Some X threads from the last few days. For the most part, these posts are about news in National Security. We do the scrolling so you don’t have to! This post also serves as an open thread. I welcome readers to post comments or additional links related to national security or history, even if they are not directly related to the links below.
An American rescue team took 15 to 16 hours to sneak Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado out of her country and get her to Norway to collect her Nobel Peace Prize. pic.twitter.com/8YYqKJTUzx
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) December 12, 2025
This is a very cool story. Basically, a US company had to sneak Maria Corina Machado out of Venezuela. Was the oil tanker seizure a cover or a distraction for the mission? Perhaps, both are escalatory. The pressure is continuing to build on Maduro; it is only a matter of time before there is regime change in Venezuela. I just hope that it is a bloodless change that the US doesn’t have to stabilize.
🚨 China is the indispensable buyer, logistics hub for sanctioned Iranian & Venezuelan oil — directly fueling drug dealers and terrorists.
Chairman @RepMoolenaar exposed the full network in a letter to Treasury Secretary @SecScottBessent.🧵1/6
— Select Committee on China (@ChinaSelect) December 12, 2025
It is important to remember who is hurt by the tanker seizure. One action has affected Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, and China…not too shabby!
“China’s overcapacity is not an accident. It is incentivized at every level of government,” says @FDD‘s @ElaineDezenski.
It is clear that China’s automotive strategy is designed to overwhelm: state subsidies, engineered overcapacity, and worldwide dumping that exports deflation… pic.twitter.com/OIBIfIMny9
— Select Committee on China (@ChinaSelect) December 11, 2025
China is attempting to do to the auto industry what they did to almost all other manufacturing: heavily subsidize it, overproduce goods, flood the market with cheap goods, put native companies out of business, and then create dependency. This is unrestricted warfare and needs to be viewed through that lens. Every job loss, every economic disruption, every business closure is intentional.
Anduril Founder @PalmerLuckey on The Hidden Threat Facing The U.S. Military:
“China would love to wipe out the American automotive industry.”
“[If they succeed] we will never be able to fight a war against them.”
Palmer Luckey explains the forgotten lesson of WWII:
Victory… pic.twitter.com/uEJAgZmSbc
— Anduril Appreciator (@A1Anduril) December 12, 2025
Don’t believe me on the importance of the US auto industry? Listen to the Anduril Founder. This is THE why. The auto industry is uniquely essential to America. We must bring manufacturing back to America; it is a matter of National Security.
Thanks to @NPR for including my thoughts:
“The Trump administration has pushed for less regulation of the AI industry, citing competitive pressure with China. But Trump has also recently allowedchipmaker Nvidia to sell its second-most advanced AI chips to China.
“Depending on… pic.twitter.com/xRMU8aaeV9
— Michael Sobolik (@michaelsobolik) December 12, 2025
I am a China hawk and I don’t get this at all. It is almost like the Overton Window moved past this administration and they haven’t caught up. Be a hawk, don’t let this happen. You should also follow Sobolik on X. Very smart guy on all matters China.
1. I started the “Long Game” series about the rise of China’s naval power in 2004.
2. If one more person tells me how great Ray Mabus & Mike Mullen were, I’m throwing a shoe at them. pic.twitter.com/zsXHMlOLlJ
— cdrsalamander (@cdrsalamander) December 11, 2025
This is all you need to know about ship building and capacity.
Chinese fishermen are using organized violence in the #YellowSea.
Chinese shield their boats with nets & sharp iron bars to avoid crackdowns from #SouthKorea‘s Coast Guard.
Despite that, if the Coast Guard manages to board the Chinese vessel, the fishermen use metal rods &… pic.twitter.com/sMwqsyqxxl
— Nguyen Thi hong (@NguyenThih36) December 12, 2025
Your daily reminder that China is pushing boundaries everywhere. The environmental destruction knows no bounds. Want more evidence? See the next post.
🚀 China and the long term sustainment of space – BAD NEWS continues.
Not that anything different was expected, but in the last 3 months China has left another 8 spent upper stages in high altitude LEO orbits. These rocket bodies have orbital lifetimes measured in “centuries”… pic.twitter.com/dGEy3BUnjn
— Space Domain Awareness (@shell_jim) December 11, 2025
This is so irresponsible.
Asia watchers: We read the NDAA so you don’t have to!
Here are five key items in the 2026 NDAA, as well as a full list of all the Asia-related provisions.https://t.co/wWvvxhhv7T
— Zack Cooper (@ZackCooper) December 11, 2025
I like this summary and strongly encourage following the link. From what I can see, I like the NDAA better than the NSA, but there are good points in both. And admittedly, I have only read summaries, not the entire documents. Here are the 5 points:
1. Congressional Direction on Allied and Partner Relationships in Asia
2. Restricting the Trump Administration from a Drawdown in South Korea
3. Continued Support for Taiwan with An Eye to Drones and Anti-Drone Warfare
4. Significant Steps Toward Strengthening the US-Philippines Alliance
5. Initiatives Designed to Counter China