Net Assessment
132 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 352 ratingsHosts 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.
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Episodes
The Looming End of Pax Americana?
December 12, 2019 15:23 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBThe Net Assessment crew is back and this week they are breaking down an article written by Brian Stewart in Quillette titled, "Tensions in NATO and the Looming End of Pax Americana." Is NATO worth American attention and money? Why don't the Europeans just get their act together? The crew discusses what threat NATO is designed to counter and whether it should forget about Russia and focus on terrorism. Also, Bryan has a grievance with attorney general Bill Barr, Melanie takes issue with the D...
Can Bryan Pass the Turing Test?
November 14, 2019 14:06 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBChris, Bryan, and Melanie talk about the Interim Report issued by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence last week. What kinds of expectations should we have about AI being used for national security purposes? What kind of investments should be made in this technology, and where will the money come from? What about concerns that AI developed by American companies or the United States government might be used by authoritarian regimes to violate their citizens' human right...
Strategy and Exit Strategies: Essential or Misleading?
October 31, 2019 12:26 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBMelanie, Chris, and guest host Claude Berube discuss the promise and pitfalls of exit strategies. When policymakers plan to embark on foreign wars, should they also prepare a plan for extricating the nation from these wars when they are completed? Is an exit strategy a vital component of strategy? Or do exit strategies create unreasonable expectations of easy victory? Can an exit strategy focus attention on a desired end state, and prevent mission creep? Or are prudent adjustments only possi...
We Just Don’t Make Policy Like We Used To
October 17, 2019 14:19 - 55 minutes - 50.3 MBJoin Chris, Melanie, and Bryan as they dive into Professor Philip Zelikow’s recent article in the Texas National Security Review titled, “To Regain Policy Competence: The Software of American Problem Solving.” Has policymaking gotten worse, or is it a problem with implementation? Or is implementation part of the policymaking process? The gang also discusses whether there is a lack of professionalism in the education and training of future policymakers. This week's episode is a little wonky, ...
Syria: A Sad Tale
October 03, 2019 13:21 - 53 minutes - 49 MBBryan is celebrating the anniversary of our first episode on a beach, so this week, Chris and Melanie are joined by Tom Karako of CSIS. In this episode they discuss the Syria Study Group Report, which concludes that "the US can still influence the outcome of the Syrian war in a manner that protects US interests." Does America have interests in Syria? If so, can they be managed and protected, particularly with a president who seems uninterested in investing political capital and American reso...
What Can We Do About Terrorism?
September 19, 2019 13:34 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBWhat have we learned in the 18 years since 9/11? Chris, Melanie, and Bryan discuss whether counterterrorism policy takes account of academic research on the subject. Going forward, the goal should be to implement the most cost-effective policies — and over time, to calm public anxiety about terrorism. Bryan gives a shout out to a bipartisan duo of Net Assessment fans, Chris gripes about NFL officiating, and Melanie offers her appreciation of the Constitution via an unlikely source: former Vi...
Mattispalooza: Deconstructing the Legacy of James Mattis
September 05, 2019 08:30 - 50 minutes - 46 MBJoin Chris, Melanie, and Bryan as they assess Jim Mattis' legacy as secretary of defense and the media splash he is making while promoting his new book. Mattis is a complicated character, and his reasons for entering the administration, for leaving the administration, and for coyly restraining his comments after leaving are similarly complicated. Although President Donald Trump's early affinity for having former generals in key positions in his administration has cooled, the debate over the ...
Does Trump’s Trade War Spell the End of the Global Order?
August 21, 2019 20:10 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBThis week the gang talks about President Trump’s trade policies and why trade wars can be bad and hard to win. Do we have a strategy for success, or is the president simply venting frustration through erratic policies? What is the endgame? How do America's economic policies, especially with regard to China, affect U.S. national security? Other highlights: Chris condemns Trump’s attempt to buy Greenland, Melanie finds a CEO worthy of immense respect, and Bryan explains why real British royalt...
Explaining Mission Creep in Afghanistan
August 08, 2019 13:51 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBSpecial guest Rick Berger joins Bryan and Chris for a discussion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the state of civil-military relations. The post-9/11 mission expanded from counterterrorism to nation-building, but this occurred, according to CSIS’s Mark Cancian, without a serious "discussion about the relationship between the desired end state and the military effort required to reach it." Bryan, Rick, and Chris disagree on whether that’s actually true — and whether it matters. Bryan gives...
Explaining Mission Creep in Afghanistan
August 08, 2019 13:51 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBSpecial guest Rick Berger joins Bryan and Chris for a discussion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the state of civil-military relations. The post-9/11 mission expanded from counterterrorism to nation-building, but this occurred, according to CSIS’s Mark Cancian, without a serious "discussion about the relationship between the desired end state and the military effort required to reach it." Bryan, Rick, and Chris disagree on whether that’s actually true — and whether it matters. Bryan gives...
Bold Strokes from the Commandant of the Marine Corps
July 25, 2019 13:05 - 50 minutes - 45.8 MBJoin Melanie, Chris, and Bryan as they discuss the recently released Commandant's Planning Guidance, a document from the new Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger that has taken the seapower community by storm. In the guidance, Berger slays at least five USMC sacred cows and provides a framework for integration between the Navy and the Marine Corps within the Department of the Navy. Also, Chris has an issue with presidential tweeting and Bryan complains about the weather. Links...
Is America Poised to Lose the Next War?
July 10, 2019 21:12 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBBryan, Chris, and Melanie take on a new report by Chris Dougherty that argues that, unless America changes how it fights wars to more closely align with the priorities laid out in the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS), it is in real danger of losing the next war to China or Russia. Has the thinking in the NDS become conventional wisdom? Is Dougherty's assessment overly pessimistic? Is there sufficient political will to follow through with expensive, long-term changes? Are American militar...
Deciphering the Trump Administration’s Iran Policy
June 27, 2019 13:21 - 49 minutes - 45 MBMelanie, Bryan, and Chris discuss the Trump administration’s recent struggles to explain its policy toward Iran. What does President Donald Trump hope to achieve? What evidence is there that the policy of “maximum pressure” will succeed? Does the administration have the authority to launch military attacks against Iran, either under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) or under Article II of the Constitution? Or must they go to Congress for a new AUMF? And to what extent d...
Is Realism Realistic?
June 14, 2019 14:39 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBIs the Trump administration pursuing a realist foreign policy? In a recent speech, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicates that it is, while Brett McGurk, in his article in Foreign Affairs, disagrees. Listen in to hear what Melanie, Chris, and Bryan think, as well as to hear Chris' views on Canadian sportsmanship. Links Brett McGurk, "American Foreign Policy Adrift: Pompeo Is Calling for Realism-Trump Isn’t Delivering," Foreign Affairs, June 05, 2019 Khadrice Rollins, "Cheering for...
Hypersonic Weapons - Gimmick or Game Changer?
May 30, 2019 14:19 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBChris is on a big adventure, so Bryan and Melanie are left alone to discuss hypersonic weapons and the challenges and opportunities they present for America's national security. Do they represent a "game-changer" for defense planners, or simply an incremental shift in technology? Will developing hypersonic weapons increase the likelihood of war? While the United States is beginning to invest in the offensive side of these weapons, is it doing enough to defend against a Chinese or Russian thr...
A Failure of Leadership? Americans’ Views of U.S. Foreign Policy
May 16, 2019 13:13 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBDonald Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016 and then beat Hillary Clinton in the general election, in part, by pledging to focus on America’s domestic problems, including raising worker wages, solving the problem of unemployment and underemployment, and repairing the nation’s failing infrastructure. But he was hardly alone in taking this stance. The last four U.S. presidents were elected on promises to fight fewer foreign wars. Recent surveys show why such appeals are successful: The ...
The Revolution in Military Affairs - Is Anything Different This Time?
May 02, 2019 13:30 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBJoin Melanie, Chris, and Bryan as they dive into Christian Brose's Foreign Affairs piece on the revolution in military affairs and Brose's view that not only are we unprepared for future war, but that we are investing in capabilities that are particularly vulnerable to technologies our adversaries are fielding. You'll come for the chat, but you'll stay for the Game of Thrones references and a discussion of Melanie's packing habits. Links Christian Brose, "The New Revolution in Militar...
Is NATO Showing its Age?
April 18, 2019 12:44 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBChris is on a beach somewhere soaking up the rays, so this week George Mason's Trevor Thrall joins the podcast. The gang discusses NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's address to Congress on the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Washington Treaty. What is NATO's mission 30 years after the fall of the Soviet Union? What does the addition of member states mean for the Alliance and for American national security? What effect has President Trump's rhetoric regarding the responsibilitie...
The Pentagon Can Count Ships (But Not Much Else)
April 04, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBIn addition to “being the taxpayers’ greatest investment,” Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi writes that the Pentagon is also “the world’s largest producer of wrong numbers, an ingenious bureaucratic defense system that hides all the other rats’ nests underneath.” Last year, the Department of Defense became the last Cabinet-level department to submit to a comprehensive review of its books — and it flunked the audit. But Defense Department “never expected to pass it,” explained then-Deputy Secretar...
Masterpiece Theater
March 21, 2019 09:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBIn this episode, Chris, Bryan, and Melanie take a broad look at the administration's FY2020 defense budget request. They discuss whether or not it is the "masterpiece" that Pat Shanahan promised, and agree (!) that the budget process is in need of serious reform. They ask whether it aligns with the National Defense Strategy, what Congress (especially the Democratic House with many domestic priorities) will think of it, and how it will be paid for in a time of ever-growing deficits. Finally, ...
Playing the China Card
March 07, 2019 04:33 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBJoin Melanie, Chris, and Bryan for a discussion of how to think about great power competition with China. Using Brookings scholar Tarun Chhabra's recent report "The China challenge, democracy, and US grand strategy" as the impetus for the conversation, our hosts dive into whether China's threat to liberal democracies is more of a challenge than that presented by the former Soviet Union, and if so, what America is willing to do to contest that challenge. Stay to the end to hear Melanie's insp...
Can Conservatism Save the Liberal Order? And What Are We Conserving?
February 21, 2019 05:09 - 53 minutes - 49 MBWhat is the best way to preserve the liberal international order (such as it is) going forward? Some counsel conservatism. Jennifer Lind and William Wohlforth argue that “the United States and its partners should consolidate the gains the order has reaped,” back away from democracy promotion, and resist the urge to add new members to existing alliances, especially those countries that bring more liabilities than capabilities. Are they right? Must the United States practice more discernment (...
To Intervene or Not to Intervene? That is the Question
February 07, 2019 14:02 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBThe crew looks at the crisis in Venezuela and considers the American and world responses to it. Is it any of Washington’s business what goes on there, and will any result have democratic legitimacy? Will more sanctions help to quickly resolve the situation in a way that benefits the people there, or will they increase the suffering? Are Elliot Abrams and John Bolton making a push for military intervention? Finally, Chris congratulates the Patriots while Melanie and Bryan roll their eyes, and...
Learning to Love the Bomb
January 23, 2019 19:46 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBJoin Chris, Melanie, and Bryan — your Net Assessment podcasters — for a dive into nuclear weapons and grand strategy, and the degree to which they have impacted each other. The story is one of contradiction, of hubris, and of unproven (and unprovable) assertions. Links Francis Gavin, "Rethinking the Bomb: Nuclear Weapons and American Grand Strategy," TNSR, January 8, 2019 "Malaysian PM Doubles Down on Antisemitism in Oxford Union Address," JC, January 20, 2019 Dan Lamothe, "Unacceptab...
Is It the End of the World, As We Know It?
January 10, 2019 13:17 - 51 minutes - 47 MBThe United States has managed to avoid foreign policy catastrophes during the first two years of the Trump administration, but defenders of American primacy espy trouble on the horizon. Most Americans have no living memory of the 1930s and World War II, and younger Americans, who have known only the inconclusive wars of the last fifteen years, are far less likely than their parents and grandparents to support higher levels of military spending. They favor a different kind of global engagemen...
Smoking Bonesaw
December 13, 2018 15:29 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBIn our last episode before the holidays, we take a look at the US-Saudi relationship. With President Trump standing by Mohammad bin Salman even as the CIA blames him for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, we discuss what weight human rights should have in foreign policy, whether Congress is reasserting its powers in national security matters, and what the United States should do with respect to Yemen. Bryan and Chris lament Navy's loss in the Army-Navy game and Bryan shares a personal...
The Establishment Strikes Back
November 29, 2018 16:23 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBHop aboard! In this episode, the crew dissects the recently released report of the National Defense Strategy Commission. Melanie, Chris, and Bryan weigh in on the report’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, Chris and Melanie reveal themselves to be Scrooges by expressing disdain for Hallmark Christmas dramas. Links Eric Edelman and Gary Roughead, Providing for the Common Defense: The Assessment and Recommendations of the National Defense Strategy Commission (United States Institute of Pea...
Does the Pentagon Deserve Our Trust?
November 15, 2018 20:11 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBThis episode kicks off with a discussion of the national security implications of the mid-term elections. With the Democratic Party retaking control of the House of Representatives, we expect to see fights over Pentagon spending, and more oversight of the Trump administration across-the-board. The show then turns to the curious story of a 1,300-page Army study of the Iraq War that has gone unpublished for two whole years. The case raises broader questions about the entire defense establishme...
INF-inite Assessment
November 01, 2018 16:22 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBUnder the dark cloud of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, this week’s Net Assessment podcast focuses on President Donald Trump’s that he intends to withdraw the United States from the INF Treaty. Although it’s a bilateral agreement with Russia, China factors heavily into our discussion, as do problems the president might face with allies and Congress going forward, should the withdrawal occur. We offer a few comments on the lack of civility we are experiencing, defense budget cuts, and J...
The China Hand
October 18, 2018 16:06 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBThis week’s Net Assessment podcast featured a deep-dive into the Vice President’s early October speech on the competition with China. Largely drowned out by the Kavanaugh SCOTUS controversy, Melanie, Chris, and Bryan give this important speech due consideration, to include administration views on Taiwan, China’s defense buildup, and its growing global influence. The crew also discussed foreign aid, the F-35, the deficit, the alleged assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, and the resignation of N...
Introducing Net Assessment
October 04, 2018 16:03 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBWhat happens when a libertarian, a conservative hawk, and a constitutional powers specialist walk into a podcast studio? 'Net Assessment' happens. Welcome to the hottest new national security podcast hosted by Melanie Marlowe, Christopher Preble, and Bryan McGrath. This is a show about competing visions of America's role in the world. In each episode, they will be discussing a featured article, airing their grievances, and giving attaboys. In the first episode of this bi-weekly series, our ...
Net Assessment: The Trailer
October 01, 2018 15:42 - 3 minutes - 3.15 MBWar on the Rocks is excited to introduce an exciting new biweekly podcast: "Net Assessment." This new series features three assertive and experienced national security hands, debating important issues related to strategy, defense, and foreign affairs. Join Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble for "Net Assessment." This trailer gives you a taste of what's to come.