Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World

The lesson is that in war and in competitions short of war, America does not control the future course of events, and strategies must not only be sustained over time, but also adapt continuously to retain the initiative.

That is why breaking the cycle of violence, restoring hope, reforming education, and isolating vulnerable populations from jihadist ideology are essential to defeating those who foment hatred to justify violence against innocents. It is also why strategic empathy and, in particular, the effort to understand how emotion and ideology drive and constr

The problem in the Middle East is, at its base, a breakdown in order associated with the serial failures of colonial rule, postcolonial monarchies, Arab nationalism, socialist dictatorships, and Islamist extremism to provide effective governance and forge a common identity across diverse communities. Decades of conflict fragmented societies along e

Xi wanted his visitors to recognize as inevitable that Chinese power would once again underpin an international system in which Chinese leaders granted privileges in exchange for recognition of China’s superiority.

That is why deterrence by denial—that is, convincing adversaries that they cannot accomplish their objectives through a cyber attack—is essential.

U.S. companies report investment by China-related entities, technology transfer requests, and

The lesson to learn from the American experience in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq is to be skeptical of concepts that divorce war or competitions short of war from their enduring political nature, particularly concepts that promise fast, cheap victory through technology.

For military leaders, reading and thinking about history is an integral part of our sacred duty to our nation and our fellow soldiers. Because the stakes in war involve life and death, combat leaders who choose to learn exclusively from personal experience are irresponsible.

China has targeted EU countries and other U.S. allies such as Israel for control of ports. And many of these ports under Chinese control, such as Antwerp, Trieste, Marseille, and Haifa, are located near clusters of scientific and industrial research facilities. By 2020, according to China’s Ministry of Transport, fifty-two ports in thirty-four coun