Lloyd Austin

Commerce Protection and the Navy’s Raison D’être

America, as a maritime nation, has always needed a navy to protect our interests across the seas

The Natural Next Step: Afghanistan Withdrawal in Context
The Natural Next Step: Afghanistan Withdrawal in Context

One adjective that should never be used to describe the US retreat from Afghanistan is “surprising.” In fact, what happened in Kabul in 2021 was the natural next step on the inward-turning path Americans began walking in 2009.

Extending the Hard Line with China
Extending the Hard Line with China

President Joe Biden’s China policy is coming into focus. As some of us predicted before his inauguration, he appears to be continuing the previous administration’s hard-line stance with Beijing—suggesting that the COVID-19 crisis marks a turning point akin to how the communist bloc’s attempt to seize West Berlin and South Korea solidified bipartisan commitment to waging the Cold War.