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How the Joint Staff Calculated a Defense Program’s Return on Investment
As our office computed the utility of its wargaming grants and library, we learned some things that others in DoD may want to copy.
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Ep. 25: Rare earth-hunting in US coal country; China's military might; Uighurs in Xinjiang and more.
Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
Ideas
The Week That Tied Mideast Experts in Knots
Sanctions are not always bad, engagement is not always good, and transactional policy cuts both ways.
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How to Stop Weaponized Consumer Drones
Have a drone you want removed from the sky? Grab your wallet, some patience, and probably a lawyer — because so far, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
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How To Get Nuclear-Weapons Treaties Back on Track
The agreements that hold back a strategic arms race are in trouble. But there is a way forward.
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If Iran Never Leaves Syria, Will America Stay Forever?
If the Trump administration’s containment strategy fails, it could embolden Tehran while miring U.S. troops indefinitely.
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Microsoft, Amazon CEOs Vow to Continue Defense Work After Google Bails on JEDI
The leaders of two contenders for the Pentagon’s massive cloud contract sounded off on Google’s decision not to bid.
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Trump Asks, 'I Mean, What's an Ally?'
In the president's world, there is no higher question than “who’s getting paid?”
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Human Rights Have Evaporated from America’s Saudi Policy
The administration’s reticence about the disappearance of a Saudi journalist is offensive, but it’s also clarifying.
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Here’s a 6-Country Defense-Development Effort That Just Might Work
Among its lessons: sometimes, small is better.
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What Happens to the World When America Stops Standing for What’s Right?
The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi drives home the consequences of the Trump administration’s refusal to champion democratic values around the globe.
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Can the Chinese Be Trusted to Lead International Institutions?
The abduction of Interpol’s president shows that Beijing’s officials will be subordinate to the orders of the Communist Party.
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The Pentagon’s Push to Program Soldiers’ Brains
DARPA’s developing capabilities still hover at or near a proof-of-concept stage. But that’s close enough to have drawn investment from some of the world’s richest corporations.
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Is North Korea Denuclearizing? Here’s How We’ll Tell
Kim Jong Un may not be giving up his arsenal now. But that doesn’t mean he can’t get there eventually.
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Ep. 24: Unmasking the GRU; The future of al-Shabaab; F-35 and the UK; and Bell Helicopter CEO Mitch Snyder
Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
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Congress Is Forcing a Reluctant White House to Confront Saudi Arabia
The Jamal Khashoggi crisis may finally push lawmakers to put real pressure on Mohammed bin Salman.
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How to Fight Russian Infowar in Central Europe
Traditional counter-propaganda techniques are decreasingly effective. The next steps will require focus, engagement, and new thinking.
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Will America Shape Its Grand Strategy Around China or Russia?
The debate doesn’t just have consequences for U.S. foreign policy—it will define the next decades of domestic affairs as well.
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