Ideas

Today’s Arctic Diplomacy Can’t Handle Tomorrow’s Problems

A new forum is needed to address military and security issues in the region.

Ideas

Great Powers Must Talk to Each Other About AI

Even as they compete, major militaries have reason to cooperate: to avoid misunderstanding and to establish best practices and pragmatic parameters.

Ideas

We Can End Our Endless Wars

America should end its military involvement in conflicts in the Middle East and bring our troops home.

Ideas

A Call to Inaction on Defense Acquisition Law

The best thing Congress could do for a while is stop passing new legislation.

Ideas

Why Does the US Spend So Much on Defense?

It is well to remember that the real bill includes not just DOD spending but VA, intelligence, and more. But those who would cut spending must also propose a new strategy.

Ideas

The Case for Repealing, and Not Replacing, the Iraq War Authorization

It should be a top priority for Congress to correct its historic blunder of passing the buck when it comes to war and peace.

Ideas

America Has Come Full Circle in the Middle East

“We are opening a Pandora’s Box,” Dwight Eisenhower warned when he ordered the first U.S. combat mission in the region. Little did he know how right he would be.

Ideas

2020 Dems Need To Get Up To Speed on Nuclear Weapons. Fast.

Front-runners have displayed key misunderstandings, while other candidates have shied away from the topic.

Ideas

To Prove Trump’s Bad Faith, Don’t Argue Policy. Show He Subverted the Process.


On Ukraine, the president dodged processes designed to ensure that U.S. foreign policy serves the public interest.

Ideas

Saudi Arabia’s Phone Hacking Shows We Need Better Encryption — Not Backdoors

End-to-end encryption isn’t good enough. Files and cloud backups need strong crypto as well.

Ideas

While ‘Arctic Exceptionalism’ Melts Away, the US Isn't Sure What It Wants Next

Global competition is coming to the northern polar region. U.S. policymakers are not clear on a fundamental question about its future.

Ideas

Who Gets to Tell the Story of the Afghanistan War?

The Washington Post’s ‘Afghanistan Papers’ is the latest contribution to a growing argument over whether the conflict — or any of the ‘forever wars’ — was worth the cost.

Ideas

Donald Trump Stumbles Into a Foreign-Policy Triumph

The president, however inadvertently, may be reminding the world of the reality of international relations.

Ideas

Sending Troops Back to the Middle East Won’t Stop Iran

Knee-jerk deployments only distract from the president’s bigger priorities: China and Russia.

Ideas

The US Space Force Is Not a Joke

It’s not all President Trump promised, but it exists now.

Ideas

Esper Is Attempting the Biggest Defense Reform in a Generation

In two recent memos, the SecDef reveals his intention to change how the Pentagon uses its money, people, and time.

Ideas

The Downed Jetliner Reminds Us that War Spins Out of Control

Mistakes and misperceptions bookended this latest episode in the long conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Expect that not to change.

Ideas

The Pentagon Must Replace Some Hackable Computer Chips

Last year’s vulnerability revelations, combined with the tardiness of manufacturers’ responses, leave the military with an expensive choice.