PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – The incredible, world-altering ‘Black Swan’ events that could upend life in 2025. Fifteen futurists and other prognosticators provide some explosive potential scenarios for the new year.
2024 often felt manic, with assassination attempts on Donald Trump, war in the Middle East and the implosion of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. But there’s no reason to think 2025 will be any calmer.
There will undoubtedly be unexpected shocks, “Black Swan” that no one can predict in advance: catastrophes from devastating cyber-attacks, a market crash, the threat of AI, deadly epidemics, US secessionists, to nuclear war.
MEANWHILE, MORE KNOWN THREATS – Drones, exploding parcels and sabotage: How hybrid “gray zone” tactics by Russia, China , Iran et al target the West, leaving defense officials with a dilemma: How to respond? The tactics, that include military, cyber, economic and even psychological — are used to covertly attack or destabilize an enemy.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Money, Musk and mission creep: How Trump could shape DOD’s space drift. When Congress authorized the creation of the Space Force in December of 2019, the service’s leadership viewed its small size as an asset.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Security tightened at military bases across North America following New Orleans, Las Vegas attacks. This includes suspending the Trusted Traveler Program.
Man who had short US Army stint accused of trying to become a Hezbollah fighter and lying to the FBI.
Active-duty Special Forces soldier behind Las Vegas bombing said he carried ‘burden’ of lost friends, was a combat veteran in a mental health crisis during the months leading up to the New Year’s Day incident.
POLITICS
Republican Mike Johnson reelected House speaker on first ballot in dramatic floor vote, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts in a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump.
Reminders of Jan. 6 attack fade in the Capitol as Trump retakes power. And there is no plaque, display or remembrance of any kind.
A BIT MUCH FOR A FAILED ONE-TERM PRESIDENT – Jimmy Carter’s funeral begins by tracing 100 years from rural Georgia to the world stage.
US POWER OVERSEAS
USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group is back in the South China Sea.
IRAN THREAT/ISRAEL WARS
The fragile Israel-Hezbollah truce is holding so far, despite violations. The Nov. 27 deal required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon and gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces there and hand over control to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Trump’s strength and unpredictability can help end the war with Russia, Ukraine’s president says.
What Russia’s new ‘get out of jail free’ card for military recruitment says about the war.
2025 will be a pivotal year for Ukraine and Russia. The Kursk operation, which the Ukrainian government hoped would re-allocate Russian forces away from the east, has instead devolved into another attritional grind, with Ukrainians at the front increasingly questioning whether the offensive was a smart play.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
South Korea’s military says North Korea fired mid-range ballistic missile into eastern sea.
South Korea’s impeached president defies warrant after hours long standoff. It’s the latest confrontation in a political crisis that has paralyzed South Korean politics and seen two heads of state impeached in under a month.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Canada’s Leftist Imbecil PM Justin Trudeau will resign as party leader.
Israel buys 7.62x51mm version of US Army’s new Sig Sauer M250 light machine gun.
US MILITARY
How Air Force Special Warfare can improve its ‘soft’ skills. The experts in combat search and rescue, tactical air control, and special reconnaissance are on par with the military’s toughest special operators.
Space Launch Delta 45 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station helps US break launch record for second year in a row, officially cementing its position as the world’s busiest spaceport.
40% rise in mental health diagnoses among troops over the last five years.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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It seems FIALLY this long drawn out LIBERAL FE-ASS-Co ! Is coming to a head. It reminds me of a game. Basic plays stated with BERRACK ? and by my some unplanned mistake of Barrack BIDEN , sorry Joe loosing reality. The OBAMA legacy is crumbling. On world front the different countries have been taking lots out of turns playing this game. You start with a UP STADING Pillar, lets call it USA. Then everyone starts pulling all the pieces out from under it. THE REAL thrill of the game is seeing this pillar of wood wobble all over the place. And the climax and screaming for Joy Erupts from all the surviving players, when this once solid Tower Crashes too PICES !!! The name sounds like ?? KA-Ching but no big pay day for those living in this anything but IVORY TOWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shame on US.
I think we are back to the 60s and 70s. Good old days ! WEED-Free SEX-Scandals- WATER GATE- Assignations. All we need now to make it official. PIECE SIGNS and WHERE’s THE LOVE !!!!!!! One good thing still remains ? We maintain World Wide VIETNAMS at one place or another around the world. Wonderful to be able to count on some things never CHANGING !!!!