Image source: B-21 Raider, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs On December 1, 2022, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin published a memo establishing the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), meant to provide necessary capital to help aspiring defense companies bridge the so called “valley of death,” the significant time gap between the development … Continue reading The Office of Strategic Capital and the DoD Acquisition System Should Embrace the Principles of ‘Lean Startup’ to Maintain the US Military’s Technological Edge
Category: United States
The Return of Great-Power Hubris
Image Source: Ukrainian Government Over the course of twenty years, three lead actors, and two reboots, one thing has remained consistent for the immensely popular Spider-Man film franchise: the iconic maxim that, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Both for the titular hero and his real-world audience, this quote is a sage testament to the … Continue reading The Return of Great-Power Hubris
Combating the Gray Zone: Enhancing America’s Arctic Force Posture
Image Source: The Army Times After almost a decade, the White House has released an updated 2022 version of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The document establishes four pillars for advancing America’s interests: security, climate change and environmental protection, sustainable economic development, and international cooperation and governance. Though the strategy focuses on transnational … Continue reading Combating the Gray Zone: Enhancing America’s Arctic Force Posture
Colombia’s New President Is Right: The U.S. Can End The War On Drugs By Changing The Focus Of Its Counternarcotics Strategy
Image Source: CNN This article is a guest submission from Ivan Thirion Romo. Recently, Colombia’s newly inaugurated President Gustavo Petro delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in which he criticized the dysfunctional policies of the United States’ “War on Drugs.” Petro criticized the U.S. counternarcotics strategy that has primarily focused … Continue reading Colombia’s New President Is Right: The U.S. Can End The War On Drugs By Changing The Focus Of Its Counternarcotics Strategy
Space Force & The Limits of “Semper Supra”
Source: Image Designed by Aidan Poling (author) using Stable Diffusion AI On September 20, 2022, the United States Space Force released its fight song “SemperSupra” (Always Above). It flopped. The song was widely mocked across social media and late-night television. Much of the criticism understandably focused on the melody and lyrics. However, these critiques miss … Continue reading Space Force & The Limits of “Semper Supra”
Advancing a Feminist Approach to National Security
Image source: United States Institute of Peace Over the first two years of the Biden administration, multiple geopolitical flashpoints—including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the protests of “Russian mothers” against the invasion of Ukraine, and the recent women-led demonstrations in Iran—have continued to reinforce the agency of women as a catalyst for geopolitical change. However, … Continue reading Advancing a Feminist Approach to National Security
Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
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
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