Unstoppable Easternization?
The Financial Times’ Gideon Rachman has written an excellent new book, Easternization: Asia’s Rise and America’s Decline from Obama to Trump. “The central issue,” Rachman […]
Asia
Trumping Afghanistan
Like many long-time Trump supporters, I, too, was disappointed with the president’s announcement of a “new strategy” for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. I was hoping […]
A Blank Check for Afghanistan
The trouble with the new (or, rather, not-so-new) Trump Administration war plan for Afghanistan is that it’s a loser. Sure, the president gets high marks […]
Victory: What It Will Take to Win
Editor’s Note: This essay was originally published in the Fall 2001 edition of the Claremont Review of Books. The editors are grateful for permission from […]
If This is Strategy . . .
Strategy is neither more nor less than a map for getting from here to there—a reasonable plan for using what you have to accomplish what […]
Don’t Let Venezuela Distract from the North Korea Crisis
President Donald J. Trump has marched headlong into another escalating crisis—this time with the imploding Venezuela. And this one is altogether avoidable. Although the growing […]
China and Russia Buy Time on North Korea
A shocking event has occurred in the meandering psychodrama of America’s relationship with North Korea: the world’s great powers have unanimously voted to intensify sanctions […]
Understanding Trump’s Geopolitics
Like many, I was pleased by Donald Trump’s recent speech to the Polish people. Many commentators have lauded (or lamented) the fact that it was […]
Raise Tariffs, Secure the Nation
The Financial Times accuses President Trump of suffering from an odious, if tongue-in-cheek malady called trade deficit disorder (TDD). The symptoms? A bizarre and unjustified […]
Trump, China, and the Politics of Nuclear Weapons
Before leaving for the G20 Summit in Germany, President Trump said the era of strategic patience is over. This comes after the return of the […]
Madmen and Nukes: North Korean Edition
The North Koreans put on their own pyrotechnic display over the July 4th weekend with a successful launch of an ICBM into the Sea of […]
Of Paper and Paper Tigers
For 67 years the United States and the world have paid the price of Harry Truman’s decision to renounce the possibility of victory in Korea. […]
If You Thought the Trans-Pacific Partnership Was Bad, Get a Load of This
Donald Trump fulfilled his campaign promise to withdraw the United States from the much-reviled Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on his first day in office. This was […]
The Bin Laden Raid: Tactical Brilliance, Strategic Dissonance
On May 11, 2011, the Obama Administration authorized the U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six to conduct a daring raid into the heart of Pakistan. Abbottabad, […]
The Grand Illusion: How Trump Tricked China and The Press
Well known film reviewer, Mike D’Angelo, writes, “Magic tricks frequently involve misdirection. In order to create an illusion, the magician needs to perform an action […]
China is Taking Afghanistan—at U.S. Expense
The Chinese military is conducting joint operations with the Pakistanis and Afghan security forces along the Chinese border, according to recent reports. The targets are […]
Exiting Afghanistan Through India
For 16 years, the war in Afghanistan has raged with no end in sight. Indeed, it has become America’s longest war. Now that Donald Trump is president, […]