Podcast appearances and mentions of christopher preble

The Stimson Center's Christopher Preble and Geoff Wilson argue that nuclear weapons modernization programs are wasteful boondoggles that undermine deterrence and stability while serving as a give-away to parochial interests. They discuss a “deterrence first” posture on nuclear weapons, perverse incentives in the bureaucracy, profligate waste and inefficiency, the risks of nuclear escalation, the consequences of eroding nuclear deterrence, and threat inflation on China, among other issues. Show NotesGeoff Wilson, Christopher Preble, Lucas Ruiz, “Gambling on Armageddon: How US Nuclear Policies are Undercutting Deterrence and Lowering the Threshold for Nuclear War,” Stimson Center Report, February 19, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Supreme Court Poised to Gut the Administrative State | Should Bitter, Angry Justices in the Thrall of Billionaires and Corporate Power Decide What We Eat, Breath, How Long We Live and What Kind of World We Live in? | Testing US Foreign Policy Assumptions on the Brink of a Wider War in the Middle East backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

This week on Security Dilemma, Patrick Carver Fox and John Allen Gay interview Dr. Christopher Preble, Director of the Reimagining Grand Strategy Program at the Stimson Center. We discuss the reasons why the assumptions of liberal internationalism are unsustainable and we talk about Dr. Preble's upcoming paper on redeveloping U.S. foreign policy for an uncertain future. Christopher Preble is the Senior Fellow and Director of the Reimagining US Grand Strategy program at the Stimson Center. Prior to joining the Stimson Center, he served as Co-Director of the Atlantic Council's New American Engagement Initiative. In his role, he leads a team of scholars who challenge prevailing assumptions surrounding US foreign policy, and who offer a range of policy options that go beyond the use of force and coercion. His own work focuses on the history of US foreign policy, contemporary US grand strategy and military force posture, alliance relations, and the intersection of trade and national security. Preble is the author of four books, including Peace, War, and Liberty: Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy (Cato Institute, 2019); and The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous, and Less Free (Cornell University Press, 2009). He co-authored, with John Glaser and A. Trevor Thrall, Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America's Broken Foreign Policy even Worse and How We Can Recover (Cato Institute, 2019), and he has also co-edited several other books and monographs, including A Dangerous World? Threat Perception and U.S. National Security (Cato Institute, 2014), with John Mueller. His work has appeared in major publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times, Survival, Foreign Policy, National Review, and The National Interest, and he is a frequent guest on television and radio. In addition to his work at the Stimson Center, Preble co-hosts the “Net Assessment” podcast in the War on the Rocks network, and he teaches the US Foreign Policy elective at the University of California, Washington Center. He has also taught history at St. Cloud State University and Temple University. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Preble was vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute from 2011 to 2020, and director of foreign policy studies from 2003 to 2011. Preble was a commissioned officer in the US Navy, and served aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) from 1990 to 1993.

The title says it all! If you missed episodes of our show "Net Assessment" over the summer and fall, you aren't alone. Zack Cooper, Melanie Marlow, and Christopher Preble join Ryan for a discussion about the show, about what's happening in the world, and what we can expect from Net when it comes back next month.

Donald Trump's slogan ‘America First' wasn't just about nationalism at home, it also meant isolation abroad. So, Joe Biden was always clear when he came into power that America was back on the world stage, no longer the unpredictable supower that it was under Trump. In this episode we speak to the Atlantic Council's Christopher Preble, who leads a team that analyses and questions American policies abroad. He tells us about Trump's ability to rip up the rule book and to go against diplomatic norms and how he has left a lasting legacy which has placed China front and centre as America's new enemy. Produced by: Joe Lord-Jones Sources: The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, CBS, ‘Washington pos

Episodes of Markets & Morality are originally featured on the IEA's YouTube Channel.  Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership, officially ending their decades long military independence. But given the history of NATO, how enthusiastic should classical liberals be to further expand the military alliance? Is NATO suitable for the challenges of the 21st century or should alternative arrangements be concluded within the framework of the EU and between liberal democracies? To discuss these recent developments, Christopher Preble, the Co-director of the New American Engagement Initiative at the Atlantic Council and Emanuel Örtengren, the Acting Director of Stockholm Free World Forum, joined Adam Bartha on Markets & Morality.   FOLLOW US: TWITTER - https://twitter.com/iealondon  INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/ieauk/  FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/ieauk 

Host Joey Spada sits down with Christopher Preble, the Co-Director for the New American Engagement Initiative at the Atlantic Council, who provides insights into the limitations of US military intervention in the Middle East.

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Daniel Byman's article in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, “The Good Enough Doctrine: Learning to Live with Terrorism.” Byman surveys the various aspects of the “Global War on Terror” and concludes that, on balance, the United States and others have achieved a level of effort that is both strategically and politically feasible. But can we actually tolerate some level of risk from terrorism in the same way that we tolerate other dangers, from pandemics to severe weather events, or will political leaders always resort to maximalist promises to eliminate terrorism permanently? Was it inevitable that the Global War on Terror would amplify xenophobia and nativism, and what else can we learn from the efforts of the past 20 years? Grievances for critics of the "Blob,” special scorn for Sen. Chris Murphy, and "attapeople" to U.S. military personnel for their enormous sacrifices in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and to those civilians who are now helping to resettle Afghan refugees, as well as those displaced from other disasters.   Daniel Byman's “The Good Enough Doctrine: Learning to Live with Terrorism,” Foreign Affairs, September/October 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2021-08-24/good-enough-doctrine Richard Stevenson, “Bush Faults Kerry on Terrorism Remarks,” New York Times, Oct. 12, 2004, https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/12/politics/campaign/bush-faults-kerry-on-terrorism-remarks.html Christopher Preble, “We Are Terrorized: Why US Counterterrorism Policy Is Failing, and Why It Can't Be Easily Fixed,” War on the Rocks, Jan. 8, 2016, https://warontherocks.com/2016/01/we-are-terrorized-why-u-s-counterterrorism-policy-is-failing-and-why-it-cant-be-easily-fixed/ Bill McCarthy, “Charlie Kirk baselessly claims Biden intentionally let Afghanistan fall to alter US population,” Politifact, Aug. 19, 2021, https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/aug/19/charlie-kirk/charlie-kirk-baselessly-claims-biden-intentionally/ Jordan Mendoza, “Want to donate or volunteer to assist those affected by Hurricane Ida? Here's how to help,” USA Today, Aug. 30, 2021, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/08/30/hurricane-ida-help-storm-victims-louisiana-mississippi/5648004001/ “How to Help Afghan Refugees and the Relief Effort,” New York Times, Aug. 20, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/20/world/asia/how-to-help-afghanistan-refugees.html “Future Foreign Policy series: Congress and AUMF repeal,” New American Engagement Initiative, Atlantic Council, Sept. 16, 2021, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/future-foreign-policy-congress-and-aumf-repeal/ Tanisha M. Fazal, "The Case for Complacency," Foreign Affairs, September/October 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/2021-08-24/case-complacency. Joe Biden, "Remarks on the End of the War in Afghanistan," The White House, Aug. 31, 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/31/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-end-of-the-war-in-afghanistan/. Darren Lim, Zack Cooper, and Ashley Feng, “Trust and Diversify: A Geoeconomic Strategy for the Australia-US Alliance,” US Studies Centre, Sept. 2, 2021, https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/trust-and-diversify-a-geoeconomic-strategy-for-the-australia-us-alliance. Susanna Patton and Ashley Townshend, “Kamala Harris's Asia Trip Can't Fix Biden's Troubled Indo-Pacific Strategy,” Foreign Policy, Aug. 24, 2021, https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/24/kamala-harris-singapore-vietnam-southeast-asia-trip-biden-indo-pacific-strategy/. Elliot Ackerman, “What the War on Terror Cost America,” Foreign Affairs, Aug. 27, 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2021-08-24/winning-ugly. Michael McKinley, “We All Lost Afghanistan,” Foreign Affairs, Aug. 16, 2021, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-08-16/we-all-lost-afghanistan-taliban.  Jeffrey A. Singer, “Society Will Never Be Free of COVID-19--It's Time to Embrace Harm Reduction,” Cato, Aug. 26, 2021, https://www.cato.org/pandemics-policy/society-will-never-be-free-covid-19-its-time-embrace-harm-reduction.   

Chris, Zack, and Melanie discuss Hal Brands and Charles Edel’s article “A Grand Strategy of Democratic Solidarity.” Is it possible, and is it wise, to construct a grand strategy of democratic solidarity to counter China and Russia? How might the United States and other countries implement this strategy in practice?  Should President Joe Biden host a “summit for democracies,” or would that cause more problems than it would solve?   Melanie criticizes Biden’s infrastructure plan, Zack praises Congress for bipartisan work on the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, and Chris has some tender words for his daughter, Katelyn, as she finishes her time in high school just as she’s spent the last few years — enjoying every moment.   Links Hal Brands and Charles Edel, “A Grand Strategy of Democratic Solidarity,” Washington Quarterly, March 23, 2021 Kori Schake, “The US Doesn’t Know How to Treat Its Allies,” The Atlantic, March 28, 2021 Brian Reidl, “Biden’s Infrastructure Proposal is a Giant Boondoggle,” The Dispatch, April 5, 2021 Michael Wood, Tweet, April 11, 2021 “Strategic Competition Act of 2021,”  U.S. Senate Foreign Relation Committee, April 8, 2021 James Goldgeier and Bruce W. Jentleson, "A Democracy Summit Is Not What the Doctor Ordered," Foreign Affairs, December 14, 2020 Graham Brookie, Tweet, April 11, 2021 “Sharp Partisan Divides in Foreign Policy Priorities,” Pew Research Center, February 23, 2021 Christopher Preble, “Covert Wars, To What End?” War on the Rocks, August 7, 2019 Ted Galen Carpenter and Malou Innocent, Perilous Partners: The Benefits and Pitfalls of America’s Alliances with Authoritarian Regimes (Cato Institute, 2015)

On this Washington Roundtable episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests in segment one are Michael Bayer, the chairman of the Defense Business Board and the president of the Dumbarton Strategies consultancy, and Arnold Punaro, the chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association and CEO of the Punaro Group consultancy to discuss the ongoing presidential transition and how to best accomplish the monumental task of a peaceful transition of power.  In segment two our guests are Dov Zakheim, PhD, former DoD comptroller, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Gordon Adams, PhD, Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute, Michael Herson, President and CEO, American Defense International, Christopher Preble, co-director of the Atlantic Council's New American Engagement Initiative and Byron Callan of the independent equity research firm Capital Alpha Partners. Topics: — Look at transition efforts as President-elect Joe Biden’s agency review teams for DoD and other departments are named and President Trump refuses to concede election or support change in administration — Update on National Defense Authorization Act, Senate defense appropriations markup and fourth stimulus package talks — Political dynamics in Congress including a scant Democratic majority in the House and factionalism in both parties — US role in the the world in a Biden administration, including beating coronavirus at home — Keys to a smooth change between administrations — Addressing ethics concerns associated with attracting top talent to DoD who have industry experience

The crew convenes for the first show after Joe Biden’s election victory to consider how Americans want to engage with the rest of the world, and whether the incoming Biden administration will be able to heal the nation’s wounds while also restoring U.S. global leadership. Does an inward focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, a sluggish economy, and racial tensions necessarily mean that the United States will neglect the wider world? Or can it lead by example, proving that by solving its own problems it can help solve global problems as well? And in our polarized political environment, does it even make sense to talk about “Americans” as a unified whole? Or do differences between Republicans and Democrats, young and old, or rich and poor, prevent U.S. policymakers from crafting and executing a consistent and coherent approach to the world? Grievances abound for Republican elected officials’ collective unwillingness to acknowledge Biden’s victory, and attaboys to the American people for turning out to vote in historic numbers, and to the media for covering the vote-counting carefully and cautiously. And Melanie offers a heartfelt attagirl to her beloved niece Miri who is fighting a serious disease with grace and spirit. (Be warned: It’s a tear-jerker!)   Links: Jonathan Monten, Joshua Busby, Joshua D. Kertzer, Dina Smeltz, and Jordan Tama, "Americans Want to Engage the World," Foreign Affairs, November 3, 2020 Dina Smeltz, Ivo H. Daalder, Karl Friedhoff, Craig Kafura, and Brendan Helm, “Divided We Stand: Democrats and Republicans Diverge on US Foreign Policy,” Chicago Council on Global Affairs, September 17, 2020 Mark Hannah and Caroline Gray, "Diplomacy & Restraint the Worldview of American Voters," Eurasia Group Foundation, September 2020 “About Those Polls…,” The Daily, November 12, 2020 Maggie Haberman, Michael D. Shear, Maggie Astor and Peter Baker, “Republicans Are Split over Whether to Call the Election Over,” New York Times, November 8, 2020 Kaelen Deese, “Hogan Congratulates Biden, Harris on Election Victory: 'Everyone Should Want Our President to Succeed,'” The Hill, November 7, 2020 Christopher Preble, “The Biden Administration Can Both Look Inward and Provide Leadership on the Global Stage,” Atlantic Council, November 9, 2020 Aaron Mehta, "Where President-Elect Joe Biden Stands on National Security Issues," Defense News, November 8, 2020 Elisabeth Braw, "Defense Spending and What We Can Learn from Sweden," On the Cusp Podcast, November 2, 2020 Myhre Syndrome

First airing a little over three years ago, and still as timely as ever.Whenever there is a global crisis, natural disaster or manmade, civilians or of a security related issue - the world turns their eyes to the United States of America.The indispensable nation. The only global super-power. You all know the drill.Is it an honor, or a burden? Is it a habit we should, or can sustain?Our guest for the full hour to discuss this and related issues will be Christopher Preble, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute.As a starting point for our discussion, we will use the article he co-authored with William Ruger at War on the Rocks, No More of the Same: the Problem with Primacy.

In the first of a three-part series, Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall explore what international relations might look like after coronavirus. Today’s guest is Dan Drezner, a professor at Tufts University, who joins them to talk about global economic relations. Daniel Drezner bio: https://fletcher.tufts.edu/people/daniel-drezner Daniel Drezner, “There is No China Crisis,” Reason Magazine: https://reason.com/2020/04/25/there-is-no-china-crisis/ Daniel Drezner, “The Most Counterintuitive Prediction About World Politics and the Coronavirus,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/30/most-counterintuitive-prediction-about-world-politics-covid-19/Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig, “Will Trump’s Decision To Cut WHO Funding Accomplish Anything?” Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/17/will-trumps-decision-to-cut-who-funding-accomplish-anything/Christopher Preble, “How Will Coronavirus Change US National Security Strategy?” Responsible Statecraft: https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/how-will-covid-19-change-us-national-security-strategy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eric Gomez and Christopher Preble join Emma Ashford to discuss their new paper, “Building a Modern Military,” and how COVID-19 will change the U.S. military. Eric Gomez bio: https://www.cato.org/people/eric-gomezChristopher Preble bio: https://www.cato.org/people/christopher-prebleBuilding a Modern Military: https://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/building-modern-military-force-meets-geopolitical-realities#citation See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris and Melanie sit down with Mark Cancian of CSIS to discuss the final report of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. They discuss what public service is, what role the government should play in encouraging it, and how COVID-19 and the response to it might affect what opportunities people see for service. Looking at military service specifically, they consider possible reforms to the Selective Service System and take up the commission's recommendation that women be required to register for the draft. Finally, Chris is making progress on a new book, Mark applauds the president for talking about COVID-19 and risks we may have to learn to deal with, and Melanie is grateful for the spontaneous public service we see from so many people during this difficult time.   Links "Most Women Oppose Having to Register for the Draft," Rasmussen Reports, February 10, 2016 Christopher Preble, "Don’t Make Women Register for the Draft. Just End Draft Registration for Everyone," Washington Post, February 5, 2016 “Poll: Include Women in U.S. Military Drafts,” Sachs Media Group, June 21, 2013

Devour this deep dive into the dash to drop America's drawn-out duel in the domain of the Durrani (and different dynasties): Afghanistan. To help us understand what's transpired and the meaning of the new deal between the United States and the Taliban, Ryan was joined by Orzala Nemat, Laurel Miller, and Vikram J. Singh -- all of whom have many years of experience with America's longest war.   For members, we have some bonus material (posted in the War Hall): Dr. Nemat tells us what a certain Hamid Karzai has been up to. Want to become a member? Click: https://warontherocks.com/membership/   Further reading and listening:   Barnett Rubin, "Fighting and Talking with the Taliban During the Obama Years," War on the Rocks Laurel Miller, "The Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Policy," Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Vikram Signh, "Behind The U.S.-Taliban Ceasefire Agreement In Afghanistan," NPR, interview by Ari Shapiro Chris Brose, Melanie Marlow, Christopher Preble, "Why is America Leaving Afghanistan Now?" Net Assessment John Bew, Ryan Evans, Peter Neumann, and Marisa Porgest, Talking to the Taliban: Hope over History (ICSR: 2013)

Is the U.S. military built and positioned to stop or — if necessary — win the next big war? What should the Navy and Marine Corps of the future look like? What's standing in the way? How can the United States step back from the Middle East and focus on the Pacific? What does The Wire have to teach us about Washington? Why does a member of Congress have a sword, a pull-up bar, and a bottle of Lagavulin 16 in his office? Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Chris Brose of Anduril Industries join Ryan for a wide-ranging conversation that tackles these questions and more.    Further Reading, Listening, and Watching: Mike Gallagher, "To Deter China, the Naval Services Must Integrate," War on the Rocks Frank Hoffman, "No Strategic Success Without 21st Century Seapower: Forward Partnering," War on the Rocks Alice Hunt Friend, Melanie Marlowe, and Christopher Preble, "Net Assessment: Debating the AUMFs" "Everybody Stays Friends," The Wire Chris Brose and Ryan Evans, "Your Ideas Matter," War on the Rocks

After a long holiday hiatus, Hudson’s Patrick Cronin joins Melanie and Chris in a spirited discussion of U.S. policy toward China. How is this competition like the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and what’s different? What aspects of China’s behavior are most worrisome? What steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of conflict? Or is a clash, even if it is mostly non-military in nature, inevitable? Patrick gives a shout out to the heroic men and women fighting wildfires in Australia, Melanie expresses her appreciation for Ricky Gervais, and Chris offers kudos to the U.S. press corps. Links: Fareed Zakaria, "The New China Scare: Why America Shouldn’t Panic About Its Latest Challenger" Foreign Affairs, January/February 2020 Christopher Preble, “A Useful Corrective to China Fearmongering,” Cato, December 6, 2019 Christopher A. Preble, “NDAA 2020: Congress Neglects Its Responsibility Once Again,” Cato, December 10, 2019 Salvador Rizzo, "Anatomy of a Trump Rally: 67 Percent of Claims Are False or Lacking Evidence," Washington Post, January 7, 2020 “In 1,055 Days, President Trump Has Made 15,413 False or Misleading Claims,” Washington Post, December 10, 2019 Jordan Hoffman, "No One Knows Where Mike Pence Got His Soleimani 'Facts' From," Vanity Fair, January 4, 2020 John Hudson, Josh Dawsey, Shane Harris, and Dan Lemothe, "Killing of Soleimani Follows Long Push From Pompeo For Aggressive Action Against Iran, but Airstrike Brings Serious Risks," Washington Post, January 5, 2020 Richard Fontaine, “Great Power Competition is Washington’s Top Priority, but Not the Public’s,” Foreign Affairs, September 11, 2019 Nils Gilman, “China, Capitalism, and the New Cold War,” American Interest, November 18, 2019 Justin Rohrlich, “A Chinese Tourist Accused of Espionage is the Latest Example of a Growing Threat to US Security,” Quartz, January 5, 2020 Josh Blackman, Tweets, January 6, 2020 Ricky Gervais, 2020 Golden Globes, January 5, 2020 Patrick M. Cronin and Ryan Neuhard, “Total Competition: The China Challenge in the South China Sea,” Center for a New American Security, January 9, 2020 Ann Lee, “The Real Target of the US Assassination of the Iranian Military Leader Qassem Soleimani-China,” South China Morning Post, January 8, 2020 Heritage Pride Productions' “Elf: The Musical,” January 23, 24, and 25th “The Future of Progressive Foreign Policy: 2020 and Beyond,” Cato Policy Forum, January 28, 2020

Christopher Preble and John Glaser talk about how Donald Trump’s rise in the Republican primaries and eventually to the presidency represented an astonishing break with the foreign policy consensus that had prevailed from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. And they detail this more extensively in their book, Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse, which is a comprehensive explanation of how Trump’s “America First” mentality was more a campaign slogan than a coherent vision of American grand strategy and foreign policy.How did Donald Trump change the messaging on foreign policy? Does the public support an adventurous foreign policy? What does the military think of Trump’s rhetoric? Does President Trump have a foreign policy doctrine? Is Trump obsessed with status and prestige? How is Donald Trump erratic?Further Reading:Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover), written by Christopher A. Preble, John Glaser, and A. Trevor ThrallTrump Clears Three Service Members in War Crimes Cases, written by Dave PhilippsSpecial Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World, written by Walter Russell MeadThe Jacksonian Revolt, written by Walter Russell MeadRelated Content:Peace, War, and Liberty: Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy, written by Christopher PrebleThree Arguments Against War, written by Jason KuznickiUnderstanding U.S. Foreign Policy, Free Thoughts PodcastFree Thoughts/Power Problem Crossover: Are Libertarians Isolationists?, Free Thoughts Podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Net Assessment crew is back and this week they are breaking down an article written by Brian Stewart in Quillette titled, "Tensions in NATO and the Looming End of Pax Americana." Is NATO worth American attention and money? Why don't the Europeans just get their act together? The crew discusses what threat NATO is designed to counter and whether it should forget about Russia and focus on terrorism. Also, Bryan has a grievance with attorney general Bill Barr, Melanie takes issue with the Danish Atlantic Council, and Chris gives an attaboy to the students at the University of California, Washington Center. Join Melanie, Chris, and Bryan as they dive once more into the breach.   Links Brian Stewart, "Tensions in NATO and the Looming End of Pax Americana," Quillette, December 5, 2019 Bret Stephens, "NATO is Full of Freeloaders. But It's How We Defend the Free World," New York Times, December 5, 2019 "Emmanuel Macron in His Own Words," Economist, November 7, 2019 Katie Benner, "Barr and Durham Publicly, Disagree with Horowitz Report on Russian Inquiry," New York Times, December 12, 2019 Ben Werner, "CNO Gilday Releases New, Simplified Command Guidance to Fleet," USNI News, December 4, 2019 Christopher Preble, "Cops of the World No More," CATO, January 30, 2015 Craig Whitlock, “At War with the Truth,” Washington Post, December 9, 2019 James Laporta, "Afghan War Report Enrages Veterans and Gold Star Families: Even as More of Us Died, They Lied," Newsweek, December 9, 2019 Jonah Schepp, "A NATO Summit to End All NATO Summits," New York Magazine, December 5, 2019 Mariel Padilla, "NATO Conference is Canceled after US Ambassador Barred a Trump Critic," New York Times, December 8, 2019 "The Day Will Come," Netflix Orlando Parfitt, "The Day Will Come' Claims Top Prize at Denmark's Robert Awards," Screen Daily, February 6, 2017

Chris, Bryan, and Melanie talk about the Interim Report issued by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence last week. What kinds of expectations should we have about AI being used for national security purposes? What kind of investments should be made in this technology, and where will the money come from? What about concerns that AI developed by American companies or the United States government might be used by authoritarian regimes to violate their citizens' human rights? Can we continue to reap the benefits of research collaboration with people from other countries, particularly China, and still protect national security secrets? Finally, Bryan tells us of his exploits in Italy, Chris gives a heartfelt appreciation to a friend and colleague, and Melanie looks forward to some long-awaited playtime with her nephews.   Links National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, Interim Report, November 2019 Jacey Fortin, “Uber C.E.O. Backtracks After Comparing Khashoggi’s Killing to an Accident,” New York Times, November 11, 2019 Andrew Bacevich, “The Berlin Wall Fell and the U.S. learned the Wrong Lessons. It Got Us Donald Trump,” Los Angeles Times, November 8, 2019 Christopher Preble, John Glaser, and A. Trevor Thrall, Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America's Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse, (Cato Institute, 2019) Robert Work and Eric Schmidt, "In Search of Ideas: The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence Wants You," War on the Rocks, July 18, 2019 Ilanit Chernick, "Holocaust Survivors Reunite with Rescuer at Yad Vashem," November 3, 2019, Jerusalem Post "Holocaust Survivor Reunited with a Baby He Saved During World War II," BBC, November 8, 2019 Gina Kolata, "Vast Dragnet Targets Theft of Biomedical Secrets for China," New York Times, November 4, 2019 Melanie Marlow, Tweets, November 11, 2019 “Puffs,” Heritage Pride Productions, November 14-15-16, and 21-22-23

Melanie, Chris, and guest host Claude Berube discuss the promise and pitfalls of exit strategies. When policymakers plan to embark on foreign wars, should they also prepare a plan for extricating the nation from these wars when they are completed? Is an exit strategy a vital component of strategy? Or do exit strategies create unreasonable expectations of easy victory? Can an exit strategy focus attention on a desired end state, and prevent mission creep? Or are prudent adjustments only possible when policymakers are not shackled to pre-war objectives? Chris congratulates New England Patriots’ coach Bill Bellichick on victory number 300, Melanie blasts Sean Duffy for questioning a decorated U.S. Army officer’s patriotism, and Claude delivers a Net Assessment first -- a heartfelt attadog for his beloved four-legged companion, Reagan.   Links David Kampf, "When Are Exit Strategies Viable?" War on the Rocks, October 14, 2019 Adam Wunische, "The Lost Art of Exiting a War," War on the Rocks, October 21, 2019 Devon Clements, "Bill Belichick Becomes 3rd NFL Head Coach Ever to Accumulate 300 Career Wins," Sports Illustrated, October 27, 2019 Christopher Preble, “New Rules for U.S. Military Intervention,” War on the Rocks, September 20, 2016 Richard Fontaine, “The Nonintervention Delusion: What War Is Good For,” Foreign Affairs, November-December 2019 Spencer Ackerman, “Baghdadi Is Dead. The War on Terror Will Create Another,” Daily Beast, October 28, 2019 Doug Bandow and Christopher Preble, “Lost in the Furor Over Syria: Alliances Are a Means, Not an End,” War on the Rocks, October 23, 2019 Ashley Feinberg, "This Sure Looks Like Mitt Romney's Secret Twitter Account," Slate, October 20, 2019 "Sean Duffy on CNN," CNN, October 29, 2019 Aaron Stein, "US Officials Ignored Trump on Syria and We are All Paying the Price," War on the Rocks, October 22, 2019 "The Weinberger Doctrine," Washington Post, November 30, 1984 Jason Whiteley, "No Exit, No Problem," Small Wars Journal, April 21, 2011 James Nolt, "Exit Strategy," World Policy," World Policy, February 23, 2017

As a candidate for the presidency, Donald Trump declared the prevailing American foreign policy consensus “a complete and total disaster.” He vowed to “shake the rust off of American foreign policy” and promised that his administration would be guided by putting American security and American interests above all other considerations.In Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover), John Glaser, Christopher Preble, and Trevor Thrall argue that, instead of breaking from his party and the bipartisan consensus that has guided foreign policy for decades, Trump’s administration shows remarkable continuity with the more misguided policies of the last three decades. Simultaneously, the administration has undermined and stifled our two most valuable foreign policy tools: trade and diplomacy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Chris, Melanie, and Bryan as they dive into Professor Philip Zelikow’s recent article in the Texas National Security Review titled, “To Regain Policy Competence: The Software of American Problem Solving.” Has policymaking gotten worse, or is it a problem with implementation? Or is implementation part of the policymaking process? The gang also discusses whether there is a lack of professionalism in the education and training of future policymakers. This week's episode is a little wonky, but well worth the time.  At the end of the show, Bryan gives an attaboy for the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours, while Chris gives a shout out to his wife.   Links Philip Zelikow, "To Regain Policy Competence: The Software of American Public Problem-Solving," Texas National Security Review, September 2019 John Glaser, Christopher Preble, A. Trevor Thrall, Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover) (Cato Institute, 2019) Justin Logan, “Cult of the Irrelevant: National Security Eggheads & Academics,” American Conservative, June 12, 2019 Danielle Pletka, Tweet, October 13, 2019 Justin Logan, Tweet, October 13, 2019 Danielle Pletka, Tweet, October 13, 2019 Krista Preble, LinkedIn Alex Horton, "A Latina Novelist Spoke About White Privilege. Students Burned Her Book in Response," Washington Post, October 11, 2019 Tim Hains, "Beto O'Rourke: Churches That Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status," Real Clear Politics, October 11, 2019 Ryan Prior, "Farmers in Idaho Rallied to Harvest a Neighbor's Potatoes as a Deep Freeze Threatened to Ruin Them," CNN, October 11, 2019 Tariq Tahir, "Nobel Peace Prize 2019 – Greta Thunberg Snubbed as Award Given to Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed for Ending 20 Year Eritrea Conflict," Sun, October 11, 2019 Chris Stein, "Nobel Snub No Obstacle in Great Thunberg's Climate Quest," Yahoo News, October 11, 2019 Andrew Keh, "Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier," New York Times, October 12, 2019 The Bulwark Podcast, "Bryan McGrath on Trump and American Exceptionalism," October 14, 2019

Christopher Preble and John Glaser join Trevor Thrall to discuss their new book, Fuel to the Fire, which assesses Donald Trump’s foreign policies and makes the case for greater restraint in international affairs.Christopher A. Preble bioJohn Glaser bioTrevor Thrall bioChristopher A. Preble, John Glaser, Trevor Thrall, Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover)Fuel to the Fire promotional page See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Van digs into the varieties of progressive foreign policy thought, and confesses to evolutions about his own thinking. Why Joe and Hunter Biden--who did no wrong here--remind us that foreign money corrupts the politics of democracies everywhere. What is the "Washington Post test?" And how is journalism itself complicit in empowering Trump? Also in this episode, why government memos are sanitized versions of history. Ask Me Anything: Which democratic presidential candidates does Van like? Is China neo-fascist (or neo-racist)? Non-Sequitur: Van's recurring dream about Ted Cruz.Notes and Sources:Uri Friedman's Atlantic piece on GOP civil war: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/09/will-gop-split-trump-over-foreign-policy/598438/Jim Goldgeier's Washington Post piece on how to read government phone call "transcripts": https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/25/what-expect-when-you-are-expecting-trump-transcript/Liz Cheney v. Rand Paul feud: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/22/rand-paul-liz-cheney-senate-wyoming-1506603William Gallo Tweet: https://twitter.com/GalloVOA/status/1175420934108266501John Glaser, Trevor Thrall, and Christopher Preble's New Book: https://www.cato.org/events/fuel-to-the-fireIn The Loop Movie: https://www.amazon.com/Loop-Peter-Capaldi/dp/B0093SSPGGShow Producers: Pete McKenzie and Gaby MagnusonTheme Song: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester 

What have we learned in the 18 years since 9/11? Chris, Melanie, and Bryan discuss whether counterterrorism policy takes account of academic research on the subject. Going forward, the goal should be to implement the most cost-effective policies — and over time, to calm public anxiety about terrorism. Bryan gives a shout out to a bipartisan duo of Net Assessment fans, Chris gripes about NFL officiating, and Melanie offers her appreciation of the Constitution via an unlikely source: former Vice President Joe Biden.   Links Khusrav Gaibulloev and Todd Sandler, "Six Things We've Learned About Terrorism Since 9/11," Washington Post, September 11, 2019 Khusrav Gaibulloev and Todd Sandler, "What We Have Learned about Terrorism since 9/11," Journal of Economic Literature, June, 2019 John Mueller and Mark Stewart, Terror, Security, and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits, and Costs of Homeland Security, (Oxford, 2011) John Mueller and Mark Stewart, Are We Safe Enough? Measuring and Assessing Aviation Security, (Elsevier, 2018) Trevor Thrall and Erik Goepner, "Step Back: Lessons for U.S. Foreign Policy from the Failed War on Terror," Cato, June 26, 2017 Scott Simon, "Edward Snowden Tells NPR: The Executive Branch Sort of Hacked the Constitution," NPR, September 12, 2019 Tom Schad, "As New Season Begins, NFL Coaches Still Trying to Sort Out Pass Interference Rule Changes," USA Today, September 5, 2019 Christopher Preble, “Covert Wars, to What End?" War on the Rocks, August 7, 2019 Austin Carson, "Recipient of the Georgetown University Lepgold Prize," Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago, September 4, 2019 Ari Cohn, Tweet, September 12, 2019 International Security Studies Section of the International Studies Association, Tweet, August 19, 2019

Special guest Rick Berger joins Bryan and Chris for a discussion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the state of civil-military relations. The post-9/11 mission expanded from counterterrorism to nation-building, but this occurred, according to CSIS’s Mark Cancian, without a serious "discussion about the relationship between the desired end state and the military effort required to reach it." Bryan, Rick, and Chris disagree on whether that’s actually true — and whether it matters. Bryan gives kudos to National Review’s Kevin Williamson for making the case for independent thinking, Chris knocks CNN and the Democratic debaters for spending too little time on foreign policy, and Rick praises newly installed Secretary of Defense Mark Esper for his plan to beef up conventional deterrence in the Asia-Pacific.   Links   Mark F. Cancian, "Tell Me How This Ends: Military Advice, Strategic Goals, and the "Forever War" in Afghanistan," CSIS, July 10, 2019 Caroline Dorminey and Eric Gomez, "America's Nuclear Crossroads: A Forward-Looking Anthology," CATO Institute Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Julian E. Barnes, "S. Military Calls ISIS in Afghanistan a Threat to the West. Intelligence Officials Disagree," New York Times, August 2, 2019 Felix Tam and Anne Marie Roantree, "Trump Says It's Up to China to Deal with Hong Kong Riots," Reuters, August 2, 2019 "Interview with Kevin Williamson," C-Span, July 19, 2019 Max Boot, "The Case for American Empire," The Weekly Standard, October 15, 2001 Justin Logan and Christopher Preble, “Fatal Conceit,” National Review, August 12, 2010 Fred Kaplan, “Five Minutes to Explain the World,” Slate, August 1, 2019 Congressional Budget Office, "Funding for Overseas Contingency Operations and its Impact on Defense Spending," October 2018 Rick Berger, "Why Withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan Won’t Save Much Money," Defense One, February 26, 2019     Music and Production by Tre Hester

Last week we left off with selections from William Graham Sumner and we pick up right there today with Christopher Preble. Preble’s new book was released today on our site and it not only explores America imperialist tendency in the past, but also recognizes our foreign policy blunders of today.Does the U.S. think they are in a perfect position to solve the problems of other countries? How did the war against Spain turn out? Does the American imperial empire exist today? When did the U.S. start to get influenced by the imperial mindset of Europe? What is corporatism? Was it honorable to be a soldier in the 1900s? What was the anti-war movement and what happened to it after World War II?Further Reading:Peace, War, and Liberty: Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy, written by Christopher A. Preble, available April 30, 2019.Dreams of a City on a Hill, 1630, written by John WinthropRelated Content:Address Delivered at the Request of the Committee for Arrangements for Celebrating the Anniversary of Independence, written by John Quincy AdamsJackson: The First Imperial President, Learn LibertyThe Conquest of the United States by Spain, written by William Graham Sumner See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin are reunited to discuss such cheery topics as political assassinations and sexual violence (albeit in the form of Nobel Prizes awarded to combat it). Radha dives deep on NAFTA 2.0, and we work our way through the crazy Chinese hacked hardware story. Rounding out White House Mayhem, John Bolton is back and joins the president and vice president in making blustery foreign policy speeches. And Erin demands answers on Banksy's newest prank.   New WOTR podcast: Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble, "Net Assessment," War on the Rocks   KUFR Nobel prize Emily Sullivan, "Nobel Peace Prize Goes To Denis Mukwege And Nadia Murad For Fighting Sexual Violence," NPR Saudi-Turkey "Jamal Khashoggi: Turkey says journalist was murdered in Saudi consulate," BBC Karim Fahim, "Turkey concludes Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi killed by 'murder' team, sources say," Washington Post Trade Heather Long, "U.S., Canada and Mexico just reached a sweeping new NAFTA deal. Here's what's in it." Washington Post Jacob M. Schlesinger and Josh Zumbrun, "Trump Aims to Model New Trade Deals on Revised Nafta," Wall Street Journal Phil Levy, "Trump Faces A Car Conundrum On NAFTA Deal," Forbes Jeff Daniels, "New NAFTA falls short of 'more ambitious goals' for agribusiness, says CoBank report," CNBC  Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley, "The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies," Bloomberg James Cook, "Apple and Amazon deny report that Chinese 'spy' chips were used to infiltrate their networks," Telegraph Ian Bogost, "The Chinese Motherboard Hack Is a Crisis, Even If It Didn't Really Happen," Atlantic WH Mayhem Jane Perlez, "Pence's China Speech Seen as Portent of 'New Cold War,'" New York Times Van Jackson, "Competition with China Isn't a Strategy," War on the Rocks  David M. Herszenhorn, "Rebuking Trump, major powers reaffirm Iran nuclear deal," Politico Lara Seligman, "Bolton Puts Mattis in a Tight Spot on Syria," Foreign Policy Jarrett Blanc, "Here's Why World Leaders Are Laughing at Trump," Politico Pop-Culture Allison Quinn, "Banksy Painting Self-Destructs Seconds After Being Sold for $1.4 Million at Auction," Daily Beast Music by Future Teens Produced by Tre Hester 

This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin are reunited to discuss such cheery topics as political assassinations and sexual violence (albeit in the form of Nobel Prizes awarded to combat it). Radha dives deep on NAFTA 2.0, and we work our way through the crazy Chinese hacked hardware story. Rounding out White House Mayhem, John Bolton is back and joins the president and vice president in making blustery foreign policy speeches. And Erin demands answers on Banksy's newest prank.   New WOTR podcast: Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble, "Net Assessment," War on the Rocks   KUFR Nobel prize Emily Sullivan, "Nobel Peace Prize Goes To Denis Mukwege And Nadia Murad For Fighting Sexual Violence," NPR Saudi-Turkey "Jamal Khashoggi: Turkey says journalist was murdered in Saudi consulate," BBC Karim Fahim, "Turkey concludes Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi killed by 'murder' team, sources say," Washington Post Trade Heather Long, "U.S., Canada and Mexico just reached a sweeping new NAFTA deal. Here's what's in it." Washington Post Jacob M. Schlesinger and Josh Zumbrun, "Trump Aims to Model New Trade Deals on Revised Nafta," Wall Street Journal Phil Levy, "Trump Faces A Car Conundrum On NAFTA Deal," Forbes Jeff Daniels, "New NAFTA falls short of 'more ambitious goals' for agribusiness, says CoBank report," CNBC  Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley, "The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies," Bloomberg James Cook, "Apple and Amazon deny report that Chinese 'spy' chips were used to infiltrate their networks," Telegraph Ian Bogost, "The Chinese Motherboard Hack Is a Crisis, Even If It Didn't Really Happen," Atlantic WH Mayhem Jane Perlez, "Pence's China Speech Seen as Portent of 'New Cold War,'" New York Times Van Jackson, "Competition with China Isn't a Strategy," War on the Rocks  David M. Herszenhorn, "Rebuking Trump, major powers reaffirm Iran nuclear deal," Politico Lara Seligman, "Bolton Puts Mattis in a Tight Spot on Syria," Foreign Policy Jarrett Blanc, "Here's Why World Leaders Are Laughing at Trump," Politico Pop-Culture Allison Quinn, "Banksy Painting Self-Destructs Seconds After Being Sold for $1.4 Million at Auction," Daily Beast Music by Future Teens Produced by Tre Hester 

What happens when a libertarian, a conservative hawk, and a constitutional powers specialist walk into a podcast studio? 'Net Assessment' happens. Welcome to the hottest new national security podcast hosted by Melanie Marlowe, Christopher Preble, and Bryan McGrath. This is a show about competing visions of America's role in the world. In each episode, they will be discussing a featured article, airing their grievances, and giving attaboys.  In the first episode of this bi-weekly series, our hosts introduce themselves and their hopes for this podcast. They tackle this episode's featured article, Adrian Lewis' "The Ivory Tower and Academic Ignorance of What the Armed Forces Actually Do," published by Task & Purpose. They also discuss the role of American seapower and, of course, Twitter feuds. Don't forget to subscribe to Net Assessment on your podcast app of choice.    Adrian Lewis, “The Ivory Tower And Academic Ignorance Of What The Armed Forces Actually Do,” Task and Purpose, September 20, 2018. Ken Buck, “Congress, Take Your War Powers Back,” Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2018. Dion Nissenbaum, “Top U.S. Diplomat Backed Continuing Support for Saudi War in Yemen Over Objections of Staff,” Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2018. Nicholas Kristof, “Be Outraged by America’s Role in Yemen’s Misery,” New York Times, September 26, 2018. Claudia Grisales and Corey Dickstein, “Vice Adm. Faller: 'I Was Cleared of All Wrongdoing' in 'Fat Leonard' Case,” Stars and Stripes, September 25, 2018. Chico Harlan, “Vatican and China Reach ‘Provisional’ Deal on Appointment of Bishops,” Washington Post, September 22, 2018. Corey Dickstein, "House Lawmakers Confused over US Military’s Goals in Syria as Pentagon Maintains Focus on ISIS," Stars and Stripes, September 26, 2018. Joshua Keating, “Why John Bolton is So Obsessed with the International Criminal Court," Slate, September 10, 2018 Base Redevelopment Forum, Association of Defense Communities, Portland, Maine, October 8-10, 2018. The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy by Stephen M. Walt, Book Forum with the author, Cato Institute, October 17, 2018.   Music and Production by Tre Hester.

What happens when a libertarian, a conservative hawk, and a constitutional powers specialist walk into a podcast studio? 'Net Assessment' happens. Welcome to the hottest new national security podcast hosted by Melanie Marlowe, Christopher Preble, and Bryan McGrath. This is a show about competing visions of America's role in the world. In each episode, they will be discussing a featured article, airing their grievances, and giving attaboys.  In the first episode of this bi-weekly series, our hosts introduce themselves and their hopes for this podcast. They tackle this episode's featured article, Adrian Lewis' "The Ivory Tower and Academic Ignorance of What the Armed Forces Actually Do," published by Task & Purpose. They also discuss the role of American seapower and, of course, Twitter feuds. Don't forget to subscribe to Net Assessment on your podcast app of choice.    Adrian Lewis, “The Ivory Tower And Academic Ignorance Of What The Armed Forces Actually Do,” Task and Purpose, September 20, 2018. Ken Buck, “Congress, Take Your War Powers Back,” Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2018. Dion Nissenbaum, “Top U.S. Diplomat Backed Continuing Support for Saudi War in Yemen Over Objections of Staff,” Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2018. Nicholas Kristof, “Be Outraged by America’s Role in Yemen’s Misery,” New York Times, September 26, 2018. Claudia Grisales and Corey Dickstein, “Vice Adm. Faller: 'I Was Cleared of All Wrongdoing' in 'Fat Leonard' Case,” Stars and Stripes, September 25, 2018. Chico Harlan, “Vatican and China Reach ‘Provisional’ Deal on Appointment of Bishops,” Washington Post, September 22, 2018. Corey Dickstein, "House Lawmakers Confused over US Military’s Goals in Syria as Pentagon Maintains Focus on ISIS," Stars and Stripes, September 26, 2018. Joshua Keating, “Why John Bolton is So Obsessed with the International Criminal Court," Slate, September 10, 2018.   Base Redevelopment Forum, Association of Defense Communities, Portland, Maine, October 8-10, 2018. The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy by Stephen M. Walt, Book Forum with the author, Cato Institute, October 17, 2018.   Music and Production by Tre Hester.

War on the Rocks is excited to introduce an exciting new biweekly podcast: "Net Assessment." This new series features three assertive and experienced national security hands, debating important issues related to strategy, defense, and foreign affairs. Join Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble for "Net Assessment." This trailer gives you a taste of what's to come.

Representative Smith and Christopher Preble will discuss the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, including their findings from a new article they are copublishing in Strategic Studies Quarterly about BRAC, its impact on defense communities, and the future.For a number of years, the U.S. military — with support of presidents from both parties — has sought congressional authorization to rid itself of excess infrastructure. Unfortunately, Congress continues to stand in the way, often citing concerns about the effect of closures on local communities.In failing to authorize a BRAC round, however, Congress is doing more harm than good. Local communities are deprived of the support and clarity BRAC would provide, and they are denied access to property that could be put to productive use. Our military is forced to allocate resources away from training and equipping our soldiers in order to maintain unnecessary and unwanted infrastructure. Meanwhile, tens of billions of taxpayers’ dollars continue to be wasted.Debate over the BRAC process needs to be better informed by context and a real-world understanding of downstream effects, particularly the less-appreciated way that closing excess facilities positively affects communities. This conversation aims to do just that. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ostrolenk speaks with Christopher Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute. Ostrolenk and Preble discuss the recent passage of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) without provisions for BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure). Preble details the common arguments against BRAC – which likely resulted in its lack of inclusion in NDAA – and the reasons these arguments hold little weight. Even in the event of large-scale military growth, the military would still have nearly 20 percent excess capacity. Secondly, contrary to the claim that maintaining unnecessary military bases protects local communities from economic harm, the repurposing of bases often spurs greater economic activity. Preble concludes by discussing the likelihood of base realignments and closures in 2018 despite the lack of inclusion in NDAA, and the other efforts being undertaken to allow the U.S. military to more efficiently deploy resources while maintaining its war-fighting capabilities. To learn more about Preble's work, visit Cato.org.

Christopher Preble joins us to discuss what restraint in foreign policy means and what it would look like in practice.Show notes: Guest Bio: Christopher PrebleBarry Posen, Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand StrategyCato Institute, “Our Foreign Policy Choices: Rethinking America’s Global Role” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whenever there is a global crisis, natural disaster or manmade, civilians or of a security related issue - the world turns their eyes to the United States of America.The indispensable nation. The only global super-power. You all know the drill.Is it an honor, or a burden? Is it a habit we should, or can sustain?Our guest for the full hour to discuss this and related issues will be Christopher Preble, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute.As a starting point for our discussion, we will use the article he co-authored with William Ruger at War on the Rocks, No More of the Same: the Problem with Primacy.

The uncertain march to war in Iraq and Syria continues. Christopher Preble comments on John Kerry's testimony and the dubious authority underlying the President's war plans. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christopher Preble talks ISIS with us; Transgender soldiers; No more baby pics will be up on the hospital wall; Theft of hair extensions is up; Are we working too much?; Jack bought a bunk bed from Ikea

The United States maintains nearly 1,600 deployed nuclear weapons and a triad of systems — bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) — to deliver them. Current plans call for modernizing all three legs of the nuclear triad, which could cost taxpayers over $100 billion. A just-released Cato paper explains why a triad is no longer necessary. U.S. nuclear weapons policies have long rested on Cold War–era myths, and the rationales have aged badly in the two decades since the Soviet Union's demise. Two of the paper's authors, Benjamin Friedman and Christopher Preble, will discuss the origins of the nuclear triad and explain why a far smaller arsenal deployed entirely on submarines would be sufficient to deter attacks on the United States and its allies and would save roughly $20 billion annually. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Only a few weeks ago, President Obama seemed set on intervening militarily in Syria. He asked Congress for a vote authorizing the use of force, despite polls showing Americans were overwhelmingly against intervention in Syria. He then made his case in a primetime address. That, too, fell flat. Luckily for Obama, something strange happened leading up to the speech: diplomacy. Assad agreed to give up his chemical weapons. But will this U.S.-Russia accord work? How long before the calls for the United States to “do something” begin again? And did the president respect Congress’s war powers? Cato scholar Christopher Preble has followed developments closely since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011. He’ll provide a much needed update on the situation and take your questions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

6 AM - MailBag; Christopher Preble from the Cato Institute talks about our military build up in the Middle East.

6 AM - MailBag; Dr Christopher Preble from the Cato Institute talks to us about who the Libyan rebels are.

Marvin Kalb, a former host of Meet the Press and professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, talks about the media and US relations with Iran and Russia; Christopher Preble, director of foregin policy studies at the Cato Institute, discusses the Afghanistan War and other global issues; Jarrod Agen, a spokesman for Giuliani, discusses why he joined the campaign and where Giuliani stands on political issues.

The U.S.-Japan strategic relationship is evolving. With the United States struggling to meet military commitments abroad, and with Japan increasingly asserting military autonomy, more can be done to equitably distribute security burdens between the two countries. Christopher Preble will discuss his recent Policy Analysis, "Two Normal Countries: Rethinking the U.S.-Japan Strategic Relationship," which explains that a more equitable alliance will provide a durable foundation for addressing the most pressing security challenges in the region and beyond. Preble is joined by two experts on U.S.-Japan strategic relations to discuss the paper and frame the debate over the proper roles and missions for the United States and Japan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The idea that the United States needs a standing nation-building office has gained strong bipartisan support in Congress. The arguments in favor of such an office are rooted in the belief that failed states are threats to U.S. national security. But do failed states pose such a threat? Further, to the extent that they do, would a permanent nation-building office succeed in averting or remedying state failure? When interventions are absolutely necessary, do we need a standing nation-building corps to plan for the missions?Justin Logan will discuss his and Christopher Preble's recent Policy Analysis, "Failed States and Flawed Logic: The Case against a Standing Nation-Building Office," which explains why the presumption that state failure poses a threat to the United States is flawed. He will also explore the likely costs and risks of a foreign policy dedicated to nation building, given that U.S. nation-building projects in the past have had a highly dubious track record. Preble will explore the greatest foreign policy challenge facing the United States today — looming state failure in Iraq — and describe why it is unlikely that a standing nation-building office would have reduced the costs and risks of the current military mission there. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.