China may be using arms sales to strengthen alliances around the South China Sea and counter the United States’ regional alliances. China combines its arms exports with the provision of security contractors to countries where it has infrastructure and security interests. Beijing’s security relationships around the South China Sea could be a harbinger of what… Continue reading How China Is Building Influence Through Arms Sales
Tag: Intel
Lost Retirement Horizon: Why 401(k)s Are Not OK (and Not Just Because of the Lousy Economy)
Fretting over your 401(k) lately? For all the current turbulence in these retirement plans – from their rocky recent market performance to asset managers’ politicization of their investments through the “environment, social and governance” agenda – the main problem lies in their flawed design decades ago, a range of retirement experts say. They say… Continue reading Lost Retirement Horizon: Why 401(k)s Are Not OK (and Not Just Because of the Lousy Economy)
India Upholds the Rules-Based Liberal International Order—But in Its Own Way
For U.S. policymakers, India’s relentless ambiguity about Russia’s war in Ukraine has been maddening. At the United Nations, India has voted to abstain on nearly every resolution condemning Russian aggression. In other multilateral venues, such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (or Quad)—which consists of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—New Delhi refuses to even… Continue reading India Upholds the Rules-Based Liberal International Order—But in Its Own Way
North Korea’s Version of ‘Take Your Daughter to Work Day’
On 18 November, Kim Jong-un introduced his daughter, Ju-ae—most likely the very child that basketball player Dennis Rodman mentioned having met during his 2013 trip to North Korea—to domestic and international audiences. Kim, in proper DPRK fashion, chose his daughter’s public debut to coincide with a test-firing of his country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). North… Continue reading North Korea’s Version of ‘Take Your Daughter to Work Day’
Nonlethal Weapons Can Play a Growing Role in U.S. Defense
The U.S. Department of Defense is increasingly focused on “gray zone” competition with other great powers, striving to deter aggression while also avoiding escalation to full-scale war. When U.S. warships find themselves in a confrontation with Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, or U.S. ground vehicles in Syria are rammed by Russian armored cars,… Continue reading Nonlethal Weapons Can Play a Growing Role in U.S. Defense
Japan’s Upcoming Defense Efforts
On December 16th, the Japanese government looks set to release three important documents: a new National Security Strategy and two defense documents that lay out spending priorities over the next ten years and five years. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio recently ordered his finance and defense ministers to increase Japan’s defense budget to 2 percent… Continue reading Japan’s Upcoming Defense Efforts
President of POVA Duties Means the Blog is Going on HIatus
As of 1 January 1, 2023 I became the President of the PSYOP Veterans Association (POVA). POVA is the oldest continuous serving veterans’ Association providing membership support, reconnection, reunion and philanthropic support to America’s military PSYOP soldiers and veterans. Founded in 1988, POVA continually seeks to support and assist our fellow PSYOP veterans. I joined… Continue reading President of POVA Duties Means the Blog is Going on HIatus
Whether Democracy Is Eroding or on the Upswing Depends on What State You Live In
President Joe Biden said the midterms were a “good day” for democracy. And in many ways, they were: There were high levels of voter turnout in many states, a projected 47 percent of Americans cast ballots—some 7 percentage points higher than a typical midterm election—and, in Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, and… Continue reading Whether Democracy Is Eroding or on the Upswing Depends on What State You Live In
Mastering Irregular Warfare
The U.S. military has failed to master irregular warfare above the tactical level. This is not a new problem, and it is one that has been recognized by leaders at the most senior echelons of government. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated this perhaps most clearly when he admonished the Department of Defense (DoD) in… Continue reading Mastering Irregular Warfare
Can the War in Ukraine Help the United States Address Security Concerns in the Indo-Pacific?
Even as the Russian military continues to struggle in Ukraine, Air Force leaders and top national security experts at the 2022 West Coast Aerospace Forum warned not to expect similar outcomes in a potential conflict with China. The 7th annual event focused on applying lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the security challenges… Continue reading Can the War in Ukraine Help the United States Address Security Concerns in the Indo-Pacific?