Adventures on a Bullet Train
The United States has had no military draft since 1973, so the armed forces have to recruit. One recent television ad showed troops rushing into action […]
military
An Outmoded Deterrence Strategy
Former Marine Corps General James Mattis is one of the best secretaries of defense the country has ever had. But even he might not have […]
Values on Parade
Historical perspective acts as a prophylactic against current events hysteria—so much so, in fact, that I sometimes think we should perhaps advocate the free distribution […]
I Love a Parade
After his Bastille Day visit last year with French President Emmanuel Macron, President Trump left with a new idea: to stage an American military parade […]
American Publius: Grant Reconsidered
Summing up the importance of Ulysses S. Grant is a daunting task, given his ascension to the American political scene followed the august statesmanship of […]
A Tragic Tale of Nation Building
Few Americans today have heard of Edward Lansdale, one of the founders of modern counterinsurgency theory who was something of a cause célèbre in the 1950s […]
The Warmbiers and the Crutches: Bearing Powerful Witness
In our hyper-cynical age, it’s very easy to dismiss political theater as naked manipulation. It becomes much harder to do that when you’re weeping. Between […]
ICE Troubles With Terrorism
An audit by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is facing a variety of challenges, particularly with […]
America Needs a New National Security Act
Congress passed the National Security Act of 1947 in response to the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union’s growing global threat. In general, the […]
Another Mideast War?
In romantic tones echoing the 2003 Iraq campaign, protests in Iran have inspired maudlin swooning by interventionists. “It’s the West’s job in these coming weeks […]
Trump’s Doctrine: ‘Principled Realism’ Comes to the Fore
Congress requires every administration to submit an outline of its national security strategy. This is usually a behind-the-scenes exercise, carried out by the national security […]
A Jacksonian Manifesto
Administrations by law must publish strategic manifestoes. Indeed, the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of October 4, 1986 required every subsequent government to issue […]
Civil-Military Relations in the Age of Trump
Healthy relations between America’s civil and military populations depend upon the mutual trust, respect, and understanding between civilian and military leaders. This promotes the exchange […]
Comprehending the Big Lessons of World War II
Victor Davis Hanson’s latest work, The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won, is a synthesis of existing scholarship on […]
An America First National Security Strategy
The Trump Administration continues to run circles around its detractors. In an historically unusual move, President Donald Trump will be unveiling his administration’s first National […]
The Case for an American Space Corps
If a space war between the United States and a near-peer rival, like China or Russia, were to break out tomorrow, the United States likely […]
What Will It Take to Get Serious About Missile Defense?
North Korea’s possession of mobile-launched missiles that can deliver nukes anywhere in the United States shows that, nowadays, anybody can make lots of pinpoint-accurate missiles […]
Is There an Emerging ‘Trump Doctrine’?
The candidacy and subsequent election of Donald Trump to the presidency caused a great deal of consternation among the U.S. foreign policy establishment, Democrat and […]
Missile Defense: The Epitome of “America First”
In the wake of President Trump’s trip to Asia—with stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines—Americans should thank him for remaining true […]
The Last Great All-American Film
February will mark the 34th anniversary of the wide release of the last great all-American film: “The Right Stuff.” Neither a love letter to liberals […]