A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

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ON HOLDING THE ENEMY ACCOUNTABLE: CUSTOMS OF RETALIATION IN THE CIVIL WAR Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

The ritual of retaliation codified what makes you legitimate [as a combatant] and what makes you not legitimate How did combatants enforce the lawful practice of war prior to the Geneva Conventions and other conceptions of international laws of warfare? During the Civil War period, the answer was the customary practice of retaliation, which provides wronged combatants the opportunity to redress unlawful conduct by an opponent. Through a process of formal notification, threat of action, and binding honorable resolution, the Union and Confederacy managed to keep each other on the right side of the law. How and why this worked, and to what extent did this practice reinforce good order of discipline? Dr. Lorien Foote, a prominent Civil War historian from Texas A&M University, addresses these and other questions with A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt. Lorien Foote is the Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor of History and Director of Graduate Studies at Texas A&M University. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Image: Reprisal for, quoting the extended title, "The desolation of the border counties of Missouri, during the enforcement of military orders, issued by Brigadier General [Thomas] Ewing, of the Union Army, from his Head Quarters, Kansas City, Augt. 25th 1863." Image Credit: "Martial Law," George Caleb Bingham, c. 1872 via Library of Congress, public domain

HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS CHANGE AFTER INCORPORATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? Jun 03, 2019

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If we want [Artificial intelligence] to thrive, we have to have leaders who understand it Artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere and everyone is talking about it. But so what? What is the real utility of "AI" and how did it change or transform the organizations that incorporated AI into their practices? A trio of U.S. Army War College students -- Tom Spahr, Chris Chase, and Andre Abadie -- visited businesses and other organizations from around the country to answer these questions. They found that AI helped improve some practices by making them more efficient, but not other practices. There are important cultural barriers to adopting AI for some purposes. What are the implications for the U.S. military should it decide to incorporate AI technologies? A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Tom Spahr, Chris Chase, and Andre Abadie are U.S. military officers and resident students in the U.S. Army War College class of 2019. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Credit: PxHere.com under Creative Commons license

GENDER INTEGRATION AND THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A “FIRST” May 29, 2019

Show notes

Today it is commonplace for a female to command a brigade, and it is hugely important The military is a constantly evolving organization. Change in the US military is driven by both the need to serve as an effective fighting force and maintain a connection with society. An example is the recent integration of women in combat roles. Although women have been associated with the US military since the American Revolution, traditional gender roles often defined the limits of women's service. Nevertheless, women who have chosen to serve have transcended these limitations, performed acts of heroism and courage, and inspired future generations of women to serve and push against the social and structural boundaries placed before them. This episode features one of those women: Major General Jessica Wright, U.S. Army retired, who served over six years as The 50th Adjutant General of Pennsylvania and, following retirement, served as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. With A BETTER PEACE Editor Jacqueline E. Whitt, Major General Wright reflects on her service, women in the military, and those service members who enabled and supported her throughout her career. Jessica Wright is a retired major general in the U.S. Army. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photos: (L) Women's Army Corps Dorothy "Dora" Feinbloom, served with the Army Air Corps in 1943; (R) PFC Christina Fuentes Montenegro, one of the first three women to graduate from the Marine Corps’ Infantry Training Battalion in October 2013. Photo Credits: (L) National World War II Museum, (R) U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Tyler Main

“FICINT”: ENVISIONING FUTURE WAR THROUGH FICTION & INTELLIGENCE(INDO-PACIFIC SERIES) May 22, 2019

Show notes

I don't write science fiction so I can predict the future, but I want to better understand what's lies ahead This episode is the final in a series of releases on the Emerging Environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, produced in collaboration with the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences as part of the 2019 Senior Conference. What does the future of war look like? A common trope is that militaries default to fighting the 'last' war, leaving themselves exposed when the next war emerges. Conventional war planning may not always provide the best answer, so what are alternatives? One is exploring the future through fiction, where authors can analyze and develop war scenarios from friendly, enemy, and neutral perspectives. A BETTER PEACE welcomes a scholar and author who has done just that. August Cole is both a war futurist at the Atlantic Council and co-author of the novel Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War with P. W. Singer. The novel imagines various ways that emerging technologies may be leveraged by both sides in a predominently Indo-Pacific environment. August Cole generalizes this approach in what he calls FICINT -- the combination of fiction writing with intelligence to imagine future scenarios in ways grounded in reality. The approach helps both to raise self-awareness and challenge one's own assumptions while articulating complex concepts using tried and true writing techniques that emphasis tension, conflict, and clarity. A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. August Cole is a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Credit: Marine photo by Lance Cpl. Brian Adam Jones, public domain Other releases in the Indo-Pacific Region Series: “FICINT”: ENVISIONING FUTURE WAR THROUGH FICTION & INTELLIGENCE(INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HOW COMPETITORS USE TECHNOLOGY TO SHAPE THE ENVIRONMENT (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HYPERCOMPETITION AND TRANSIENT ADVANTAGE (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION: THE VIEW FROM TOKYO (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)THE MEANING OF ‘PARTNERSHIP’ IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)DEMOGRAPHICS, AGING, AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)

HOW COMPETITORS USE TECHNOLOGY TO SHAPE THE ENVIRONMENT (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES) May 17, 2019

Show notes

This is not humanity's first technological rodeo This episode is another in a series of releases on the Emerging Environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, produced in collaboration with the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences as part of the 2019 Senior Conference. Just how much have the rapid advance of the Internet and modern information technologies changed society? Or, is it more accurate to say 'shocked' society? There is perhaps no part of the world where cyberspace is more important than in the Pacific, where emerging competition are using technology to mitigate the U.S. advantage. How so, and what does this mean for U.S. strategy in the region. To discuss these topics and where the Internet revolution fits with other great revolutions in history, A BETTER PEACE welcomes Renee DiResta and Jonathan Reiber, both experts in the fields of cybersecurity and cyber policy. A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Renée DiResta is the Director of Research at cybersecurity company New Knowledge, and Head of Policy at the nonprofit Data for Democracy. Jonathan Reiber is head of cybersecurity strategy at Illumio and is former Pentagon Chief Strategy Officer for Cyber Policy. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. Photo: Cyber warfare specialists serving with the Maryland Air National Guard’s 175th Cyberspace Operations Group engage in weekend training at Warfield Air National Guard Base in Middle River, Md., June 3, 2017. Photo Credit: Air Force photo by J.M. Eddins Jr. Other releases in the Indo-Pacific Region Series: “FICINT”: ENVISIONING FUTURE WAR THROUGH FICTION & INTELLIGENCE(INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HOW COMPETITORS USE TECHNOLOGY TO SHAPE THE ENVIRONMENT (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HYPERCOMPETITION AND TRANSIENT ADVANTAGE (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION: THE VIEW FROM TOKYO (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)THE MEANING OF ‘PARTNERSHIP’ IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)DEMOGRAPHICS, AGING, AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)

HYPERCOMPETITION AND TRANSIENT ADVANTAGE (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES) May 14, 2019

Show notes

This episode is another in a series of releases on the Emerging Environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, produced in collaboration with the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences as part of the 2019 Senior Conference. Can the U.S. count on having a persistent competitive advantage in the Indo-Pacific region? Not likely, say today’s guests who were part of a major U.S. Army War College research project on Indo-Pacific Strategy. Rather than a persistent strategy, research participants Nate Freier of the Strategic Studies Institute and War College resident student Dana Tucker suggest that the intensity of competition means that any advantage will be temporary and transient. What does that mean for U.S. strategy in the region? And, what does it mean for a free and open Indo-Pacific region? WAR ROOM Social Media Editor Buck Haberichter moderates.

SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION: THE VIEW FROM TOKYO (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES) May 10, 2019

Show notes

It's not so much the mil-mil relationship ... the political relationship is something that's a little more volatile than it has been in the past This episode is the next in a series of releases on the emerging environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, produced in collaboration with the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences as part of the 2019 Senior Conference. Often when thinking about security in the Asia-Pacific region, Americans do so from an egocentric perspective. This episode flips the script a little bit, presenting the Indo-Pacific region as seen from Japan. Joining us in the studio is Jeffrey Hornung, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation and a specialist in Japanese security and foreign policies, East Asian security issues, maritime security, and U.S. foreign and defense policies in the Asia-Pacific region, including its alliances. A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Jeffrey Hornung is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation.. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. Photo: Then-Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert is escorted by a troop commander as he performs a customary troop inspection at a full honors ceremony to welcome Greenert and his delegation to Japan upon their arrival at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in 2014 for a series of counterpart visits with Japanese political and military leaders. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Peter D. Lawlor, public domain. Other releases in the Indo-Pacific Region Series: “FICINT”: ENVISIONING FUTURE WAR THROUGH FICTION & INTELLIGENCE(INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HOW COMPETITORS USE TECHNOLOGY TO SHAPE THE ENVIRONMENT (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HYPERCOMPETITION AND TRANSIENT ADVANTAGE (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION: THE VIEW FROM TOKYO (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)THE MEANING OF ‘PARTNERSHIP’ IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)DEMOGRAPHICS, AGING, AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)

THE MEANING OF ‘PARTNERSHIP’ IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES) May 07, 2019

Show notes

This is not going to look like US-Soviet competition. ... Countries in Southeast Asia -- they don't want to choose. This episode is the second in a series of releases on the Emerging Environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, produced in collaboration with the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences as part of the 2019 Senior Conference. One of the central features of the Indo-Pacific region is the importance of alliances and partnerships. For the United States, five of its seven mutual defense treaties are in this region, and working together on issues from deterrence to proliferation to security to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief is a critical element of strategy. But these alliances and partnerships require plenty of care and maintenance. How do these partnerships affect U.S. policy and strategy? A BETTER PEACE welcomes two experts in this area. First is Dr. Tanvi Madan from the Brookings Institution. Tanvi is an expert on Indian security and on India’s relations with China and the United States. Second is Ms. Lindsey Ford from the Asia Society Policy Institute. Lindsey previously served in a number of roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2009-2015, most recently as the Senior Adviser to the Assistant Secretary for Asia-Pacific Security Affairs. A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Tanvi Madan is is a fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution and director of the India Project. Lindsey Ford is the Director for Political-Security Affairs and Richard Holbrooke Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. Photo: Commander Robert Rose, commanding officer of the USS Louisville, discusses daily operations with Royal Thai Navy leaders during a submarine tour in support of GUARDIAN SEA 2019. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher A. Veloicaza Other releases in the Indo-Pacific Region Series: “FICINT”: ENVISIONING FUTURE WAR THROUGH FICTION & INTELLIGENCE(INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HOW COMPETITORS USE TECHNOLOGY TO SHAPE THE ENVIRONMENT (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HYPERCOMPETITION AND TRANSIENT ADVANTAGE (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION: THE VIEW FROM TOKYO (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)THE MEANING OF ‘PARTNERSHIP’ IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)DEMOGRAPHICS, AGING, AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)

DEMOGRAPHICS, AGING, AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES) May 03, 2019

Show notes

How fantastic that we live in a world where we have a problem of 'population aging'? This episode marks the first in a series of releases on the Emerging Environment in the Indo-Pacific Region, produced in collaboration with the United States Military Academy at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences as part of the 2019 Senior Conference. The Conference provides a forum for distinguished scholars, practitioners, and government officials to engage in candid discussions on topics of national security importance. Senior Conference is made possible by the generous support of the Rupert S. Johnson Grand Strategy Program and the Association of Graduates. This inaugural episode focuses on how demographic change relates to security, but the conclusions might be counterintuitive or vary depending on the country and region in question. Some countries have a prominent "youth bulge" - where the population distribution is heavily skewed toward young people. Other countries see the opposite and an aging population is the driver of demographic change. And it's the latter trend that dominates across the Indo-Pacific region, with Japan leading the way in terms of its median population age. Here to discuss the potential effects of aging and demographic change on security in the Indo-Pacific Region is special guest Dr. Jennifer Sciubba, the Stanley J. Buckman Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and a Global Fellow with the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. She is the author of two books on the subject, The Future Faces of War: Population and National Security, published in 2011 and Everybody Counts which will be out with W.W. Norton in 2020. A BETTER PEACE Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Jennifer Sciubba is the Stanley J. Buckman Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and a Global Fellow with the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of A BETTER PEACE. Photo Credit: Pxhere.com under creative commons license Other releases in the Indo-Pacific Region Series: “FICINT”: ENVISIONING FUTURE WAR THROUGH FICTION & INTELLIGENCE(INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HOW COMPETITORS USE TECHNOLOGY TO SHAPE THE ENVIRONMENT (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)HYPERCOMPETITION AND TRANSIENT ADVANTAGE (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION: THE VIEW FROM TOKYO (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)THE MEANING OF ‘PARTNERSHIP’ IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)DEMOGRAPHICS, AGING, AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC (INDO-PACIFIC SERIES)

AN UNBEATEN ROMAN GENERAL: SCIPIO AFRICANUS (GREAT CAPTAINS) Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

These two commanders, Scipio Africanus vs. Hannibal ... demonstrated [strategic leadership] to a great degree A BETTER PEACE continues the Great Captains series with the sequel to a previous episode on the renowned Carthaginian general Hannibal. This episode tells the story of Hannibal's opponent in the Battle of Zama, Scipio Africanus. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (236-183 BC) was one of the greatest military commanders of his time but has been overshadowed by Hannibal because of the latter's campaign in the Alps. However, Scipio not only defeated Hannibal at Zama, he previously was victorious in campaigns in Hispania (Spain) and overall was undefeated in battle. U.S. Army War College historian GK Cunningham presents Scipio's remarkable story with WAR ROOM Editor-in-Chief Andrew A. Hill. GK Cunningham is Professor of Strategic Landpower at the U.S. Army War College. Andrew A. Hill is the WAR ROOM Editor-in-Chief. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Image: The Battle of Zama, by anonymous between 1567 and 1578. Image Credit: From the Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Other Releases from the Great Captains series: KNOWING WHEN A WAR IS UNWINNABLE — GENERAL FREDERICK C. WEYAND (GREAT CAPTAINS)AN UNBEATEN ROMAN GENERAL: SCIPIO AFRICANUS (GREAT CAPTAINS)KNOW THY ENEMY: OSAMA BIN LADEN & RISE OF THE NON-STATE ACTOR (GREAT CAPTAINS)GEORGE C. MARSHALL & LEADING THE NATIONAL WAR EFFORT (GREAT CAPTAINS)THE PARTNERSHIP OF ROBERT E. LEE AND STONEWALL JACKSON (GREAT CAPTAINS)HANNIBAL AND THE MARCH THROUGH THE ALPS (GREAT CAPTAINS)WILLIAM T. SHERMAN: THE FIRST ‘MODERN’ GENERAL (GREAT CAPTAINS)GEORGE WASHINGTON: THE LESSONS OF FAILURE (GREAT CAPTAINS)

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