Temple of Liberty

Reflections on freedom, leadership, and civic courage.
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[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

One week after Quantico, not a hot take—a reading list for SecDef Hegseth, offered in good faith: Gates (Duty), Reed (Tarnished), Moyn (Humane), Schake & Mattis (Warriors & Citizens), Bacevich, and Philippians 2:3–8. Judgment > Lethality. #TempleOfLiberty https://t.co/C1OYCylaQB

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

At an Omaha graduation last month, six of roughly 650 students were listed as bound for military service.

Six young people saying yes.

The rest of us owe them more than applause and slogans. We owe them a country worth serving.

"The Six at Graduation" https://t.co/ku2DkjKwoe

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

The next DNI should understand intelligence as a profession: tradecraft, sourcing, dissent, warning, and truth-telling under pressure.

The Pulte appointment today points in the other direction.

Read: "The Intelligence Profession Has No Autopilot" https://t.co/Qmoec0wLbw

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New essay today at Temple of Liberty.

“Support the troops” should mean more than applause after the order is given.

It should mean asking who authorized the war, what the objective is, and what would count as success.

Support them. Question the war. https://t.co/mytacRiDRR

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New essay: a winter trip back to @FletcherSchool, a memorial for Richard Shultz, a final visit with Leo Carroll, and a few thoughts on what it means to keep telling their stories. https://t.co/rYSmbmsKOU

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New on #TempleOfLiberty: Don’t burn the bridge between the military and Boston’s classrooms. Cutting off contact between officers and civilian universities is a peculiar way to build judgment and trust. Boston’s classrooms have been a national asset. https://t.co/5z9AUzsQuj

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New on Temple of Liberty: "Letter from Hsinchu," a field report from Taiwan’s Silicon Valley, and why it matters for China/Taiwan, export controls, and deterrence. https://t.co/8FAiL4saQS

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

Five years after Jan 6, three scenes: at the Pentagon, in Lafayette Square, and a crowded room where the oath was spoken plainly. This isn’t a call for anyone in uniform to “freelance.” It’s about restraint, and the civic culture that makes it possible. https://t.co/YOPaZBtpjA

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

Fort Meade can’t afford a learning curve at the top. New post on the Rudd nomination to lead @NSAGov + USCYBERCOM: competence, stewardship, and the @SASCGOP/@SASCDems/@TomCottonAR/@MarkWarner questions that actually matter.
https://t.co/7VoNs4IcXK

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

Congress is moving @NationalIntelU toward @NDU_EDU. The transfer may be inevitable; mission drift isn’t—if campus access, research, and cross-IC participation are protected now.

New essay: “Don’t Adopt the Child and Sell the House.” https://t.co/QuMvd6VTnR

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

From Yokosuka’s century-old dry docks to the Constellation cancellation, it’s hard to escape the sense that others are doing the hard industrial work we keep postponing.
The question isn’t for one retired admiral in a TSA line. It’s for the rest of us.
https://t.co/jiWPnEbqVI

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New today on #TempleOfLiberty: "Letter from Yokosuka: The Ships We Don’t Build."
Japan is quietly turning out some of the world’s best frigates. The U.S. just canceled the one that was supposed to prove we still know how.
https://t.co/jiWPnEbqVI

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New today on #TempleOfLiberty: my November Field Notes from Japan and Taiwan — shipyards, libraries, air-raid shelters, and what they showed me about deterrence and democracy.
Field Notes, November 2025: Walking the Rim https://t.co/jg7QzVeIqR

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

New today: "Letter from Taipei: Building a Resilient Society."

A morning walk along the Keelung River—grandparents walking kids to school, shelter signs on city streets, jets overhead—raises hard questions about demography, doubt, and deterrence.
https://t.co/kYQc5tDjps

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

First in a new series of leadership reflections from nearly 30 years in uniform—starting not with a heroic moment but with the night I answered a platoon sergeant’s question the “wrong” way. Honest followership is the apprenticeship to real leadership: https://t.co/CDhwdRm7Px

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

What didn’t fit in print—on the oldest-to-youngest slice, the oath, and why small rituals matter. Director’s Cut: “A Blueberry Muffin, a Candle, and 250 Years of the Marines” https://t.co/EzUEvrRJug

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

In a republic, there are no kings. Here are the five tests I’ll use to judge leaders—left or right—and four habits any citizen can apply. A standard, not a jersey. #TempleOfLiberty https://t.co/scPrdn2adf

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

Studio Notes — October is live: drafts in motion, what I’m reading, and what’s next for #TempleOfLiberty.
Free preview + credit unlock for the full post: https://t.co/Ex6RE9CuiP

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

7/ Stitch of the month: keep the record, tune the throttle, and favor stewardship over spectacle.
Read the full article: https://t.co/sKCq9ak6rI #TempleOfLiberty #Stewardship #Strategy #CivilMilitary #PublicTrust

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

1/ "Field Notes — October, in Motion" is live.
Eight-domain reality vs. binary habits—from @USNIProceedings (2→8), chips/export controls, archives, @csisponi, and the @StimsonCenter FALLOUT book launch. 🧵 https://t.co/sKCq9ajyCa

[Temple of Liberty @Temple_Liberty]

6/ @StimsonCenter /Fallout: The risk isn’t just failure; it’s drift. Credibility needs memory and patience. cc @nickschifrin