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4 days ago

WTH Are We Doing To Replenish Our Weapons Stockpiles? Anduril’s Chris Brose Explains.

What the hell is happening with U.S. defense technology? Chris Brose, the President and Chief Strategy Officer of defense tech firm Anduril joins us to talk about how private defense companies are innovating and revolutionizing American national security, America’s lousy defense acquisition habits, and what we can learn from Ukraine and the war with Iran. The traditional US defense industrial base is slowly cranking out exquisite and outdated weapons. If things don’t change, we risk losing a war to China. We discuss the crucial shift towards technological advancement, what the Pentagon and Congress must do, and what this means long term for the safety and security of the American people. Chris Brose is President and Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril Industries, a venture-backed defense technology company. He is the author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare (2020) and formerly senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. From 2014-2018, he was the staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee supporting then Chairman John McCain. From 2009-2014, Mr. Brose served as senior policy advisor to Senator John McCain, and from 2008-2009, he was senior editor of Foreign Policy. From 2005-2008, he served as policy advisor and chief speechwriter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and began his career in government as a speechwriter for Secretary of State Colin Powell, from 2004-2005. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
11 Sept

WTH Live! Remembering 9/11 25 Years Later with Stephen Hadley and J.D. Crouch.

On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we hosted a live recording of the podcast, What the Hell Is Going On?, featuring former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and former Deputy National Security Adviser J. D. Crouch II. Both Mr. Hadley and Dr. Crouch were serving in the Bush administration on that terrible day. Together, we discuss the attacks, the global war on terror, the state of America’s fight against Islamist extremism, and the United States’ safety and security one quarter century on. Stephen Hadley is a principal of Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, an international strategic consulting firm founded with Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates, and Anja Manuel. He is an executive vice chair of the board of directors of the Atlantic Council and is also the former board chair of the United States Institute of Peace, where he continues to serve on the Board of Directors. J. D. Crouch II is managing director for global strategy at Gallagher Insurance. A longtime national security and foreign policy leader, Dr. Crouch has served as deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush, assistant secretary of defense for international security policy, and US ambassador to Romania. He later served as president and CEO of the United Service Organizations. At Gallagher, he focuses on the geopolitical forces shaping global business, risk, and strategic decision-making. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
23 July

WTH LIVE! From the Aspen Security Forum: WTH Is Going On with Trump's Foreign Policy? Stephen Hadley, Robert O'Brien, and Michèle Flournoy Explain.

On this episode of WTH Live! Stephen Hadley, Robert O’Brien, and Michèle Flournoy join Marc on the Aspen Security Forum stage to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump's foreign policy scorecard. In a frank and bipartisan discussion on what should come next, especially in Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela, and what the Trump Doctrine has evolved to represent, Marc asks the panelists to fairly reflect on the second Trump Administration. The resolution of the conflicts above hinge on intentional American leadership and clear-eyed peace through strength. So where are we now, and where do we have to go? Stephen J. Hadley, 20th U.S. National Security Advisor; Founding Principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC. Robert O’Brien, 27th U.S. National Security Advisor; Chairman, American Global Strategies. Michèle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
30 July

WTH Are Americans Not Having Babies? Nicholas Eberstadt Explains.

America is on track to become a "net mortality society," where deaths outnumber births. As births plummet to almost 25% below replacement, the United States faces a future with a shrinking population, and the consequences extend far beyond the American family. Nicholas Eberstadt argues that falling birth rates reflect a deeper cultural shift away from marriage, family, and the institutions that have long sustained prosperous societies, raising difficult questions about economic growth, immigration, Social Security, and America's future. He examines the consequences of the men-without-work problem in the wake of the COVID pandemic, the role of AI in shaping immigrants’ job opportunities, and how socialism’s growing popularity in America affects the labor market. Combined with fertility rates collapsing across the developed world and loneliness reaching unprecedented levels, can America capitalize on our advantages in a way that China can't? Or are we bound to the same fate as other countries like Poland or Japan? Can public policy reverse these trends, or is this ultimately a crisis of meaning and norms rather than economics? Ultimately, what happens when societies stop replacing themselves... Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and is a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research. He has written numerous books and monographs, including His many books and monographs include Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition (2022); Russia’s Peacetime Demographic Crisis: Dimensions, Causes, Implications (2010). He has offered invited testimony before Congress on numerous occasions and has served as consultant or adviser for a variety of units in the US government. In 2020, he received the Irving Kristol Award, AEI’s highest honor. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
6 Aug

WTH Should I Read This Summer? "The Arab Case for Israel" by Hussain Abdul-Hussain.

Kicking off our annual What the Hell summer book series, Hussain Abdul-Hussain discusses his new book, "The Arab Case for Israel: And Other Essays from a Distant Conflict". Having grown up in Beirut and in Baghdad surrounded by anti-Israel rhetoric, Hussain recounts his journey from accepting the region's conventional wisdom to concluding that normalization with Israel is one of the Arab world's greatest strategic opportunities. He argues that economic cooperation, not perpetual conflict, offers the best path to a more prosperous and stable Middle East, and that the Abraham Accords demonstrated what is possible when governments prioritize the future over a mythical past. WTH is preventing more countries from following that path? And can the promise of the Abraham Accords still be realized? Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the author of the book The Arab Case for Israel (Wicked Son/Post Hill Press 2026). He champions immediate, unconditional, and comprehensive peace between every Arab nation and the Jewish state. Hussain’s research focuses on Arab affairs, spanning Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Sudan. His career launched as a reporter, and later managing editor, at Beirut’s The Daily Star. In Washington, he helped launch and manage the congressionally funded Arabic satellite network Alhurra Iraq before leading the Washington bureau of the Kuwaiti daily Alrai. He has also served as a Visiting Fellow at London’s Chatham House. His latest book is The Arab Case for Israel and Other Essays from a Distant Conflict (2026). Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
3 Sept

WTH Is Happening With Midterms? With Josh Kraushaar.

In our back-to-school episode, we welcome the return to D.C. by diving straight into the upcoming midterm elections. Who the hell is running? What the hell do they believe in? Where the hell are particularly crucial races? Between the Iran War, heightening antisemitism, the increasingly popular DSA, and possible AI bubble, American voters have no shortage of issues to weigh at the polls. We are pleased to host Josh for a discussion on what November might bring, and its implications for broader American policy in the future. Josh Kraushaar is the editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider, and is a political analyst for Fox News Radio. With a track record of identifying election trends before they become conventional wisdom, Kraushaar is one of Washington’s leading political analysts. Josh will soon be publishing a weekly column analyzing the latest political developments for JI and is also the author of Axios’ weekly Sunday Sneak Peek newsletter, which focuses on the big-picture forces driving American politics. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
24/10/2019

Deirdre McCloskey on why liberalism works

On this episode, Deirdre McCloskey talks about some of the important ideas in her new book, "Why Liberalism Works." The post Deirdre McCloskey on why liberalism works appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.
13 July

WTH Is Going On (Again) With the Ceasefire in Iran? Nicholas Carl Explains.

Donald Trump's on again off again deal making with the Iranians has hit another flashpoint this week as exchanges of fire on commercial shipping and US military bases in the region stymied negotiations before their 60 day deadline. Although large-scale combat has subsided, the conflict between the United States and Iran is far from over. Nick Carl argues that Tehran has emerged from the war with a new strategic objective: establishing de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz and using it as a tool of coercion against the international community after its traditional sources of deterrence fell short. He also examines the regime's evolving leadership following Ali Khamenei's death, the continued discontent between Iran's rulers and its people, and why Tehran believes it can outlast the United States politically despite suffering major military setbacks. While conventional wisdom suggests Iranian weakness (as discussed in our many conversations with General Jack Keane), Tehran is nonetheless negotiating from a position of confidence. Will the United States remain committed to denying Iran control of the Strait? Can diplomacy succeed without rewarding Iranian aggression? And ultimately, who has the greater will to persist? Will President Trump accept a bad agreement or abandon his deal making desires in pursuit of a more decisive outcome? Nicholas Carl is the Assistant Director for the Critical Threats Project and a Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. Carl is the author of reports, analyses, and maps covering Iran’s regional strategy and nuclear program, military structure, and politics. His commentary and maps have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
9 July

WTH: America's 250th! John Yoo on the Supreme Court in 2026.

As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, fundamental questions about the Constitution and the balance of power are once again at the center of American politics. John Yoo joins to examine the Supreme Court's landmark term, arguing that its recent decisions have restored presidential authority over the administrative state, clarified the constitutional limits of independent agencies, and reaffirmed birthright citizenship in the 14th amendment while leaving broader immigration policy in Congress's hands, as the Constitution intended. From executive power and the civil service to court packing, the filibuster, and the separation of powers, John explains whether the Court is actually reshaping American government and executive power or restoring an originalist vision of the Constitution. As calls to restructure the Court grow louder, are America's constitutional guardrails strong enough to withstand the political battles ahead? And once again, we ask if Congress will do its job in weighing its own responsibilities in the system of checks and balances? John Yoo is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, the Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Professor Yoo has served in all three branches of government. He was an official in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked on national security and terrorism issues after the 9/11 attacks. He served as general counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He has been a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and federal appeals Judge Laurence Silberman. Professor Yoo has published almost 100 scholarly articles on subjects including national security, constitutional law, international law, and the Supreme Court. He also regularly contributes to the editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and National Review, among others. Professor Yoo’s latest book is The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Supreme Court. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
27 Aug

WTH Should I Read This Summer? "Subversion and Seduction" by Audrye Wong.

What the hell is Beijing doing to seduce Washington? Join us for the last in our summer book series for a discussion with Dr. Audrye Wong for a conversation about her new book, Subversion and Seduction: China’s Economic Statecraft. How the hell has Beijing gained influence inside the United States? What the hell are their carrots and sticks? We debrief the state of China’s seduction campaign and Audrye’s policy suggestions to counter Beijing. Audrye Wong is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where her work focuses on China’s foreign policy, economic statecraft, propaganda and disinformation campaigns, and foreign influence operations. Previously, Dr. Wong was a professor at the University of Southern California and postdoctoral fellow at the Grand Strategy, Security, and Statecraft joint program of the Harvard Kennedy School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program. She has also held affiliations with Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, the Wilson Center, the Brookings Institution, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She is fluent in Mandarin. Dr. Wong holds a PhD, MA and AB from Princeton. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.

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