RealClearInvestigations Podcast

On today’s episode we return to an interview with Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the author of “Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War”. Host John Sorensen and RealClearDefense editor David Craig spoke with Schanzer in November of 2021 about an attack from earlier that year when Hamas launched more than four thousand rockets and mortars toward Israel killing 12 and injuring more than 100. Retaliatory Israeli air strikes resulted in the deaths of more than 200, including at least 129 civilians, and nearly 2000 injured, according to the United Nations. Schanzer details how the media covered the 2021 conflict, Iran's critical support for Hamas, and what Hamas’ strategy in Gaza means for the region.

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As China’s military capabilities grow, discussions about the US posture in the Pacific often return to the question how large a force does the US need to deter or possibly confront the Chinese Navy? If China were to launch an attack on Taiwan, how do the US and Chinese navies match up?

To find out, “Hot Wash” host John Sorensen speaks with Tom Shugart an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. During his twenty-five years in the US Navy, Shugart served as a submarine warfare officer on both fast attack and ballistic missile submarines, including as commander of the attack submarine USS Olympia from 2013 to 2016. He also served on the Joint Staff as the principal officer responsible for nuclear strike planning, as well as in the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment. 

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Note this episode contains explicit language and discussion of self-harm.

On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash” John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters speak with Miles Lagoze, the documentary filmmaker behind “Combat Obscura” a gripping unfiltered look at the war in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 during his time as an eighteen year-old Combat Camera with the 1st Battalion 6th Marines. Most recently he is the author of a new book about his experiences in Afghanistan and returning home. It’s called, “Whistles From the Graveyard: My Time Behind the Camera on War, Rage, and Restless Youth in Afghanistan”

"Whistles From the Graveyard" is available for pre-order.

Look for RCD Contributor John Waters’ new novel “River City One” published this fall.

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On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” host John Sorensen speaks with Dr. Peter Feaver, a long-time researcher of civil-military affairs about his new book, a comprehensive study of public attitudes towards the military called, “Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military.” He is also a professor of political science and public policy at Duke University, has served twice on the National Security Council staff, and as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserves.

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John Waters speaks with entrepreneur, Army veteran, and author Mike Erwin about applying lessons from the military to positive leadership off the battlefield. Erwin is a graduate of West Point and served as an Intelligence officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. After studying positive psychology and leadership at the University of Michigan he founded “Team Red, White, and Blue” a nonprofit connecting veterans through physical and social activity. He is also the author of two books on leadership, “Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leaders Through Solitude” and most recently, “Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in the Digital Age.”

Team Red, White, and Blue

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As Republican candidates prepare for the first debate, does the GOP have a China strategy? In a recent piece for the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin)  challenges the candidates and the party to confront what he calls “America’s greatest geopolitical threat.” RealClearDefense contributor John Waters and guest columnist Stephen Young speak with Gallagher about developing a clearer strategy to deter China.  

Read Rep. Mike Gallagher's article in the Wall Street Journal, "GOP Presidential Candidates Need to Talk About China"

Read Stephen Young's opinion piece on RealClearDefense.com, "How Xi Jinping Thinks"

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The war in Ukraine has rapidly reshaped how strategists think about the modern battlefield, especially the use of drones, cyber, social media, and the importance of electronic warfare. Looking at a potential conflict with China, what would a military confrontation over Taiwan look like in this new technological era?

On this episode of “Hot Wash,” host John Sorensen speaks with Retired Australian Major Gen Mick Ryan. Ryan is a frequent commentor on the transformation of warfare, and is a 35-year veteran of the Australian Army, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the USMC School of Advanced Warfare, and is an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.. He is also the author of the nonfiction book “War Transformed,” and most recently the author of a new fiction book, “White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan”

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On today’s “Hot Wash,” CNN’s Jake Tapper talks about his new fiction thriller “All the Demons Are Here” about an AWOL US Marine back from the Vietnam War and lost in the chaos of the 1970’s. We also discuss his nonfiction book, “The Outpost” about the heroism and tragedy of one of the deadliest battles in the Afghanistan War, and the coverage of the current Russian war against Ukraine.

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash"Ukraine for in depth conversations about military, defense, and national security. 

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Welcome to the first episode of BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front, presented by Real Clear Defense, in which we ask a member of Congress 7 questions that cut to the chase of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. 

Today we hear from Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee, who graduated from West Point, served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, and later became an army physician serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, he chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security and sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film “Oppenheimer” opens this weekend. For the story behind one of America’s most consequential and controversial scientific minds in his own words, listen to a mini-audio documentary about Robert Oppenheimer: his connections to the Communist party, his troubled relationship with President Truman, and the legacy of his work on the most devastating invention of the 20th century. 

This episode of the RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash" is sponsored by Pratt & Whitney. Pratt & Whitney’s F135 Engine Core Upgrade leverages the expertise and capabilities of RTX while saving taxpayers $40B—it’s the smart decision for the F-35.

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