Editor’s Note: Seventy-five years ago, the analysis of what had happened in the Coral Sea in the first carrier-vs.-carrier encounter of the Pacific War. Nearly half the survivors of the oiler Neosho were still adrift, Lady Lexington was on the bottom and Yorktown was gravely wounded. Against that stark backdrop, Australia had been spared the […]

Editor’s Note: Arrias is a distinguished Nay veteran, and has been to this rodeo before in his distinguished career. His views do not necessarily reflect those of Socotra House LLC management, nor that of the Hong Kong Fireworks Co, Ltd. Happy May Day! – Vic 01 May 2017 A Bigger US Fleet President Trump wants […]

Editor’s Note: Standard disclaimer. Arrias is a real person with a distinct and discerning mind of his own. – Vic Civil Ignorance and Common Interests A frenzied press “revealed” that after President Trump publicly stated he was moving an aircraft carrier towards Korea, the carrier actually departed port and headed south – the opposite direction […]

Editor’s Note: It is Easter Sunday, a day of joy throughout Christendom for the resurrection of the Risen Christ. Have the very best holiday possible! And remember, Arrias is a real person, not the Easter Bunny. – Vic North Korea’s Weapons: Whose Money? They held a parade in Pyongyang on Saturday… It’s worth searching the […]

Standard Socotra House, LLC, Disclaimer: Arrias is his own guy. I happen to agree. It was an interesting week: The Supreme Court received its latest judge – one with a decidedly traditional view of the Constitution; Judge Gorsuch believes it means just what is says, and if you want to change that, there is a […]

Editor’s Note: Remember, Arrias is a real human being and he writes powerfully. Under the hard country of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, Comanche country, lies a 70,000 square mile geological formation called the Permian Basin. Since the first commercial oil well in the Basin in 1921, approximately 30 billion barrels have been pumped, […]

Editor’s Note: Arrias is the pen name of a real human being with superior analytic and communications skills. It is not me. The thoughts and opinions expressed are his, and not necessarily those of Socotra House LLC, the Department of Defense, or the Hong Kong Fireworks Co., Ltd. His commentary is provided for the exclusive […]

China, that is, the ruling elite in Beijing, isn’t helping things. Talking heads can be heard opining that the only way to solve the mess in North Korea is with China’s help. But, the truth is a bit more complicated. Beijing wants to carve out a larger piece of the pie (the world). How big […]

While the nightly news and the major newspapers stir themselves into a frenzy over mostly trivia, real problems continue to fester: North Korea has nuclear weapons. Three administrations (Clinton, Bush, Obama) believed that negotiations and agreements would change the minds of the government in Pyongyang. They were wrong. The leader of North Korea, Kim Jung […]

The President wants to add $54 billion to the DOD budget next year, and expand the Navy to 350 ships; and expand the Army, Air Force and Marines. Several retired admirals and generals opined that it won’t really work, and that once Washington DC reality sets in, there’ll be universal recognition of that “fact” and […]