Starship 20, Booster 4, and Starship launch tower at Boca Chica, Texas. Photo Credit: Elon Musk / SpaceX The United States’ democratic capitalist model has many advantages. Its freedoms serve as an engine for rapid innovation and economic growth. The advancement of the US space sector and commercial rocketry is largely due to this dynamism. … Continue reading Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Category: United States
Ukraine Is Not the Leadership Case Study You Think It Is
Photo Credit: Boris Baldinger/World Economic Forum Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy became, at home and abroad, a symbol of heroic resistance to Vladimir Putin. Through bold addresses from Kyiv and emotional, heartbreaking appeals to other foreign leaders, Zelenskyy gave a human face to the impact of Russian … Continue reading Ukraine Is Not the Leadership Case Study You Think It Is
Blowback: Deterrence Lessons from 1941
Image from Associated Press The United States applied an oil embargo against Japan in 1941 in response to a limited incursion into southern Indochina. The embargo crippled Japan's energy supply, forcing it to choose between a complete economic catastrophe and a potentially devastating war with the U.S. Ultimately, Japan attacked the U.S., culminating in the … Continue reading Blowback: Deterrence Lessons from 1941
To Succeed at “Strategic Competition,” Invest in Strategic Communications
Photo Credit: Mel Gurtov, “Testing Time for US-China Relations,” China-United States Exchange Foundation, May 4, 2020. “Just as water’s flow avoids the high ground and rushes to the low, so, too, the victor avoids the enemy’s strong points and strikes where he is weak”— Sun Tzu[i] Recently, the White House reframed its relationship with China … Continue reading To Succeed at “Strategic Competition,” Invest in Strategic Communications
Restoring America’s position as team captain: Why international cooperation is in the nation’s best interest
President Joseph R. Biden prepares to deliver remarks on U.S. foreign policy at City University of New York in July 2019. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz/Biden for President This piece was originally run in "The Diplomatic Pouch" (https://medium.com/the-diplomatic-pouch/analysis-restoring-americas-position-as-team-captain-f48affeb47a6) Since the end of World War II, and until “America First,” U.S. foreign policy championed a system of … Continue reading Restoring America’s position as team captain: Why international cooperation is in the nation’s best interest
SecDef to Delhi: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Credit: US Department of Defense The Visit On March 20th, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited India, capping off an Asian tour that saw the secretary visit Japan and the Republic of Korea. The visit by Austin constituted part of a larger American effort to show diplomatic strength in the run up to a … Continue reading SecDef to Delhi: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Biden Administration Should Stand Up to Turkish Violations of US Sanctions
Turkish state bank Halkbank has been at the forefront of an effort by Turkish government officials to circumvent US sanctions against Iran. Photo Credit: Flickr On October 15, 2019, the Southern District of New York indicted Turkish-state owned bank Halkbank for violating US sanctions against Iran. The indictment was the culmination of years of investigation … Continue reading The Biden Administration Should Stand Up to Turkish Violations of US Sanctions
The Recent Rise of the Far-Right
Photo Credit: Getty Images The January 6th events at the Capitol were heinous, lethal, and extreme. They were also predictable. For a nation that touts itself as the beacon of a liberal world order, many were left scratching their heads and wondering, “how could this happen here?” The answer to that question has been hiding … Continue reading The Recent Rise of the Far-Right
The January 6 Attack Deserves A Strong and Bipartisan Congressional Response
The heart of American democracy was attacked on Jan. 6. Congress cannot even agree on appointing an independent commission to investigate. Photo Credit: Pixabay On January 6 the Capitol building was invaded for only the second time in American history. Hundreds of individuals stormed the Capitol, threatened lawmakers, and attacked police and security officials. The … Continue reading The January 6 Attack Deserves A Strong and Bipartisan Congressional Response
Biden’s Plans for NATO Strategically Reimagine the Transatlantic Relationship
Vice-President Joseph R. Biden Jr. poses with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroschenko during the 51st Munich Security Conference in 2015. Photo Credit: Marc Müller With the 2020 US presidential election, it’s important to remember that Americans have not only elected the President of the United States, but also the leader of … Continue reading Biden’s Plans for NATO Strategically Reimagine the Transatlantic Relationship