Ideas

Enough, America. Stop Talking About Election Day Revolution.

America's pretend soldiers are threatening to cross the line from dissent to insurrection on Tuesday. America's military is not.

Ideas

Americans Are For Smart Engagement

Polls show the public wants all options explored, including diplomacy, before military force is even considered.

Ideas

Stop Using ‘Strategic’ To Mean Everything Under the Sun

Linguistic sloppiness is impeding the U.S. government from coming to grips with today’s interconnected security challenges.

Ideas

Saudi Arabia: A Kingdom Coming Undone

As Riyadh embarks on a rocky journey to economic diversification, the U.S. should offer help — but not unconditionally.

Ideas

Why Clinton Gets My Vote, by Former Defense Secretary William Perry

The veteran of GOP and Democratic administrations says Trump is unfit for the presidency.

Ideas

The Syrian Kurds Try DIY Nation-Building in a Wartorn Land

The American military's radical, unlikely, democratic experiment in northern Syria now teeters on a knife’s edge.

Ideas

Washington is Quietly Reinforcing Europe’s Northern Flank

Much is being done to counter Russian ambitions in the High North, and yet much more remains to be done.

Ideas

Get Ready to Walk Away from Incirlik

As U.S.-Turkey relations cool, retaining access to the air base will require ending our dependence on it.

Ideas

The World Needs the American Military

It’s fiction to pretend that the most powerful nation can ever be truly “neutral” in foreign conflicts.

Ideas

What the Next US President Needs to Know About Rising India-Pakistan Tensions

Pakistan, in particular, finds itself once again at the center of the tussle between China, Russia, and the United States.

Ideas

Geography Allows America To Choose Its Global Role. Only One Candidate is Choosing Wisely

Because of its location, America can choose whether it wants to be a gatekeeper or a global policeman.

Ideas

Getting Past Grudging Precautions: How the Next President Should Address Climate Change

The U.S. Navy’s former weatherman-in-chief says gradual progress must turn into serious high-level action.

Ideas

The US Accused Russia of Hacking. What Happens Next Will Set a Cyber War Precedent

After blaming Russia for trying to tamper with the presidential election, the White House will want to choose its next move carefully.

Ideas

'What President Trump Meant to Say'

I would have been fired on the spot if I spoke like Donald Trump.

Ideas

The US Should Stand with Saudi Arabia in Yemen

Facing Iran and Hezbollah on their border, Saudis have no choice to see this war to its end – with or without American weapons and support.

Ideas

There’s a Way Obama’s White House Can Save Syrian Lives, There’s Just No Will

As Aleppo burns, little faith as Obama’s White House again considers military options in Syria.

Ideas

As Anti-Corruption Efforts Expand Globally, the Defense Sector Remains an Outlier

A recent anti-corruption summit produced hundreds of commitments, exactly eight of which concerned defense.

Policy

Mike Pence Embraces Foreign Policy That GOP Voters Left Behind

By sidestepping Trump’s messages on foreign policy and trade in Tuesday’s debate, the vice-presidential nominee ignored the choices GOP voters made in their primaries.

Ideas

Private Companies Shouldn’t Be The Ones Crying ‘State-Sponsored Hack!’

If the U.S. government doesn't start officially attributing cyberattacks, it risks losing control of the narrative and evolving legal norms.