Just yesterday at an academic conference a veteran scholar declared that friends of nautical freedom should “just let [China] have” the South China Sea. I dissent –

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/426331-use-it-or-lose-it-seagoing-nations-must-defend-embattled-waterways

A China or Russia suffering a demographic disaster might act now — while it can:

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/01/23/the-future-belongs-to-those-who-show-up-and-act-boldly

Over at The National Interest I urge the U.S. and allied armed forces to turn access and area denial against China to deter Beijing:

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/time-use-chinas-a2ad-military-strategy-against-them-42012

A rare dual publishing day:

1. Can America live with a nuclear North Korea? I say Yes, because it must:

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/can-america-live-nuclear-north-korea-41387

2. Could China sink two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers in a sneak attack, as one Chinese admiral says it should? I say Yes, but don’t bet on it:

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/yes-china-could-sink-us-navy-aircraft-carrier-don’t-bet-it-41227

 

Inquiring minds want to know which version of the Monroe Doctrine would apply to Russian exploits in the Western Hemisphere, and whether the United States should accept similar limits on its activities in Eastern Europe –

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/01/08/the-monroe-doctrine-and-russia

Short and less-than-satisfactory answer: maybe.

https://nationalinterest.org/print/blog/buzz/taiwans-military-really-ready-take-china-40682

Be right about North Korean nuclear disarmament while hoping to be pleasantly surprised –

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/james-r-holmes-my-north-korea-prediction-2019-39297