When the world's at stake,
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Melanie, Chris, and Zack debate whether the international order is fraying and if so, what to do about it. They focus in particular on the recent Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, and discuss how the United States should respond. Melanie questions Liz Truss’s support of expedited defense exports to China and Chris laments the lack of communication around Lloyd Austin’s delegation of authority while Zack makes Chris a job offer he can refuse.

Episode Reading: 

• Gideon Rachman, “America and a crumbling global order,” Financial Times, December 4, 2023.
• C. Raja Mohan, “No, the US-led global order is not collapsing,” Indian Express, January 3, 2024.
• “Job Opportunities at AEI: Research Assistant, Foreign and Defense Policy, Asian Studies,” American Enterprise Institute.
• Choi Kang and Peter Lee, “Why US Naval Power Needs Asian Allies,” War on the Rocks, January 12, 2024.
• Graham Lanktree, “Liz Truss Secretly Lobbied Ministers to ‘Expedite’Defense Exports to China,” Politico, January 15, 2024.
• “Welcome to the New Era of Global Sea Power,” The Economist, January 11, 2024.
• Eugene Gholz, “The US Military Role in the Red Sea—Now TurningOffensive—Is a Bad Deal,” CATO At Liberty, January 12, 2024.
• Alexandra Stark, “Don’t Bomb Houthis,” Foreign Affairs, January 11, 2024.
• Afghanistan Assumptions Project – Capitol Hill Presentation RSVP.

Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Alex Millar