logo
episode-header-image
Aug 21
1 h

A Strategy of Prioritization?

War on the Rocks
About this episode

Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss Jennifer Lind and Daryl Press’s recent article on strategies of prioritization. They examine the challenges of executing such a strategy and debate whether the Trump administration is actually implementing this approach in practice. Chris commends Emma Ashford for her forthcoming book on multipolarity, Melanie laments attacks on Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg, and Zack critiques the Trump administration’s efforts to collect export taxes.

Show Links:

 

Up next
Aug 7
What’s the Plan for AI?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie sit down to chat about the recently-released White House AI Action Plan. Should American AI policy be in pursuit of unchallenged dominance in the field? What kinds of investments and policy choices should the US government be making in order to accelerate ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 24
Combating Mexican drug cartels: Is there a military solution?
In this show, Chris, Melanie, and Zack consider the different military options being considered to combat Mexican drug cartels. Are the cartels that manufacture and distribute drugs that kill Americans, particularly fentanyl, a threat to US national security? If so, is military a ... Show More
53m 28s
Jul 10
A New Nuclear Age: The Sum of All Fears?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the “nuclear hurricane” sweeping the world. They begin by returning to the question of whether President Trump made the right decision to conduct strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Then they shift to discussing Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi’s r ... Show More
54m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
China Seems Unstoppable. Trump Thinks Otherwise.
Over the past week, President Trump avoided a trade war with Canada and Mexico. But he escalated a trade war with China.His reasoning? China has become more powerful in domestic manufacturing than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Britain combined.Keith Bradsher, ... Show More
27m 21s
Jan 2025
How Will China Deal With Trump 2.0?
A.M. Edition for Jan. 17. A barrage of stimulus helps China hit its growth target, but with Donald Trump about to take office, the economic outlook is darkening. The WSJ’s Jason Douglas explains how Beijing is preparing to deal with higher U.S. tariffs—and how a trade war could p ... Show More
11m 12s
Feb 2024
A life in the American century
With the United States’ presidential election just a few months away, the stakes go far beyond domestic politics. The results will decide the future of American foreign policy, at least for the next four years. In the corridors of power in Washington, US policymakers will need to ... Show More
37m 6s
Jan 2025
DeepSeek’s Breakthrough Pushes AI Up on Trump’s To-Do List
P.M. Edition for Jan. 28. Now that Chinese company DeepSeek has made a sophisticated—and cheaper—artificial-intelligence model, American tech companies want clarity on what the Trump administration will do about AI. Amrith Ramkumar, who covers tech policy for WSJ, discusses what ... Show More
13m 54s
Feb 2025
President Trump Agrees to Delay U.S. Tariffs on Mexico and Canada
 P.M. Edition for Feb. 3. President Trump has stunned corporate leaders and foreign officials by agreeing to last-minute, monthlong delays of his tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Plus, after a push from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration ... Show More
12m 40s
Mar 2025
China Has Been Building Influence for Years. How Will Trump Respond?
While China has spent the past 12 years growing its friend circle through its $1 trillion Belt and Road infrastructure program, the U.S. has struggled to come up with a comprehensive response. Could President Trump’s more aggressive approach to diplomacy mean Beijing will meet gr ... Show More
21m 28s
Jun 27
Markets Near Record Highs as U.S., China Sign Trade Deal
A.M. Edition for June 27. The White House says the U.S. and China have signed a trade deal struck last month, with China agreeing to speed up delivery of rare-earth minerals. WSJ reporter Kim Mackrael says a trade deal with the EU is also taking shape, and could see the bloc lowe ... Show More
12m 32s
May 27
Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Riles Nuclear-Armed Rivals
P.M. Edition for May 27. China, Russia and North Korea claim the missile-defense project is driving a dangerous new arms race. WSJ reporter Thomas Grove says an impenetrable shield—though difficult to accomplish—would upend the paradigm of mutually assured destruction. And the GO ... Show More
12m 39s
Feb 2025
Tech CEOs admit they want AI monopoly: US plans to block China's competition & 'steal' engineers
Big Tech oligarchs in Silicon Valley fear competition from Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek, so they're working with the US government to cut off competitors. Billionaire Donald Trump backer Peter Thiel admits they want monopolies, arguing "competition is for losers". Ben Norto ... Show More
29m 52s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami