Horns Of A Dilemma

In this week's epsidode of Horns of a Dilemma, Sheena Greitens, head of the Asia Policy Program at the University of Texas, Austin, joins author Nury Turkel to discuss Turkel's book, No Escape: The True Story of China's Genocide of the Uyghurs. Turkel, who was born in a re-education camp during China's culturual revolution, uses his own experiences, as well as interviews with survivors of the camps in western China to tell the story of China's campaign against the Uyghur people. The picture that emerges in his conversation with Greitens is urgent, powerful, and chilling.  This event was recorded at the University of Texas, Austin, and was co-sponsored by the Clements Center and the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center.

Before he became governor of California and later president of the United States, Ronald Reagan was an actor. In the 1940 film, Knute Rockne: All American, Reagan portrayed Notre Dame running back George Gipp who, on his deathbed from pneumonia, told Coach Rockne to have the team "win just one for the Gipper." Rockne related the line to his team in a moving speech, which inspired them to come from behind to upset an undefeated West Point team in 1928. Reagan used the line "win one for the Gipper" extensively during his presidency, referring to himself as "the Gipper." In this week's Horns of a Dilemma, Texas National Security Review editor-in-chief Will Inboden joins Editorial Board Chair Frank Gavin to discuss Inboden's new biography of Reagan, Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan,  the Cold War, and the World on the Brink. As Inboden points out, many of Reagan's signature victories, including his pivotal role in defeating the Soviet Union in the Cold War, seem inevitable in retrospect, but at the time, they were often

This week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma is a must-listen for anyone who knows that microchips are a national security issue, but perhaps doesn't really understand just why chips are so strategically important. It is equally enlightening for those who have been closely following the security issues around microchips and are eager to know more. Professor Chris Miller of the Fletcher School at Tufts University gives a detailed, accessible overview of what microchips are, how they are used, where and how they are made, and the implications of the microchip supply chain for national security.  His talk is based on his book, Chip Wars: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. Miller spoke in early November at the University of Texas, Austin.

Politics is serious business. According to Aristotle, "the main concern of politics is to engender a certain character in the citizens and to make them good and disposed to perform noble actions." But some political leaders seek to manipulate passions and prejudices, rather than appealing to reason and pursuing a noble end. The ancient Greeks called such leaders "demagogues."  In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Charles Zug of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs discusses the history of demagogues in American politics.  Zug's discussion is at once philosophical and practical, examining the nature of demagogues, as well as how and when they have appeared in American life. This fascinating talk was held at the University of Texas, Austin.

Civil-military relations is not a topic that gets many hearts racing. Yet attention to the relationship between the military and the society it serves has become more urgent after it was revealed that Gen. Mark Milley, the nation's most senior military officer, worked with cabinet and sub-cabinet officials to frustrate the desire of President Donald Trump to use the American military in ways Milley viewed as inappropriate. In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Texas National Security Review Executive Editor Doyle Hodges is joined by three scholars of civil-military relations who have published in War on the Rocks or TNSR (or both) on the topic, to discuss the state of American civil-military relations. Alice Friend, Ron Krebs, and Risa Brooks bring a depth of insight and experience that helps to better illuminate a topic critical to American democracy.

The field of strategy is littered with authors whose works are often-quoted but seldom-read. While Clausewitz is likely the foremost example of such an author, the naval strategists Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett are not far behind.  In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Professor Kevin McCranie of the U.S. Naval War College discusses his book, Mahan, Corbett, and the Foundations of Naval Strategic Thought. McCranie's talk provides an overview of the writings of both naval thinkers, and highlights how their works complement each other and continue to exert a profound influence on modern strategy. This talk was given at the University of Texas, Austin.

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Katie Stallard, a journalist and scholar, speaks about her book, Dancing on Bones: History and Power in China, Russia, and North Korea. Stallard details how totalitarian regimes use a doctored version of history--especially history regarding World War II--to forcibly shape public remembrance in a way that reinforces the goals of the regime. This effort to rewrite history ranges from the careful omission of facts surrounding Soviet atrocities to an entirely fictionalized account of Kim Jong Il's exploits during the war.  Stallard's fascinating study helps illuminate how the control of history can be a critical instrument of power, and provide a potent means to bolster the legitimacy of even the most horrific actions by a totalitarian leader. This talk was recorded at the University of Texas, Austin.

As the European Union has evolved over the past 20 years into a more cohesive social, economic, and political entity, one area of integration has lagged behind the others: defense. This is due to the extensive overlap in membership between the European Union and NATO, and to the reluctance of European governments to spend large sums on their militaries. In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, a former Polish defense minister, foreign minister, and speaker of the Polish parliament who is currently serving as a member of the European Parliament argues that Europe should develop its own military force. Radoslaw Sikorski  makes the case that a European army, independent of NATO, would be valuable in responding to and deterring Russian aggression, as well as dealing with other distinctly European challenges--such as migration--that do not directly implicate American security interests. This event was recorded at an event sponsored by the Polish Club at the University of Texas, Austin, and co-sponsored in par

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy Daniel Fata discusses the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Fata explains how decades of U.S. policy under  administrations of both parties was based on what he describes as wishful thinking. He argues that this may have emboldened Vladimir Putin to believe that he could invade his neighbor without serious consequences. Fata analyzes the conduct of the war, as well how it may shape the international system for years to come. This event was recorded at the University of Texas, Austin.

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma,  Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia chair at CSIS in Washington, DC, discusses Australia's "strategic revolution," which focuses on building diplomatic, economic, and military capacity to resist coercion by China. The recent AUKUS nuclear submarine deal is one manifestation of this effort, but as Edel explains, the deal is just one part of a larger strategic realignment, which is likely to become increasingly important to U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

Ideologies help people understand the world around them. They provide a lens through which we arrange events and images into patterns, and they offer a menu of actions that seem appropriate in response to that pattern. Although leaders and states often subscribe consciously to certain ideologies, some ideas--such as religion or a belief in the goodness of an ideal like "freedom" or "democracy"--operate at such a fundamental level that we may not recognize them as ideologies at all.  This week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma features a panel of contributors to a new book on the influence of ideology in American foreign relations. Christopher McKnight Nichols of Ohio State University, Raymond Haberski, Jr, of Indiana University, and Emily Conroy-Krutz of Michigan State University join host Jeremi Suri of the University of Texas, Austin to discuss what ideology is, and explore the ways in which it has shaped, and continues to shape, America's role in the world.  This discussion was hosted at the University of Te

Phrases such as, "history is written by the victors," while often cycnical, hint at a fundamental truth: Historical events assume different significance depending on the perspective from which they are viewed. In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Professor Elisabeth Leake of Leeds University discusses her book, Afghan Crucible, which examines the war in Afghanistan from a variety of different historical, political, and geographic perspectives. Her analysis gives a rich and nuanced view of the role that this small, impoverished nation has played in shaping the foreign policy destiny of great powers, and of shaping the lives of those who have been touched by the conflict there.

The British empire embarked on a successful and far-reaching anti-slavery campaign in the first half of the 19th century, one of the first global humanitarian efforts of its kind. Professor Maeve Ryan of Kings College London joins Texas National Security Review editor in chief and Clements Center executive director Will Inboden for a fascinating discusion of Ryan's book, Humanitarian Governance and the British Antislavery World System, published in April by Yale University Press.  Ryan discusses the complicated motives of the British anti-slavery campaign, which capitalized on wounded British national pride after the loss of the American colonies, economic motives, and sincere moral outrage. She also details the morally complicated efforts at "disposal" of the human cargoes embarked in slave ships captured by the Royal Navy.  These efforts included  resettlement and other projects in which narratives of both compassion and control figure prominently.  

A cynic might argue that a Venn diagram of good legal compliance, good politics, good strategy, and, morally good behavior has no space where all four elements intersect. This week's guests on Horns of a Dilemma argue that these virtues coincide in the protection of civilians from harm during war. Sahr Muhammedally and Dan Mahanty, both of the Center for Civilians in Conflict, are the authors of The Human Factor: The Enduring Relevance of Protecting Civilians in Future Wars, which appears in Vol 5/Iss 3 of the Texas National Security Review.  The authors join TNSR executive editor Doyle Hodges to discuss their article, the law and policy of civilian harm mitigation, and best practices that can help to protect civilians without sacrificing military effectiveness. This discussion is especially relevant the news is filled with stories and images of attacks against civilians by Russian forces in Ukraine.

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Charles Edel discusses the big questions in U.S.-Chinese relations. He examines efforts under the Biden administration to deal with these questions, and projects what questions may define the relationship going forward. As Edel makes clear, the relationship between America and China is long, and has often been fraught with uncertainty.  As the world's two largest economic and military powers, this relationship will be critical to the state of world affairs and global prosperity in the future. This talk was recorded at the Clements Center Summer Seminar in History and Statecraft held in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

In this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, chair of the Texas National Security Review editorial board Frank Gavin speaks about the role of history in foreign policy, previewing his forthcoming book. Gavin's talk is both a personal and a disciplinary reflection, as well as a penetrating analysis of how history influences the choices of policymakers. This discussion was recorded during the Clements Center Summer Seminar on History and Statecraft held at Beaver Creek, Colorado.

”Civil-military relations” is a term that covers a multitude of sins. Scholars of civil-military relations write on topics ranging from recruiting and retention to military coups to norms of professional military behavior. This week’s Horns of a Dilemma speaker, Dr. Kori Schake, argues that civil-military relations in the United States have historically been strong and stable. So why are U.S. civil-military relations an important topic of study and debate? As Schake observes, Americans tend to put off addressing potential problems until they are worried about them. So, especially in light of challenges to the norms of strong and stable civil-military relations associated with a highly polarized partisan environment, worrying about healthy civil-military relations is ... healthy. This talk was delivered at the Clements Center Summer Seminar in History and Statecraft held in Beaver Creek, Colorado in July.  

This episode is the second part of a conversation between four people who knew the late Robert Jervis well: Francis Gavin of the Kissinger Center and chair of the editorial board of the Texas National Security Review; Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl; Mira Rapp-Hooper, a member of the National Security Council staff, where she is responsible for an array of Indo-Pacific issues; and Derek Chollet, the counselor of the State Department. Do not miss the first episode! The views expressed here, of course, are personal and not those of the U.S. government.

Many of those who follow War on the Rocks and the Texas National Security Review mourned the passing of Robert Jervis, the towering scholar of international relations who defined a field and mentored generations of scholars and policymakers. Four of his close friends, colleagues, and protégés sat down to remember his legacy, his intellectual contributions, and his kindness. It is a fascinating discussion that touches on a variety of important issues related to international security. This episode, which is the first of two parts, is hosted by Francis Gavin of the Kissinger Center and chair of the editorial board of the Texas National Security Review. He is joined by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl; Mira Rapp-Hooper, a member of the staff of the National Security Council, where she is responsible for an array of Indo-Pacific issues; and Derek Chollet, the counselor of the State Department. The views expressed here, of course, are personal and not those of the U.S. government.

"Political scientist Alexander Wendt famously (well, in political science circles anyway) observed of the international system that "anarchy is what states make of it." In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, we explore the degree to which this observation is true not only of the international system, but also of the mental constructs that states, leaders, and citizens use to think about the concept of an international system and their place in it. Andrew Ehrhardt, an Ernest May post-doctoral fellow in history and policy at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, is the author of Everyman His Own Philosopher of History: Notions of Historical Process in the Study and Practice of Foreign Policy, which appears in Vol 5/Iss 3 of the Texas National Security Review. Ehrhardt joins TNSR Executive Editor Doyle Hodges to discuss the article and how this view of history affects questions of security in international and domestic politics today.”