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Bioethics and Brains
No full textHow neuroethics can be increasingly relevant and informative for inclusive social policy and political discourse about brain science and technologies.Neuroethics, a field just over two decades old, addresses both ethical issues generated in and by brain sciences and the neuroscientific studies of moral and ethical thought and action. These foci are reciprocally interactive and prompt questions of how science and ethics can and should harmonize. In Bioethics and Brains, John R. Shook and James Giordano ask: How can the brain sciences inform ethics? And how might ethics guide the brain sciences and their real-world applications?The authors’ structure for a disciplined neuroethics reconciles science and ethics by requiring ethical principles consistent with moral neuroscience and moral psychology. Their cosmopolitan perspective looks beyond Western theories toward a new metaethics for neuroethics and illustrates its approach in chapters that address the issues and approaches to questions and problems generated by the proliferation of neurotechnology in global contexts. Shook and Giordano posit that neuroethics can merge science and ethics toward establishing global consensus on guiding brain research, neurotechnological innovation, and grounding neurorights.https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/cdtfw-books/1001/thumbnail.jp
Xi Can’t Trust His Own Military
No full textDr. Phil Saunders and Dr. Joel Wuthnow examine the impact of recent purges of senior Chinese military leaders on Xi Jinping’s confidence in the PLA and willingness to employ force against Taiwan
China’s Military Diplomacy in the New Era
No full textDr. Phillip Saunders, in the INSS Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, and Melodie Ha analyze the evolution of China\u27s military diplomacy from 2002 to 2024, focusing on three key activities: senior-level visits, naval port calls, and joint exercises. The article examines how the People\u27s Liberation Army (PLA) has transitioned from an inward-facing force to a more globally engaged military, using diplomacy as a tool to support China\u27s foreign policy objectives. The authors highlight the strategic and operational aims of China\u27s military diplomacy, including shaping the international environment, laying groundwork for future overseas access, and enabling intelligence gathering and operational learning from foreign militaries. The analysis also discusses the geographical concentration of China\u27s military engagements, with a significant focus on Asia, particularly Southeast Asia
What Would a Military Strike on Iran Mean for the Middle East?
No full textU.S. President Donald Trump has alternated between making threats and suggesting negotiations with Iran. His proposal of direct talks has so far been dismissed and rebuffed by a regime that is deeply suspicious of Washington after the first Trump administration pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Given the risk of military confrontation over Iran’s nuclear program—which is, according to some analysts, only weeks away from producing a deliverable weapon—Foreign Policy asked three experts to assess how a strike by the United States, Israel, or both acting together would affect Iranian politics, the strategic outlook of Saudi Arabia, and regional dynamics more broadly.
—Sasha Polakow-Suransky, deputy edito
The other space control: who does what in the national security space enterprise
No full text“Space control” is a legacy term of art from United States military doctrine for space operations. It refers to the mission of ensuring friendly access to outer space. However, there is another form of space control for spacefaring national security organizations, though it isn’t usually discussed in those terms. “The other space control” refers to decisions about who controls what within the U.S. national security space enterprise. Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force in 1947, the Joint Chiefs of Staff brokered agreements for the division of aircraft among the military services, colloquially referred to as the Key West Agreement. Since the establishment of the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command in 2019, we’ve seen similar deliberations about the roles and responsibilities for various aspects of the national security space enterprise. When the next Trump administration turns its attention to space policy, here are some of the “other space control” matters they are likely to encounter
China’s ‘near space’ legal warfare
No full textMr. Todd Pennington, an INSS Senior Research Fellow for Space Strategy and Policy, and Ms. Emmy Kanarowski, INSS Research Intern, published an op-ed in SpaceNews. This article examines China’s recurring narrative of near space, the high-altitude zone between sovereign airspace and outer space, and its use as an instrument of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Legal Warfare doctrine. The authors trace the origins of China’s near space concept, including references in PLA publications and media, and analyze how it is used to shape perceptions of what activities are allowed above other nations. While international law does not recognize near space as a legally distinct domain, normalizing the term may influence operational and legal considerations in high-altitude airspace. The article highlights the strategic, legal, and policy implications for the United States and other states, offering insights into countering China’s narrative and maintaining clear rules for airspace and space governance
The Insurgent’s Dilemma: A Struggle to Prevail
No full textDavid E. Spencer’s review of The Insurgent’s Dilemma highlights David Ucko’s nuanced analysis of the strategic challenges insurgent movements face in balancing military efficacy with political legitimacy. Drawing on his expertise in Latin American insurgency, particularly the FARC, Spencer uses Ucko’s framework to explain why some insurgent groups, like the FARC, failed to adapt to post-Cold War conditions, while others, like the Zapatistas, successfully evolved ideologically, locally, and institutionally. Ucko argues that modern insurgencies must navigate complex trade-offs between violence and popular support, especially as traditional strategies become obsolete. The book offers critical insights into how both insurgents and counterinsurgents must adapt to shifting political and technological landscapes, making it essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and military professionals engaged in understanding irregular warfare today
Position, Navigation, and Timing Weaponization in the Maritime Domain: Orientation in the Era of Great Systems Conflict
No full textThe jamming and spoofing of Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Automatic Identification System (AIS) information has escalated in the last half-dozen years from simple demonstrations of capability to truly dangerous situations where misperceptions could ignite a major conflict. Because of the grave danger that GPS and AIS weaponization entails, it is essential that policymakers and maritime operators understand not only the risks and implications of these threats, but also the mitigation techniques and countermeasures that add resilience to the warfighter
Wicked Deterrence Challenge: The Changing Strategic Landscape
No full textThe National Security Strategy of the United States laid out that the Nation is entering a decisive decade—not only for itself but also for the world. The current era of strategic competition is characterized by the reemergence of a geopolitical contest between powerful states over the shape of the future global order. After World War II, the Allies established a rules-based international order rooted in cooperative values and predicated on a framework of diplomatic and economic rules, led and enforced by like-minded nations. This system has enabled decades of prosperity for all nations that have elected to participate, but it is now under stress by revisionist nations. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, and North Korea are each intent on changing the international order to achieve their national ambitions. The changing strategic environment has created a wicked deterrence challenge that will test the United States and its allies
The Other Arctic: Competition, Cooperation, or Coexistence?
No full textIn Antarctica, the United States must mitigate risks stemming from competitive influences working to alter the current paradigms, but it also should seize the opportunities that Antarctica’s unique status affords. As climate change continues to open new opportunities in polar regions, international concern has grown over the potential for the future irresponsible use of the area by actors more concerned with military and economic advantage than conservation efforts. Apprehension over the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s activities raises more significant concerns that Antarctica may become a region of military competition instead of global cooperation. This apprehension is well-founded but not without remedy