Ideas
Why Donald Trump’s Debt is a National Security Risk
If you owe someone a lot of money, they have leverage over you. To whom, exactly, does the U.S. president owe this money?
Ideas
The Third Coronavirus Surge Has Arrived
This week’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations make clear that the U.S. is once again sinking deeper into the pandemic.
Ideas
'Esper's Lie?' I Don't Think So
After nearly a generation of dominating focus on counterinsurgency operations, the U.S. military is underprepared in 2020 for great power competition.
Ideas
Washington Should Avoid a Self-Inflicted Wound in the Sinai
Withdrawing from the Multinational Force and Observers might be penny-wise, but would certainly be pound-foolish.
Ideas
Will Commanders Trust Their New AI Weapons and Tools?
A study of DOD’s artificial-intelligence efforts reveals a key gap.
Ideas
China or Your Soul? Pompeo’s Thunder Falls Flat on Corporate Ears
Companies keep choosing to serve the Chinese market — and that’s likely not good news for the Pentagon.
Ideas
A 21st-Century Reality Is Dawning on NATO
In today’s security environment, non-kinetic threats pose as grave a danger as kinetic ones.
Ideas
The 20th Year of the Afghanistan War Should Be America’s Last
U.S. national security interests do not depend on the outcome of the peace talks. It’s time to come home.
Ideas
Esper’s Fantasy Fleet
The SecDef’s 500-ship plan is an exercise in wishful thinking that avoids hard choices.
Ideas
Esper’s Reforms: An Interim Report Card
What progress has the defense secretary made on his ambitious goals to reorient the Defense Department?
Ideas
The Coming F-35 Fiasco
Now that Qatar is asking for the jet, it’s time to consider an entirely different approach to helping Gulf nations defend themselves.
Ideas
Harris and Pence Failed the Global Leadership Question
People vying to become, or stay, vice-president should be ready to explain their vision of America’s role in the world.
Ideas
What Biden Told Me on the Train After Trump’s First UN Speech
In the Biden-Harris vision, my multi-ethnic family is the fulfillment of America’s promise to the world.
Ideas
The Future of Chinese Power
The policies and practices of the country’s dynasties offer insights into how modern Chinese leaders may wield their strength.
Ideas
Worth Preserving: US Military Posture in Germany
Any adjustments to U.S. force posture in Europe should focus first and foremost on sustaining or strengthening readiness.
Ideas
Trump Is a Super-Spreader of Disinformation
The president is the single biggest reason why many Americans distrust science, the electoral system, and one another.
Ideas
What Else Does the CIA Know About Trump and Russia?
In a new book, former CIA Director John Brennan traces how he came to believe that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. There’s still more about Russia that worries him.
Ideas
The US Should Remove Its Nukes from Europe
There’s no prudent use case, and their non-stealthy fighter jets can’t deliver them anyway.
Ideas
Why Trump’s Retreat from US Allies Could Have Nuclear Consequences
For decades, America gave allies and partners good reason to shelve their nuclear-weapons efforts.
Ideas
The Real F-35 Problem We Need to Solve
Unless its logistics can be improved, the jet’s contributions to a major fight will be far less than Pentagon wargamers are counting on.
Almost There!
Help us tailor content specifically for you: