When the world's at stake,
go beyond the headlines.

Melanie, Chris, and Zack wrap up 2020 by reviewing developments over the last year and debating what might happen in 2021. They disagree over the wisdom of Lloyd Austin’s nomination for secretary of defense, and discuss which of Donald Trump’s foreign policy decisions were the best and worst over the last year. Each also highlights their favorite books and articles, and notes profiles in both courage and cowardice.

Links

• Eugene Gholz, Benjamin Friedman, and Enea Gjoza, “Defensive Defense: A Better Way to Protect US Allies in Asia,” Washington Quarterly, Winter 2020.
• Jim Golby, “Sorry, Gen. Lloyd Austin. A Recently Retired General Should Not Be Secretary of Defense,” New York Times, December 7, 2020
• Kishore Mahbubani, Has China Won? The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy, (Public Affairs, 2020)
• Ana Swanson, “With Americans Stuck at Home, Trade with China Roars Back,” New York Times, December 14, 2020
• Alex Ward, “The Single Biggest Foreign Policy Decision Joe Biden Faces,” Vox, December 14, 2020
• Joe Biden, “Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense,” The Atlantic, December 8, 2020
• Australian Government Department of Defense, “2020 Defense Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan,” July 2020

Image: Famartin