Dave, Caitlin, and Tony take a look at democracy backsliding in Europe and what to do about it. Then a discussion of DOD’s war-funding account gets into the broader question of national security spending priorities. And finally, Iran’s 1979 revolution turned 40 this week, so we touched on how it continues to impact US policy and politics.
Mentioned in the show: What Comes Next: Lessons for the Recovery of Liberal Democracy by Rachel Kleinfeld and David Solimini. Via the Democracy Fund and Carnegie Endowment. https://www.democracyfund.org/publications/what-comes-next-lessons-for-the-recovery-of-liberal-democracy
Reminder: The Secure Line will take a short hiatus when host Dave Solimini’s baby is born some time in the next few weeks.

The Big Picture Episode: Democracy, DOD Money, and Iran’s Revolution

The values Americans hold should shape how our country engages with the world. We bring complex issues back to the basic questions of how values affect policy and how the tricky problems of the world can challenge what we believe. Learn what’s important behind the headlines and hear from a diverse set of security policy experts, on-the-ground practitioners with global experience, and political professionals.   The Secure Line is co-hosted by David Solimini and sponsored by ADco, LLC.

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History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

National

Government & Organizations

David and Xander discuss how impeachment proceedings have demonstrated the importance of independent civil service at the State Department. California burns as the President makes moves to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord. And a deep dive into the long reach of China’s influence over free speech, US companies, and even Hollywood.

State stands up, California burns, and China Pushes

Dave and Xander discuss election happenings around the world, the quiet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and give a primer the security implications of climate change.
NOTE: Our apologies for last week’s episode being download-able for a few days; it was a technical mishap on Dave’s end. Fixing it pushed the release of this episode by a few days as well.

Climate Change is a security issue. And leaving Afghanistan.

Dave and Alex Bell touch on Syria, Ukraine, the Open Skies Treaty, the Democratic presidential debate, and why Kim Jung Un riding a white horse might be a problem.

Open Skies from Syria to Ukraine

Dave, Alex, and Matt catch up on Ukraine, personalizing state power, impact on US credibility and the Sopranos. The People’s Republic of China celebrates its 70th Anniversary. And North Korea tests missiles.
Mentioned: Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals by Carol Cohn. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3174209?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

The Sopranos Doctrine

NOTE: This episode was recorded the day before we learned that the president sought a foreign state’s intervention in the 2020 election. So… yeah. Sigh.
Dave, Matt, and Caitlin discuss drones and why Saudi Arabia’s military has issues, the fact that John Bolton never did the job he was supposed to do, and then dive into the Marine Commandant’s service reform goals.
Reading:

The Commandant’s Planning Guidance by Gen. David Berger
The Dictator’s Army: Battlefield Effectiveness in Authoritarian Regimes by Caitlin Talmadge

 

The Big Picture Episode: Democracy, DOD Money, and Iran’s Revolution

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