"The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society."
-Rowan Atkinson

"War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."
J.R.R. Tolkien

"This country has not seen and probably will never know the true level of sacrifice of our veterans. As a civilian, I owe an unpayable debt to all our military. Going forward let's not send our servicemen and women off to war or conflict zones unless it is overwhelmingly justifiable and on moral high ground."
Thomas M Smith 


S. Korea announces first female two-star general | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 오석민 · November 8, 2019
SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- A female South Korean Army brigadier general was promoted on Friday to become the country's first female two-star general, the defense ministry said.
Kang Sun-young, 53, became a major general in a regular reshuffle of top uniformed officers and was appointed by President Moon Jee-in to lead the Army's Aviation Operations Command, the ministry said.
It will also be the first time that a female commander will take the helm of the aviation command, according to the ministry.
"Maj. Gen. Kang has enough ability and professionalism to serve the role," a ministry official said.
Commissioned in 1990, Kang is considered well-versed in air defense maneuvers. Currently, she is the president of the Army Aviation school.
In Friday's reshuffle, two other female officers -- Col. Kim Joo-hee and Col. Jeong Eui-sook -- were also promoted to one-star generals, the ministry said, adding that, including the three female officers, a total of 103 service persons, including five two-star generals, donned another star.
"The military will continue to seek fair and balanced personnel management to select talented people regardless of background, gender and branch of military service," the ministry said in a release.

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
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If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."