I want to start this post with a huge thank you to all those who have subscribed to Futura Doctrina since I established it at the end of 2022. I also want to thank those who have shared articles and provided the wonderful feedback that has helped me to improve its content.
It has become clear that there are many, many people out there who wish to support my work and have indicated their desire to do so through pledges and monthly / yearly subscriptions. I have decided to introduce a paid subscription from 1 May this year, and it will be accompanied by a couple of new features.
Before I get into the details of that, I want to re-emphasise a couple of ideas that guide my writing and commentary.
First, I am believer in transparency and accountability. This does not just apply to government and corporate institutions; it applies to me as well. As such, I write on topics that bring to light information and analysis that may not always be provided by government and military institutions (while making careful judgements on operational security). But this accountability means that I provide evidence and sources for my analysis – I don’t just pluck things from the sky and call them facts.
Second, while I may have retired from the Australian Army, I still wish to serve my nation. As such, the kinds of assessment I provide through writing and commentary are designed to inform policy makers, as well as the general populace whose hard work and taxes make the efforts of the national security community possible!
Finally, I am a strong believer in a competition of ideas. Good ideas emerge from the friction of diverse opinions, not from group think. As such, while I hope people read Futura Doctrina, I trust you are reading lots of other things that either agree with or challenge my ideas. It is only through generating lots and lots of different options and ideas that we can address the complex national security problems we face in the 21st century.
From 1 May, I will be publishing more and different content for paying subscribers. This will include written pieces and War Shorts commentaries.
I will start two new regular reports that will mainly be for paying subscribers.
The first, which I have just included on Futura Doctrina, is The Taiwan Campaign. It will be a wrap up of Taiwan defence issues, Chinese exercises and other activities in the vicinity of Taiwan, Japan and US activities, as well as other analysis related to Chinese efforts to incorporate Taiwan into the People’s Republic of China.
The second, which will be called War Transformed, will explore broader trends that will impact future warfare. This will include the impacts of the lessons from other wars such as Ukraine, but it will also examine the implications of new technologies and how these might drive new warfighting concepts, new strategies and the development of evolved or new military organisations. This will kick off in a month or so.
For those who wish to pay, I have set the subscription amount to the lowest possible on Substack. Your subscription will pay for me to do more writing, as well as time spent on fact checking written articles and War Shorts commentaries. It pays for the books, journals and subscriptions that make me a better thinker and writer, as well as the hours I spend online, and in discussions with others. Also, it will assist in funding research visits to ground truth aspects of the war in Ukraine (like my recent visit there) and the military aspects of competition in the Indo-Pacific.
In short, you will be making it possible for me to do more and better work — and send it directly to your inbox.
I will continue however with some free articles or War Shorts commentaries each month. I want to continue providing useful insights to all that are not behind a paywall.
As always, I welcome your thoughts, critique and guidance.
Thank you so much for your support and feedback so far. I look forward to continuing to provide excellent quality analysis about the war in Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and the future of war.
Why can’t people have the clarity of thought and process you apply to your work. Your point on “competition of ideas” is so important. I encourage all my team to disagree with me if they think I am wrong. It takes time to develop the culture but it is vital to good decision making and great delivery.
Here is hoping that Substack becomes the thinking persons Twitter!!
Great work Mick. Looking forward to reading your work.
Definitely looking forward to the paid subscription. Have valued your writing over the last 2 years.