By David DesRosiers, PublisherMay 2023 Honest journalism—nonpartisan, evenhanded, and striving toward objectivity—faces resistance within many corners of the media and other powerful institutions. According to a Pew survey, 55% of journalists believe that every side does not always deserve equal coverage. That portion rises to 63% among younger members of the profession. Major papers of… Continue reading Help Meet America’s Need for Honest and Independent Journalism
Tag: Intel
Why Is China Strengthening Its Military? It’s Not All About War
China’s rapid military modernization has spurred considerable fear that the country could provoke a war with the United States. Such fear may owe to an exaggerated view of the importance of war preparation as a driver of the People’s Liberation Army’s buildup. In fact, a broad variety of political and security drivers underpin the military’s… Continue reading Why Is China Strengthening Its Military? It’s Not All About War
Juggled Plan for McCarthy-Tsai Meeting Does Taiwan No Favors
Last July, as Beijing stewed about then–U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plans to travel to Taiwan, then–House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he would also lead a delegation to the island if he succeeded Pelosi as speaker. But now that he is speaker, McCarthy is abiding by the advice of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to… Continue reading Juggled Plan for McCarthy-Tsai Meeting Does Taiwan No Favors
Japan’s New Security Policies: A Long Road to Full Implementation
On December 16, 2022, Japan’s government released a new national security strategy, national defense strategy, and defense buildup program. In mid-January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and key Cabinet officials visited Washington to jointly highlight these documents and discuss the next steps for the U.S.-Japan alliance with the Biden administration. At the time, much commentary… Continue reading Japan’s New Security Policies: A Long Road to Full Implementation
Can Grade Retention Help with COVID-19 Learning Recovery in Schools?
Requiring low-performing students to repeat a grade has been a long-standing and highly debated intervention in the United States. Calls to end social promotion in schools in the 1990s, along with the increasing popularity of educational accountability and standardized testing, led to test-based retention policies in many states and school districts. As of 2020, for… Continue reading Can Grade Retention Help with COVID-19 Learning Recovery in Schools?
Why U.S. Military Interventions Fail and What to Do About It
American soldiers have been deployed abroad almost continuously since the end of World War II. The best-known foreign interventions—in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq—were large, long, and costly. But there have been dozens of other such deployments, many smaller or shorter, for purposes ranging from deterrence to training. Taken as a whole, these operations have had… Continue reading Why U.S. Military Interventions Fail and What to Do About It
America’s Dangerous Short War Fixation
Americans have long been fixated on the idea of the short, decisive war. At the start of the American Civil War, Washington gentry traveled to watch the First Battle of Bull Run—to partake of a spectacle they presumed would soon end. In 1898, U.S. Secretary of State John Hay expected the Spanish-American War to be… Continue reading America’s Dangerous Short War Fixation
Violence in Schools, Neurodiversity and National Security, Drug Cartels: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss how to encourage threat reporting to help keep schools safe; why national security organizations need a neurodivergent workforce; the F.D.A. approval of over-the-counter Narcan sales; the implications of labeling drug cartels foreign terrorists; what happens when struggling students repeat a grade; and helping veterans find employment during a recession. Photo by… Continue reading Violence in Schools, Neurodiversity and National Security, Drug Cartels: RAND Weekly Recap
Can China’s Green Energy Acceleration Put at Risk the West’s Hydrogen Plans?
Hydrogen (H2) plays a key role in the decarbonization plans of the European Union and the United States. Both have launched aggressive hydrogen strategies to increase the generation of H2 and the deployment of related technologies. But these bold ambitions may face headwinds caused by the acceleration of China’s energy transition. China is adding new… Continue reading Can China’s Green Energy Acceleration Put at Risk the West’s Hydrogen Plans?
Maximizing the Potential of American Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition
The United States lacks the concepts and associated doctrine for its irregular warfare capabilities to achieve their potential in strategic competition. This challenge was articulated in 2013 in a hallmark collaboration (PDF) of Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno, Marine Corps Commandant James Amos, and U.S. Special Operations Commander William McRaven. Center to their critique… Continue reading Maximizing the Potential of American Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition