July 16, 2018 | Jeff Mason, a reporter for Reuters, asked about Trump’s tweet this morning that US “foolishness and stupidity” damaged the relationship between the US and Russia. “I hold both countries responsible… I think the United States has been foolish. I think we’ve all been foolish… I think we’re all to blame.” […]
It’s on. After back and forth negotiations, a deadline passes and what is being described as a “trade war” commences. What sort of trade war? The market’s collective judgment so far? Day one, the global markets shrug. We consider the negotiating strategies, risks, costs, and ripple effects. Go…
The historic meet up between North Korea and the US produced a page and a half ‘agreement’. This released result was all the public has been given to date. Behind the scenes, the world is assured, much is in the works. New meetings are planned. In North Korea, a campaign of politics with posters is […]
After the Singapore summit, the commentators, op-ed writers, columnists, analysts, foreign policy experts and seemingly everyone within reach of a keyboard or smartphone all have an opinion. Who are we not to join in with StratDem’s opinion? Consider the alternative to negotiating, “politics by other means”, war and potential catastrophic use of nuclear weapons
The nuclear question, the crisis, revolves around “CVID”. You ask, CVID? We answer, Complete, Verifiable and Irreversible Dismantlement (or Denuclearization?). Then we add calls for “complete nuclearization” on the Korean peninsula. Then we add — when, where, how, why. The world is asking for nuclear deescalation and not just on the Korean peninsula Update: […]
The U.S. president threatens to throw out the Iran international agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He wants to renegotiate in the Mideast. At the same time, he says he is going to meet with North Korea’s leader to ‘denuclearize the peninsula’. Agreements ended, allies lost, opportunities gained?
As White House cabinet officials, aides and staff rapidly come and go, today comes Mike Pompeo. The CIA chief nominated to replace the recently departed Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, delivers a close presidential relationship and promises “not to play games at the negotiating table”
What’s an appropriate response to news of an unexpected meeting in Beijing and newest moves by the US president threatening trade war with China? The first shots in the trade war are now fired, global markets are responding, and the visit of N. Korea’s leader to meet the Chinese president signal a new asymmetrical conflict […]
The new Nuclear Posture Review signals a new nuclear arms race. Luck of the draw. “Do you feel lucky?” The question of generational, existential risk takes on new dimension as strategic arms experts ask deadly end game questions. Nuclear tensions are turning to nuclear threats, an international ramp up of nuclear weapons development, ‘usable’ nukes, […]
Making America Nuclear Again Trump’s Gamble Inside the Doom Factory “Fire & fury like the world has never seen“
Via the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The U.S. needs new oversight on the unlimited power of the president to order nuclear use on any day at any moment for whatever reason. The singular nuclear launch authority one person has is an extreme and potentially cataclysmic authority. Now is the time for a sane nuclear launch system
Deterrence in nuclear capabilities? North Korea’s gamble, and the world’s gamble, is that their offensive force will deter devastation in the vein of the first war in North Korea, when the US air campaign of General LeMay leveled nearly every building. Today’s NK ‘gamble’, ratcheting up, is in no country’s interest
A decade ago, founding members of Strategic Demands organized a “Surviving Victory” conference in Washington DC to address the 2006 security briefing: Strategic Demands of the 21st Century. Our intent was to bring new perspective to failing, counterproductive security policy. This week we look back — and look forward. The #CostsofWar are top of mind
U.S. Air Force preparing to put nuclear-armed bombers on 24-hour ready alert? Yes, no, maybe. Mixed messages from media, nuke experts, the Air Force. Defense One interview quotes revisited
As war drums beat, talk of war grows closer. Yesterday, we exchanged pre-publication messages with professor Tom Nichols over the issue of “preventive” versus “preemptive” war. We went further by asking how many Americans, who support a US attack on North Korea, even know the difference between preventive and preemptive war. A Trump-ordered first strike […]
