iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Max Boot

Washington Post Opinions @postopinions.bsky.social · 18h

"The U.S. military needs a radical change in its thinking: It can no longer expect to operate from invulnerable bases near the front," @maxboot.bsky.social writes.

wapo.st

Opinion | Iran destroys a fundamental U.S. military assumption

The war exposes a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a conflict with China.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 5h

A good summary of how @washingtonpost continues to do kick-ass journalism. Rumors of its demise were greatly exaggerated. It is recovering from the cutbacks and continuing to produce important stories. www.washingtonpost.com/impact?itid=...

washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The military can no longer expect to operate from invulnerable bases near the front. But it’s hard to imagine that the armed forces can focus on such a major strategic reorientation when they are dealing with Hegseth’s destabilizing political purges & his retrograde T-count demands. wapo.st/4jsqNEo

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And it’s about to come out in paperback.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Ron Reagan.... happened to mention that Max Boot had written what was probably the best biography of the 40th President, an opinion shared by many others. It's a 731 page tome, published in 2024, entitled "Reagan: His Life and Legend." potus-geeks.livejournal.com/1963874.html

potus-geeks.livejournal.com

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Because the Bahrain port was inoperable, the Navy had to rely on its base at Diego Garcia, 2,200 miles away, to supply the fleet in the Mideast. That increased the cost, and decreased the frequency, of supplies reaching the ships, while also making port calls too dangerous. wapo.st/4jsqNEo

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

58636

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The US can no longer expect to operate from invulnerable bases near the front. But the topflight officers cashiered by Hegseth are the very ones the armed forces need to adjust to the massive changes in the American way of war being necessitated by the drone revolution. wapo.st/4jsqNEo

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

34513

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Iran damaged US bases in the Mideast. Now imagine what China could do to U.S. bases in Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Guam, even Hawaii. If most of those bases were knocked out of commission, even temporarily, it would cripple the U.S. ability to defend Taiwan. wapo.st/4jsqNEo

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

75514

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

An inspector general report noted, “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict. In addition, dozens of U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged.” wapo.st/4jsqNEo

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

16016

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Since World War II, the U.S. has developed a far-flung network of 750 bases in 80 countries and territories. The presumption has always been that U.S. air superiority would keep those bases safe. The conflict with Iran, however, has revealed that this assumption no longer holds. wapo.st/4jsqNEo

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

05215

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

wapo.st

Opinion | America’s military bases are no longer safe

Iran exposed a vulnerability that could be disastrous in a war with China.

37616

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The bromance is entirely one-sided; Xi didn’t greet Trump at the airport when Trump went to Beijing. Yet, as a token of his unrequited friendship, Trump gave China access to AI chips, paused a $14B arms sales to Taiwan, and offered excuses for China aiding Iran to target U.S. bases. wapo.st/4rwZif1

wapo.st

Opinion | What Trump doesn’t seem to realize about Xi Jinping

His mysterious friendship with China’s president appears one-sided.

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Reposted by Max Boot

Washington Post Opinions @postopinions.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Trump doesn’t seem to notice that the bromance is entirely one-sided; Xi said nothing about being Trump’s pal." This link will allow you to access this column by @maxboot.bsky.social for $2 — no subscription required:

wapo.st

Opinion | What Trump doesn’t seem to realize about Xi Jinping

His mysterious friendship with China’s president appears one-sided.

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Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

As with Kim Jong Un, Trump doesn’t seem to notice that the bromance is entirely one-sided; Xi said nothing about being Trump’s pal. Yet, as a token of unrequited friendship, Trump gave China access to Nvidia's 2nd most powerful AI chips and paused a $14 billion arms sales to Taiwan. wapo.st/4rwZif1

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

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Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It’s hard to say why Trump has suddenly gone from attack dog to lap dog on China. Part of the explanation may be that Trump discovered, during last year’s trade war, the high cost of confronting China; like many bullies, he shies away from a fight if he fears getting hurt. wapo.st/4rwZif1

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

1517637

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Trump gives Xi a pass on reports that China has provided satellite imagery that allowed Iran to target US bases. “They basically do what we do,” Trump said. “We spy on them too.” It’s true the US spies on China, but it isn’t helping to kill Chinese soldiers or blow up Chinese bases. wapo.st/4rwZif1

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

56615

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The redeployment of the USS George Washington to the Middle East has left the Pacific without a single U.S. aircraft carrier. So much for President Barack Obama’s “pivot to Asia”; Trump is pivoting from Asia. wapo.st/4rwZif1

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Beijing is charging ahead in one state-supported technological sector after another (BYD surpassed Tesla this year as the world’s largest manufacturer of electrical vehicles), while Trump remains distracted by his war with Iran and his compulsion to build monuments to himself. wapo.st/4rwZif1

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

wapo.st

Opinion | How Trump pivoted from China hawk to China dove

The president seems to have discovered the high cost of confronting Beijing.

78629

Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Over on Substack, I have thoughts on the Greenland crisis. Bottom line: It's good that the crisis is over (for now). It should never have begun in the first place. This shows the cost of having an out-of-control president who governs based on whim and ego and bluster. bit.ly/3TEhUgA

bit.ly

Trump ends the Greenland crisis he created. For now.

Trump didn’t get anything justifying the massive strain he put on trans-Atlantic relations

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

bit.ly

Trump ends the Greenland crisis he created. For now.

Trump didn’t get anything justifying the massive strain he put on trans-Atlantic relations

1212525

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Gary Rosen: Bolsheviks are unsentimental killers; their program is to seize and hold state power through force and terror. The program of today’s DSA revolutionaries is expressive, romantic and, I would argue, only secondarily political. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

washingtonpost.com

Opinion | Bolsheviks? The DSA is only cosplaying revolution.

The organization’s platform is sometimes horrifying — but also starry-eyed and naive.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Both Putin and Trump can tell themselves they are winning their wars: Putin by bombarding Ukrainian cities, Trump by blockading Iranian oil and getting some non-Iranian oil out of the Strait of Hormuz. But neither Ukraine nor Iran is anywhere close to defeat. wapo.st/4xstMAa

wapo.st

Opinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their wars

All that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It appears increasingly unlikely that anything either Putin or Trump can do militarily can deliver their ambitious objectives. Both Iran and Ukraine have every incentive to keep fighting, because both of their governments know that defeat could be fatal for them. wapo.st/4xstMAa

wapo.st

Opinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their wars

All that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The only realistic way to end these wars is via diplomacy, and that will require Trump and Putin to make difficult concessions. For Putin, that means a ceasefire in place. For Trump, it means agreeing to a deal that would leave Iran a large degree of control over Strait of Hormuz. wapo.st/4xstMAa

wapo.st

Opinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their wars

All that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

While the Russians are able to inflict more civilian casualties from the air, they have not been able to advance on the ground. British intelligence estimates that nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since 2022. That’s more than the number of Americans killed in WWII. wapo.st/4xstMAa

wapo.st

Opinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their wars

All that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries.

1659

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It appears increasingly unlikely that anything either Putin or Trump can do militarily can deliver their ambitious objectives. The only realistic way to end these wars is via diplomacy, and that will require Trump and Putin to make difficult concessions. wapo.st/4xstMAa

wapo.st

Opinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their wars

All that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries.

3293

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump launched wars of choice because they thought that Ukraine and Iran, respectively, would be defeated in a matter of days. But both countries have proved much more resilient and resourceful than expected. wapo.st/4xstMAa

wapo.st

Opinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their wars

All that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries.

1405

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I discussed Hegseth’s chaotic tenure with my fellow @postopinions.bsky.social columnist (and Navy vet) Ted Johnson. We both agree Hegseth needs to go for the armed forces to recover. wapo.st/3SNGwDl

wapo.st

Opinion | ‘He needs to go’: What drives the chaos in Pete Hegseth’s Defense Department

Hegseth is remaking the Pentagon in his own image.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Ever since 1980, Republicans have been promising “peace through strength.” The Trump/Hegseth philosophy looks more like “war and weakness.” wapo.st/3SNGwDl

wapo.st

Opinion | ‘He needs to go’: Two writers on the chaos in Pete Hegseth’s Defense Department

Hegseth is remaking the Pentagon in his own image.

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Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Both Europe and America remain curiously reticent to provide Ukraine with $300 billion in frozen Russian funds. Sending that money to Kyiv would be the strongest signal from the West that Russia’s terrorist assault on Europe is unacceptable. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The top priority for Ukraine now is to improve its air defenses against a growing threat from Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. Unfortunately, Trump has wasted precious Patriots in a needless war with Iran. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin receives a tacit invite to a far more dangerous confrontation

Trump and NATO’s weak response to Russia’s escalating attacks risks war.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

On Saturday, Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner had a chummy meeting with Putin before going to Kyiv for the first time. Witkoff told the Butcher of Bucha that “when we retire we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories and yours will be right at the top of it all.” wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

36815

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Trump has been silent about Russian attacks on Europe. Everything he says & does sends the wrong signal to the Kremlin. He said that Canada is harder to deal with than China or Russia, and he invited the Russian finance minister to the G-20 last week for the first time since 2022. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

57124

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

414030

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Last week, German authorities blamed Russia for attempted attacks in early August on aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport using explosive-laden drones. This is known as “hybrid” or “gray-zone” warfare, but a more accurate description is state-sponsored terrorism. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Throughout his second term, Trump has sharply scaled back U.S. support for Ukraine. CIA Director John Ratcliffe went to Moscow last month to warn Putin away from escalating in the war with Ukraine, but Trump’s mixed messages undermine any such warning. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

1446

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The West needs to raise the cost of Putin’s aggression. If the response remains mushy, there is good cause to worry about Russia expanding its attacks — for example, by targeting the Baltic republics — and thereby provoking a full-blown war with NATO. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

1496

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Putin last week called Western nations “sharks of imperialism” and vowed: “If anyone tries to drag us down the food chain, to gobble us up or devour us, they might get punched in the teeth.” It is no coincidence, comrade, that Russian covert attacks on Europe are rapidly escalating. wapo.st/4gAIMH6

wapo.st

Opinion | Putin is probing NATO. He keeps finding mush, not steel.

The West's weak response is inviting more Russian sabotage — and a far more dangerous confrontation.

0313

Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

All the money in the world can’t make up for the crippling loss of leadership caused by Hegseth’s purges. Trump and Hegseth may be buying more hardware, but they are endangering the apolitical professionalism—the operating system--that made the U.S. military the envy of the world. wapo.st/4gFl3Ey

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

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Reposted by Max Boot

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The new acting Army chief of staff reassigned three heavy divisions from focusing on the Russian threat in Europe to the new Western Hemisphere Command. Are these armored units supposed to invade Mexico? Greenland? Canada? It makes no sense and sends a dangerous signal to Putin. wapo.st/4gFl3Ey

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

85971404

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Trump bears ultimate responsibility for launching this unsuccessful and unnecessary conflict with Iran. Yet the Pentagon leadership can’t escape blame. I am dead certain that if Jim Mattis and Gen. Mark Milley were still in office, we would never have gotten into this quagmire. wapo.st/4gFl3Ey

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

1016946

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

85971404

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

21555152

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Adm. Daryl Caudle and his aides reportedly lobbied for him to get the post—in breach of military decorum—after Hegseth fired the first female CNO. Now Caudle is publicly silent as Trump exacerbates the Navy's readiness crisis by making foolhardy demands to redesign future carriers. wapo.st/4gFl3Ey

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I am dead certain that if Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Gen. Mark Milley were still in office, we would never have gotten into this quagmire. Both men wisely resisted pressure to attack Iran. But in his second term, Trump made sure to appoint more pliant leaders. wapo.st/4gFl3Ey

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

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Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Hegseth's purges have created a a dangerous leadership vacuum that is jeopardizing national security. Critical leadership posts in the armed forces are either not being filled or they are being filled with officers seemingly appointed more for political than professional reasons. wapo.st/4gFl3Ey

wapo.st

Opinion | Hegseth’s purges are endangering national security

The Iran quagmire wouldn’t have happened under Trump’s first-term military leaders.

25415