Populations are feeling a sense of relative anxiety and scarcity, putting additional pressure on governments engaged in geopolitical competition. It makes policymaking more challenging for democracies than non-democracies. (41:00)

Tune in to #ShiftingGround

It's very important for Americans to understand that we are already influencing the lives of people all over the world. The question is: are we going to do it in a way that is designed to advance long-term peace and security for the rest of the world, or not? (34:40)

More on #ShiftingGround

#BridgingtheGap is something that all of us who teach in professional national security programs must always be thinking about ... latest episode of #ShiftingGround featuring @tcwittes.bsky.social speaking with Larry Rubin & @rachelwhitlark.bsky.social. #OrbisJournal orbisjournal.org/podcast/epis...

In Episode 10 of #ShiftingGround, Larry Rubin and Rachel Whitlark sit down with guest Dr. Tamara Cofman Wittes. Wittes offers unique insights on bridging the gap between scholarship and practice, navigating Middle East policy, and the ongoing struggles facing global democracy.

Conversely, keeping more missiles, bombers, and other weapons in a patrol state would introduce different challenges, including a higher potential for accidents and wearing out the readiness of the force (35:45). #ShiftingGround

Everyone who said, "China is all about the minimum means of reprisal," wasn't wrong for about 50 years, but at some point that changed in the minds of China's leadership, and no one saw it coming.

China's transformation of its nuclear force was a discontinuous change (31:25). #ShiftingGround

In the latest episode of #ShiftingGround, Austin Long and @rachelwhitlark.bsky.social discuss the application of historical lessons to the second nuclear century, highlighting both the dangers in misusing them and the cases were analogizing can be useful to navigate present-day conflicts. (26:00)

There's a piece about perception in the conceal-reveal framework that isn't talked about as much but is relevant. This concept of managing adversary perceptions is very alive—implicitly, for sure, but other times explicitly—in policymakers' heads. (10:15)

Tune in to #ShiftingGround.