Arsenal of Democracy

What if the aggressive schoolyard bully tactics that the Chinese Communist Party uses in the South China Sea were deployed globally? This week's guest, Michael Sobolik, argues that this question will soon be answered and illustrates how the CCP's  Belt and Road Initiative, once considered a purely economic plan, could really have a "second phase" that places military demands and action on the balance sheet. As a result, we attempt to address how the American Arsenal of Democracy can counter a global Chinese economic alternative that is primed to be militarized on a global scale. 

With new technology and weapons systems being developed for 2030 and beyond, how do we reconcile readiness with a new cold war with the Chinese Communist Party that is here now? Founder of SolidIntel, Dr. Megan Reiss, joins the show to emphasize that American leadership has to communicate clear-eyed strategies about who are adversaries are, what's at stake, and how our technological innovation is applying that risk in development timelines. 

Matthew Kroenig and Dan Negrea, authors of We Win, They Lose: Republican Foreign Policy and the New Cold War, do not wonder whether a new cold war against the Chinese Communist Party is afoot. Instead, they join the show to explain that when it arrives, America will need a fusion of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump foreign policies to ensure complete and total victory. Whether it’s kinetic military capabilities, diplomatic willpower, or economic maneuvering, defeating China will require a whole-of-country approach.

Co-founder and CEO of Roadrunner Venture Studios, Adam Hammer, joins host Marshall Kosloff to explain what "deep tech" is, why the Arsenal of Democracy is often fought and won by people in white lab coats, and how the spoils of defense innovation are shared commercially.

CEO of Apex, Ian Cinnamon, joins host Marshall Kosloff to detail the critical infrastructure backing the US space industry, and the national security implications of Americas increased interest and presence in space. With technological advancements driving space exploration and usefulness, Cinnamon explains how private and public partnerships will have to join forces to properly utilize this contested domain. 

Alliances are important. Just ask Russia, China, Iran and North Korea what kind of leverage they can give you. Just last week we saw Russia and China fly together into Alaskan territory. In light of this rising axis, Senior Fellow Daniel Kochis joins the show to discuss what the current state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is, whether Ukraine could become a member, and just why alliances are as crucial as ever to America's global power. 

How can the Department of Defense build a strategy and budget around the increasing scenario of using $3,000,000 missiles to shoot down $15,000 drones? Host Marshall Kosloff talks with former Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Director, Raj Shah, about how to find innovation at the intersection of the government and private sectors to ensure that U.S. servicemembers never find themselves in a fair fight.  Explore Shah's upcoming book titled, "Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War" 

Has the Pax-Americana truly fallen? Can America's sole dominance over global influence be restored? What can we learn from the WWII-era that we can apply to today's multi-front and multi-faceted threats? Hudson Senior Fellow Arthur Herman rejoins the show to illustrate why desire for global power and influence requires an industrial base to do so and a balancing of means to commitments. Read Arthur's National Interest piece, "Toward a New Pax Americana."

Should the United States military be building an army that is technologically smart, small, and hyper-effective, or should it be pumping out twentieth-century bullets, artillery, and tanks in overwhelming numbers? In his article "The Gates of Gaza," Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Doran argues that the wars in Ukraine and Gaza should demonstrate to Israel and the US that, contrary to popular opinion, modern wars are just as slow, big, and resource heavy as they’ve ever been. A hybrid Mad Max–style industrial base will be needed to win modern wars.

Aaron Slodov, CEO of Atomic Industries, joins Marshall Kosloff to discuss how the US can strengthen its industrial base through the use of next generation technology to produce more quality at a better margin to more effectively deter adversaries.  Read Aaron's "Techno-Industrialist Manifesto" in Pirate Wires

Hudson Institute Non-resident Fellow, Jake Barnett, joins the show from Nigeria to paint the picture of Africa's current economic and political landscape. France, the US, Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are all planted on the continent by way of direct foreign direct investment, humanitarian aid, or military support and peacekeeping. Barnett gives his outlook as to how the West is perceived regionally, and whether Chinese and Russian initiatives on the continent will have long-lasting impact or not. 

Whether it's deterrence from kinetic conflict over Taiwan, the race for Artificial Intelligence and supersonics, or the protection of technological supply chains, Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party are the single most capable global competitors. Dimitri Alperovitch joins host Marshall Kosloff to explain the how and why behind America's need to win the coming cold war with China, and how to keep it "cold."

America's critical infrastructure has been vulnerable, and subsequently under attack by peer-adversaries like China, for decades. That reality hinders the strength of our defense industrial base and ultimately our ability to deter conflict. Nadia Schadlow joins the show to investigate whether the long-standing problems are structural or not, and offers four key recommendations for policymakers and leaders to right the industrial ship going forward. Read Nadia's piece from Breaking Defense.

We're already seeing the application of artificial intelligence in our daily lives. Our phones are powered by it, our social media experience, and our daily transportation. So how will AI impact the Department of Defense? Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini, and Dr. Jeb Nadaner, SVP of Goverment Affairs at Govini, joined host Marshall Kosloff to demonstrate how AI can and will transform national security by bringing efficiency to industrial base in arenas like acquisitions and supply chains. 

War is rapidly changing. Countries like China are already moving force structure and planning towards a new type of conflict, all while the U.S. overspends and delays production of systems like aircraft carriers that could soon fall into the category of "a weapon that you can't afford to lose." The Sagamore Institute's Dr. Jerry Hendrix joins the show to explain how the U.S. and it's industrial base can change course to prepare for future conflicts before a dangerous "comeuppance" shocks us into action.