To deal more effectively with today’s threats, we should return to President Ronald Reagan’s vision made explicit in his March 23, 1983 speech that launched the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The “powers that be” should revive technology programs aimed at developing space-based defenses, the most cost-effective way to defend against a full gamut of ballistic missile threats, including those that pose an existential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat. Read Full Story
“I think that cutting the defense budget in significant ways right now is a serious mistake. You know, when we’ve cut the budget before—at the end of the Cold War, at the end of Vietnam and at other times, it’s been because we thought the world was going to be a safer place . . . at least we thought so temporarily at the time. No one can make that case right now. You look at the situation in Ukraine and our relationships with Russia. You look at the tensions between China and Japan and in the South China Sea. You look at Iran and North Korea. These guys are operating on the 20th century model of nation states, boundaries matter, strategic interests matter, zero sum game, I win, you lose. This is the way these countries look at the world. It’s different than the way the West Europeans and we look at it, and frankly the pace at which both the Europeans and the United States [are] cutting their defenses, regardless of what the facts on the ground in terms of the number of ships and number of planes, it certainly sends a signal that we are not interested in protecting our global interests.” . . . Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates, March 9, 2015 Read Full Story
Everyone should be aware of the instabilities created by Russia’s interference in Ukraine—and it could rapidly go quite badly. Some have recalled the implausible events and misjudgments that led to World War I and wondered about a recurrence. Furthermore, if Iran or anyone else launches a nuclear weapon to high altitude over the U.S. and detonates it to create an electromagnetic pulse, also in the “blink of an eye” that could lead to the death of several hundred million Americans. Read Full Story
We understand the electric power grid vulnerabilities and how to fix them—if the powers that be would take the needed initiatives. Yet they dither while the growing nuclear proliferation threat presents a serious concern that we may experience a devastating attack before necessary countermeasures are enacted. Our failing diplomacy and lethargic defense programs are sapping our strength, leaving us with friends who don’t trust us and enemies who don’t fear us. Time is running out for us to rectify this situation. And our enemies know it. Read Full Story
As the mainstream media’s awareness of threats to the electric power grid grows and recent weather reminds us of even worse events that will happen, the powers that be need to develop ways to shield against them. These threats extend from physical attacks, to cyber attacks, to natural and manmade electromagnetic pulse events that could take down the grid for an indefinite period of time, during which several hundred million Americans could perish. Read Full Story
After reviewing our previous messages on the EMP threat from space posed by North Korea and Iran (associated with instabilities in the Middle East), we update our concerns about Russia and especially China. The bad news: Chinese belligerence is growing and includes threats to our critically important space systems. The good news: Space Command is considering new architectures to be more survivable with capabilities that only can be provided by space-based defenses. Read Full Story
If you live near the Gulf of Mexico, you are the front line to an emerging existential threat to all Americans. The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from a nuclear weapon exploded a hundred miles above the U.S. could kill 60-90 percent of all Americans. Though efforts in 2013 made progress in gaining awareness of this key problem, much remains to be done to get the powers that be to address this well-known threat that could be launched by Iran or Terrorists from a ship in the Gulf. Read Full Story
On this, the final day of Chanukah, as Jews worldwide complete their celebration of the Maccabee victory that liberated their Temple over two millennia ago, all Americans should remember our common love of liberty, the heritage that has set the West apart, and the common enemy that threatens our very existence and freedom today. We need modern Maccabees to preserve that heritage of liberty for our posterity. So may it be . . . Read Full Story
As we pause to give thanks for all our blessings, it is good to remember lessons learned from those who came before us, and to recommit ourselves to keeping this land free and prosperous for those who follow us. Memories give us a context for seeing and meeting our opportunities to leave this land better than we found it—with the help of the Sovereign of the Universe. So may it be . . . Read Full Story
U.S. aspirations for a deal with Iran, including preemptive concessions to remove the sanctions that are slowing Iran’s economy without any satisfaction from Iran on their deliberate efforts to build nuclear-armed missiles, threaten not only all Israelis but also all Americans. Thanks to France, there is at least a brief hiatus in these talks. Stay tuned . . . Read Full Story
We will be adding key policy briefs as we progress.