Holiday Special: 2019’s ten most popular Lawfire posts (and some additional favorites)!
Looking for some holiday reading? A very wide range of national and, really, international security issues confronted the U.S. and the world in 2019, and Lawfire® readers got a unique perspective on many of them. Here’s 2019’s list of the top ten most-viewed posts by readers across the globe:
1) Can Presidents ‘fire’ senior military officers? Generally, yes…but it’s complicated (2016).
2) No; the “laws of war” are not “history” (2019).
3) Discerning myths from facts: some questions for the incoming Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2019).
4) Yes, the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden was lawful (2019).
5) Disasters and Emergencies: Legal authorities and the military’s role (2017).
6) Why an apolitical military is so important in an era of an “All-Volunteer” force (2019).
7) Should retired servicemembers be subject to military jurisdiction? A retiree’s perspective (2019).
8) Does the Constitution really require the military to induct everyone who wants to join? (2017).
10) What does the law say about putting troops on the border? (2018).
Any of the posts above can be viewed by clicking on the title. As you can see, several of the above posts are actually from 2018 or earlier, but remained very popular in 2019. This is encouraging because to Lawfire® aims to be a blog with ‘staying power’ with posts of long-term interest to you (and perhaps be a starting point for your own research).
ICYMI Dept: below are some of my favorite 2019 posts that didn’t quite make the top ten, but might still be worth a look (they are in no particular order, and all are also hyperlinked, so just click on any title that sparks you interest):
- What should leaders tell the troops about impeachment?
- A question for America: should a CIA official ever be obliged to face the public?
- Countering the threat of mass shootings: can military theory help?
- Podcast: Professor Nita Farahany on “Neuroscience, Ethics and National Security”
- Will the law cooperate with the Air Force’s bold new approach to acquiring sophisticated fighter jets?
- Reflections on Pacifism
- Civ-Mil Relations: 6 Lessons from a Tweet
- Why you should be (very) skeptical of Amnesty International’s report
- Is the attorney-client privilege dead? (No, but it may not be as robust as you thought)
- The ethical challenges of immigration activism
- Cyber norm development: is the U.S. at an inflection point?
- Guest Post: Shane Stansbury on renewing the debate on domestic terrorism legislation
- Why the case against the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the stronger one
- DoD’s interpretation of the Law of War isn’t “Garbage in/Garbage out”
In addition, there are a couple of items published on other online platforms that you may want to check out. The full collection can be found here, but a few of the more recent ones are: “Reasonable People Can Differ On Trump’s Military Justice Actions”; “Trump’s Military Pardons Not Likely To Hurt Morale, Discipline”; “Keep Calm And Carry On: Neither “Private Armies” Nor “Foreign Forces” Are Heading Up The Potomac”; and “Clarifying the Scope of the Legal Profession’s Ethical Responsibilities: A Response to John Bies”. (Again, all are hyperlinks, so just click on the title if you’d like to see more).
And here’s a recent post I hope everyone considers: A truly meaningful action you can take… – we really do need your help! What topics will be covered in 2020? Subscribe to Lawfire® and make sure you don’t miss anything!!! Joining the Lawfire® family is a 2020 resolution you can make happen right now!
And be sure to mark your calendars for our 25 Anniversary National Security Law Conference set for 28-29 February 2020. Registration will open in early January 2020.
