all matters related to it. A lofty goal, and one no doubt that I will fail to reach on plenty of occasions. I ask only that you give the ideas here thought, no matter your predispositions.
The posts here will tend to be of two kinds: either simple links and comments, to which I am not generally prone, or long and involved pieces on issues I am following at any given moment. I tend toward lengthy posts, so be prepared. I’ll monitor comments for new posts, but don’t expect too much after I’ve moved on to another idea. However, since the new post production rate is likely to be and remain slow (two or three a week), that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Everything used on Strategos will be posted here under either a Creative Commons license (if it is my original content) or quoted and/or linked in concert with the concepts of fair use for educational purposes. All content will meet normal academic standards for historical evidence and will be cited accordingly (as far as is possible.)
