In March 2026, War on the Rocks published a rebuttal to a piece in American Greatness that had endorsed Secretary Hegseth’s review of the military’s senior service colleges. In the article’s opening, War on the Rocks printed the real identity of Cynical Publius, a retired Army officer who writes under a pseudonym for The Federalist, Tablet, and American Greatness. There was no journalistic justification for the disclosure given in the article. No fraud alleged. No public safety concern. No accountability angle. The pseudonymous author had committed no offense except criticism. War on the Rocks simply printed his name in a rebuttal to an article arguing the war colleges had lost their way. To understand why, you have to understand what War on the Rocks used to be — and what it became.
Here is what War on the Rocks published in its first years:
“Five Myths about AirSea Battle” — July 2013
“Don’t BS the American People About Iraq, Syria, and ISIL” — August 2014
“Here’s Why Women in Combat Units is a Bad Idea” — November 2014
“NATO’s Open Door Leads to an Identity Crisis” — June 2016
This was content that questioned official framings, challenged strategic consensus, and ran heterodox arguments the establishment found uncomfortable. The editors let practitioners argue.
Here is what it publishes now:
“How Democracies Can Defend Against Disinformation” — May 2018
“What the Air Force Can Teach the Country About Trust and Inclusion” — October 2020
“More Than a Buzzword: Diversity Can Help Defeat Disinformation” — May 2021
“How to Support a Globally Connected Counter-Disinformation Network” — January 2022
Social media censorship. DEI as national security imperative. The establishment’s preferred language dressed in national security drag.
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