A Nation Must Think Before it Acts
National Security
A nation must think before it acts.
National Security
Billions Wasted in Foreign Aid—but at Least It’s Not Elitist
On Feb. 24 the United Nations Development Program commemorated its 50th anniversary. Beneath the boisterous celebration of past achievements, a UNDP background paper quietly sounded a sobering note. “Significant deprivations persist,” the paper stated, “and many problems faced today...
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A Strategic Strangulation Campaign for North Korea: Is the International Community Ready for What May Come Next?
The United Nations Security Council passed what has been called the toughest sanctions regime (UNSCR 2270) against North Korea in response to its nuclear weapons program and the threat it poses to the Republic of Korea, Japan,...
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Russia’s Role in the North Korea Conundrum: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il in Vladivostok, Russia in 2002. (Photo ITAR-TASS / Vladimir Rodionov) North Korea’s nuclear test on Jan. 6, 2016 and long-range missile launch on Feb. 7 have...
Read more »Toward a Global Regime of Vessel Anti-Fouling
Abstract Vessel anti-fouling is key to the efficient operation of ships, and essential for effective control of invasive species introduced through international shipping. Anti-Fouling Systems, however, pose their own threats to marine environments. The Anti-Fouling Convention of 2001 banned...
Read more »Defense Reform Redux
An array of new threats, disruptive technologies, years of mismanaged acquisition programs, and tight budget caps have combined to produce a looming gap in our collective defense. The Nation makes a significant investment, some $583 billion just for the...
Read more »Predators on the Frontier
Revisionist powers are on the move. From eastern Ukraine and the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea, large rivals of the United States are modernizing their military forces, grabbing strategic real estate, and threatening vulnerable U.S. allies. Their...
Read more »Love Is a Battlefield
“Two things greater than all things are,” wrote Rudyard Kipling: “The first is Love and the second War.” Romance and conflict have always been intimately bound together. Love can provoke war, at least judging by accounts of the Trojan...
Read more »Structure, Strategy, and American Power: Insights from America’s Last Geopolitical Resurgence
1979 was a bad year for U.S. foreign policy. At home, the country was being battered by stagflation and the second oil shock, developments that raised fundamental questions about the economic underpinnings of American power. Abroad, the United States...
Read more »Lincoln, the Presidency, and Prudence: Restoring the Union and Ending Slavery
This address by Dr. Mackubin Owens was given at The Institute of World Politics on February 11, 2016. A video of this lecture may be found here. February 12, 2016 marks the 207th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Although...
Read more »Trump’s Unspeakable Strategy to Erase His Past
Last summer, Donald Trump described Mexican immigrants as “bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” In December, he called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” Many commentators claim that this wild rhetoric helps...
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