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Studies have shown that environmental stresses are increasingly correlated with conflicts. Miguel et al. (2004) posit that economic growth is strongly negatively correlated with civil conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa, with rainfall being an exogenic instrumental variable for economic growth. Another study by Ash and Obradovich (2020) found that climate-induced internal migration led to increased political instability in Syria, which exploded into the Syrian Civil War in 2011. E

Eye-catching headlines on trade and economic security gloss over the economic objective of trade: exchanging U.S.-made goods and services for those from foreign partners at an advantageous price benefiting both and boosting prosperity.  No one country has the resources, nor inclination, to be fully self-sufficient especially as standards of living continue to rise.  The current focus on domestic manufacturing and self-sufficiency ignores the additional economic benefits that

This op-ed argues that extremism and insider threats—ranging from January 6 sympathizers to figures like Eddie Gallagher and Jack Teixeira—pose a serious risk to military readiness, unit cohesion, and public trust. It calls for a renewed approach to military discipline that balances civil liberties with the need for ethical leadership and institutional accountability.

The Pentagon doesn’t have a lethality problem. It has a logistics problem.

On January 11, 2007, China destroyed one of its own satellites with a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile, demonstrating its ability to impair foreign space systems. The international community issued stern statements, but they did not implement significant consequences. As a result, more demonstrations followed. In 2019, India conducted its own anti-satellite test; then, in 2021, Russia 'killed' its own satellite: Kosmos 1408. For military strategists and policymakers, the

Photo: Alex Fedorenko via Unsplash Introduction Russia is not the military juggernaut it claims to be. The West must shed outdated fears and recognize that Moscow is bleeding men and material for minimal gains. Since February 24, 2022, Russia has suffered over one million casualties to occupy less than 12% of Ukrainian territory. Far from capturing Kyiv in 72 hours, Russian forces have failed to achieve a decisive breakthrough. Yet the Kremlin projects strength: in March 2025

In February 2021, a historic winter storm swept across Texas, plunging millions into darkness . Among the areas affected was Fort Hood,...

For too long, American policy debates have been trapped by a fundamental misconception: that we must choose between freedom and safety,...

"From Afghan Villages to American Courtrooms, False Accusations Threaten Justice" When I served as an infantry officer in Afghanistan, I...

In an era where information moves faster than missiles, the United States military is losing ground, not on the battlefield, but online....

Only a fraction of Americans serve in the military, and fewer still know someone who does. Most service members are drawn from a small...

The Air Force is retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II , the most iconic close air support platform in American military history, with no...

Social media platforms have become the new commons, where ideologies, allegiances, and red flags often appear long before they're evident in real life. When background investigators are blind to these spaces, they’re effectively reviewing candidates through a keyhole, missing the wider picture of who is being entrusted with national secrets.

There are moments when a city feels less like itself. Sirens crowd the air. Curfews narrow ordinary life. Armed uniforms become the most...

In a move that signals both the urgency of America's supply chain vulnerabilities and the government's willingness to intervene in...

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to realize it might be the solution to another sticky issue. Across rural America,...

Consider a scenario that plays out daily in modern conflicts: A soldier has clear authorization to engage hostile forces but chooses...

At the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fuel convoys were among the most dangerous missions in theater. The Department of...

National security has always been a battle of ideas. That’s why, at the Security and Democracy Forum, we believe reading isn’t a break...

If we are to redefine patriotism for the digital age, it must still rest on the foundation of shared responsibility and earned respect.