Battleland Launches Monday!

We’re launching a major offensive operation here on Monday with the start of our new Battleland blog. What with the ever-changing threats confronting the nation, the three (OK, 2.5) wars the nation is waging, and the budget crunch the U.S. military now faces, there’s not a better time to begin a blog dedicated to the challenges of national security in the 21st Century.

We’re going to feature TIME folks versed in all facets of fighting, funding and fudging, as well as outside experts who will ponder and pontificate — and maybe even pop off once in awhile. If wars break out among contributors and commenters, we’ll insist they be civil wars. We hope you’ll check it out come Monday morning about oh-dark-thirty. I’ll post a link to it here on Swampland about that time, as I PCS — “permanent change of station” — from the Swamp to Battleland. Hope you’ll tag along.

Related Topics: battleland, National Security
  • Latest on Swampland

    Pete Souza / The White House via Getty Images

    Political Picures of the Week, May 18-25

    TIME’s photo editors bring you the best pictures of the past week from the Beltway and beyond.

    Obama Administration Blocks Global Health Fund To Fight Disease In Developing NationsHuffPost Politics

    From left: AP; ABACAUSA

    The Phony War: Obama and Romney Are Debating Character, Not Policy

    More than five months from Election Day, the back-and-forth about Mitt Romney’s record at Bain already feels played out. Unfortunately, there’s good reason to expect the campaign continues in this vein indefinitely. Neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney are terribly interested in dwelling on policy platforms. Romney’s plan to slash spending and keep taxes low on the wealthy isn’t especially popular, at least not at any level of detail beyond a blithe promise to shrink the deficit. Meanwhile, Obama’s signature first-term achievements, like health care, the stimulus and Wall Street reform, are all unpopular or tricky to sell. (The Dodd-Frank bill is the most popular of these, but hyping it means offending wealthy donors.) So what we’re getting instead is a superficial duel about character–and, worse, one that’s based on the largely false premise that the better man can better “manage” the economy back to health.

  • squirmz

    “Where Military Intelligence is not a contradiction in terms.”

    I like that.

    My favorite sign I’ve seen since I moved to the capitol area is this one.

    “The George Bush Center for Intelligence”

  • http://grapemusing.blogspot.com/ grape_crush

    Good luck with your new endeavor, Mark.

  • nflfoghorn

    “Battleland” – Who suggested that one, Travolta?
    .

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    We’ll see you there………

  • http://patricksartor.wordpress.com patricksartor

    “If wars break out among contributors and commenters, we’ll insist they be civil wars.”
    .
    How, by using a completely automated service like wordpress and hope that nobody launches personal attacks?

  • http://twitter.com/ktumulty Karen Tumulty

    Congratulations, Mark. I can’t wait to read it.

  • stuartzechman

    I’ll check it out, Mark Thompson.

  • nflfoghorn

    Swampies drop kindness drone over KT’s flat :)

  • lupercal5

    “If wars break out among contributors and commenters, we’ll insist they be civil wars.”
    .
    extolling the value of civil wars…smh
    .
    well i wish you wouldn’t go sit in a corner, MT because less people will be aware of your blog and the important issues it raises. I think it was perfectly fine here. But i will def bookmark

  • chupkar

    Maybe I should have posted this here instead, Mark. You could examine this in your new blog!

    http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/A%20National%20Strategic%20Narrative.pdf

    The Y Article: A National Strategic Narrative

    (from the preface)
    The Y article is the first step down that new path. It is written by two military men who have put
    their lives on the line in the defense of their country and who are non-partisan by profession and
    conviction. Their insights and ideas should spark a national conversation. All it takes is for
    politicians, pundits, journalists, businesspeople, civic leaders, and engaged citizens across the
    country to read and respond.

  • pintortwo

    Thanks for your contributions to the Swamp, best of luck with the new blog.

  • kbanginmotown

    “The George Bush Center for Intelligencitude”
    .
    FTFY

  • Ivy_B

    I have appreciated the information you brought to the Swamp and look forward to your new blog. Will check it out.

    If you were to periodically post a reminder link here now and then for those of us stuck in ruts, we would promise not to call you names!

  • Mark Thompson

    Thanks KT!

  • Mark Thompson

    It has been a high honor and distinct privilege to be called names here in the Swamp, Ivy_B. Some may call them name-callers. I prefer to think of them as readers…

  • http://elvisberg.wordpress.com Elvis Elvisberg

    Congrats on getting your own place. See you there!

  • conversets

    Glad to see you out of here. Save a stamp on the homewarming invite; I won’t be visiting.

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