Both the United States and the PRC are displaying a disturbing predisposition toward militarizing their national security strategies. It is understandable. An external military threat is easier to sell and explain than a complex national challenge of economic, social, and political competitiveness, and there is a large and influential coterie of officers, natsec types, and... Read More

Lord Acton famously stated that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It would appear, however, that the United States has access to a secret Actonian codicil that states, “…but US hegemonic power? That’s frickin’ awesome!� Because the United States government seems to be wilfully blind to the costs, perils and abuses inherent in the... Read More

My working assumption about international affairs is that people in mortal peril are careful and clever. On the other hand, people with plenty of money, power, and impunity are often arrogant and sloppy. This outlook colors my perspective on various US dustups with adversarial nations, most recently Syria. That’s why I’m unwilling to rule out... Read More