Net Assessment

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Episodes

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Net Assessment

Hosts Melanie Marlowe and Christopher Preble debate their way through some of the toughest and most contentious topics related to war, international relations, and strategy. This podcast is brought to you by War on the Rocks.

Episodes

Sources of American Power

Chris, Zack, and Melanie get together to talk about former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates’s Foreign Affairs article, “The United States Must Recover the Full Range of Its Power.” Against the backdrop of domestic and worldwide protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd, they ask whether we rely too much on the military to carry out America’s foreign policy goals. If so, why? Are we willing to establish criteria for when force should be used? Is it time to reassess the design of our national s...

Jun 11, 2020•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Big Trouble in a Little China Strategy?

Chris and Melanie welcome Zack Cooper as the new co-host of Net Assessment. They discuss the White House's new China strategy and debate whether the strategy matches President Trump's own views on U.S.-China relations. Chris points out the hubris of U.S. leaders stating that they "do not exclude China" from America's regional strategy, as if China's regional role is up to U.S. leaders. Zack points out the tension between calling out numerous Communist Party transgressions but accepting that the ...

May 28, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast

The End of the World as We Know It?

Zack Cooper joins Melanie and Chris for a discussion of the post-COVID-19 international order. The struggle in both the United States and China to overcome the economic and health effects of the pandemic have called into question each country’s capacity for leadership. Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd doubts that middle-tier powers will be able to fill that gap and deal with global challenges. But other signs suggest productive multilateral approaches, including some that barely invol...

May 14, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Pathogen to War

Chris and Melanie are joined by Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute to discuss Mark Hannah's recent War on the Rocks article "Stop Declaring War on a Virus." They discuss why ubiquitous use of the war metaphor might affect how we deal with the coronavirus pandemic, if America's focus on defense is to blame for our less-than-stellar handling of the health crisis, and how political leaders can use the rhetorical framework of war to rapidly increase government power with little oversig...

Apr 30, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast

COVID-19 and the Future of Global Trade

The coronavirus pandemic has severely disrupted the global economy, and its impact is likely to last for many months. But some foresee (and are hoping for) permanent changes to global trade: They want businesses to restructure their supply chains and bring more operations back home, thereby reducing dependence upon foreign workers and potential vulnerability to pressure from foreign governments. Some are even willing to pay companies’ relocation costs. In the post-COVID-19 world, will business l...

Apr 16, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast

The Meaning of Public Service

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 ...

Apr 02, 2020•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Defending U.S. Interests in Cyberspace

Amidst the deepening Coronavirus crisis, Melanie and Chris discuss another type of invisible danger: the threats posed by both state and non-state actors in cyberspace. They’re joined by the Marine Corps University’s Benjamin Jensen, senior research director and lead writer for the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which issued its report earlier this month. Ben offers an insider’s perspective on how the commission approached its work, and outlines its key findings. What strategies should the Unit...

Mar 19, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Why Is America Leaving Afghanistan Now?

The Net Assessment crew is back to discuss Carter Malkasian’s Foreign Affairs article, “How the Good War Went Bad: America’s Slow-Motion Failure in Afghanistan.” In this episode, Melanie and Chris are joined by Chris Brose, head of strategy at Anduril Industries. The trio dissect whether this peace deal is better than any other deal the United States could have struck in the past 18 years of fighting, and how much confidence the United States can have in the agreement. Are there facts on the bat...

Mar 05, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Show Me the Money

In this episode, Chris and Melanie are joined by Thomas Spoehr of the Heritage Foundation to talk about President Trump's FY2021 defense budget request: What's good in this budget, what's really bad, and what surprised them the most. Chris presses the issue of hearings on Afghanistan, Melanie recommends a new book on the presidency, and Thomas applauds a celebration of Washington's birthday. Links "President's Budget FY 2021 ," White House , February 10, 2020 " Defense Budget Overview: Irreversi...

Feb 20, 2020•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast