Compass Points - A Favor
A Favor Requested
July 3, 2024
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Tomorrow we will pause to celebrate the founding of the United States. When the Declaration of Independence was signed back in 1776, war with England had already begun. Could the rag-tag colonial militias find a way to defeat the greatest military power on earth? Extremely unlikely. It would take herculean effort and divine providence for the American colonies to prevail.
Today in 2024, the celebration on the 4th will start the final four months of a contentious US presidential election. There is keen interest and strong opinion on all sides -- as there should be. Boisterous political discussions are a good thing -- except on Compass Points.
Compass Points asks a favor of all readers, that particularly over the next four months, readers help maintain robust discussion, discourse, and debate on Compass Points that remains free from politics and personalities. Compass Points is non-political and non-partisan. Compass Points is relentlessly focused on helping to encourage a National defense and a Marine Corps that is better tomorrow than it is today. Compass Points is accused regularly of attacking someone in high position, most often CMC, SECNAV, SECDEF, or the Commander-in-Chief. The focus should not be who is sitting temporarily in some important chair, the focus is what policies are being pursued and what progress is being made.
If CMC, SECNAV, SECDEF, and the Commander-in-Chief were all instantly replaced, Compass Points would still be asking the same question, how should things be done differently going forward to build a stronger National defense and a stronger Marine Corps. The questions never end. The analysis never ends. The focus remains always on the issues, on how can and should things be done better. When the Marine Corps is headed in the wrong direction, we will sound the alarm. When it is time to turn in a new direction, we will say, "turn."
Over the next four months, can the discussion, discourse, and debate on Compass Points continue to be robust, unfettered, and full of humor and insight, but without politics and personalities? Perhaps it will take herculean effort and divine providence, but with the help of every reader, we can all win.
Many thanks!
Included below are words from a previous Compass Points post and some guidance from a former Commandant.
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The Importance of Robust Discussion
Compass Points is a discussion site about the Marine Corps and National security. Compass Points advocates for a stronger Marine Corps and a stronger National defense.
These are momentous topics, worthy of a robust discussion, discourse, and debate. This is not a petty discussion of personalities or persons. Rather, we are at a critical time, facing critical topics. The urgency of the issues dictates the frankness of the debate.
The discussion should be conducted as a professional discussion among Marines and friends of the Corps from all backgrounds and experience. Those Marines on active duty years ago and those on active duty today are bound together on the same journey. We all share the same goal: to ensure the Marine Corps is strong today and stronger tomorrow.
If the Marine Corps grows stronger in the future, then all of us — on all sides — will win. If the Marine Corps grows weaker, then we all lose.
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Writing some time ago in the Marine Times, General Charles Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, reflected on professional discussion among Marines and some "bedrock principles."
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In closing, I urge all to reflect deeply on our long-standing bedrock principles and to consider carefully the following points:
-- We need to move from waging information campaigns against one another after serious decisions about our Corps future have been made to a much more inclusive and transparent process before decisions are made.
-- We need to move from generalizations and straw man characterizations of contending views to serious, in-depth discussions about operational capabilities and the dependencies they have, discussions befitting professionals.
-- We need to clearly articulate a future end-state and the means by which we will get there to include, rigorously red-teamed transitions that minimize exploitable opportunities by this nation’s enemies each step of the way.
-- We need to return to a time when we “cast our nets widely” and think deeply and carefully about our own dynamic, complex adaptive system, and the many other dynamic complex systems with which we operate.
This is our Marine Corps, and we all have roles to play in helping it adapt to an increasingly complex future.
We must never denigrate or marginalize those who want to help shape its future. We must encourage, rather than suppress, different perspectives and life experiences. Open, inclusive stress-testing of hypotheses about our Corps make for both a stronger, more relevant Corps and a more cohesive and unified Corps.
Let’s revitalize “Gung Ho”— working together.
-- General Charles Krulak, "Whose Marine Corps?" Marine Times 05/27/2022
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Happy 4th of July to one and all!
It seems a shame that this even needed to be asked.
Happy Independence Day and Semper Fidelis.
Commandancy of the The Alamo
Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World-
Fellow Citizens & compatriots-
I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna - I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man - The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken - I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls - I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch - The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country - Victory or Death.
William Barret Travis.
Lt. Col.comdt.
P. S. The Lord is on our side - When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn - We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves