Security Dilemma

Latest Episodes:

Candace Rondeaux on the Wagner Group May 20, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi spoke with Candace Rondeaux, the author of Putin’s Sledgehammer: The Wagner Group and Russia’s Collapse into Mercenary Chaos. She serves as the Senior Director for the Future Frontlines and Planetary Politics programs at New America, and is a professor of practice at Arizona State University. Previously, she advised the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and served as the South Asia bureau chief for The Washington Post. Our conversation today discussed the origins of the Wagner Group, the role of mercenaries in Russia’s national security strategy, and more. You can purchase the book, which was released May 13, here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/candace-rondeaux/putins-sledgehammer/9781541703087/?lens=publicaffairs

Daniel McCarthy on Liberalism and Empire May 13, 2025

Show notes

This week on Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi spoke with Daniel McCarthy, Editor-in-Chief of Modern Age. Mr. McCarthy is a leading light in the conservative movement for a more restrained U.S. foreign policy. He is a regular contributor to The Spectator, and the former editor of The American Conservative, the magazine founded by conservatives opposed to the war in Iraq. He also worked on the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign. Our conversation covered the connection between liberalism and empire, how the experience of the American Revolution shaped U.S. foreign policy, as well as about contemporary conservative foreign policy thought from Pat Buchanan to Trump.

Curt Mills on Trump's Foreign Policy 100 Days In May 06, 2025

Show notes

This week on Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi spoke with Curt Mills, the Executive Director of The American Conservative, where he previously served as senior reporter and contributing editor. He specializes in foreign policy and campaign coverage. Our conversation touched on some of the Trump Administration's seminal initiatives, including diplomacy with Russia and Iran, the potential annexation of Greenland, and more. We also discussed the President's national security personnel and where the respective political parties could go on foreign policy in 2028.

John Vick on Africa and the Middle East Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

This week on Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and Michael Culp spoke with John Vick, the Executive Director of Concerned Veterans for America. John Vick enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2003, and deployed to al-Anbar, Iraq in 2005. He has also served in the Navy, mobilizing twice in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and he continues to serve in the Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer supporting U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Our conversation discussed U.S. Middle East and Africa policy, careers in military intelligence, and how to combat the U.S. military's recruiting crisis.

Sabreena Croteau on the Economic Drivers of Naval Force Structure Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi interviewed Sabreena Croteau. Sabreena is a Research Fellow at Defense Priorities and recently defended her dissertation to earn her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Chicago. Her dissertation, titled “Security the Seas: The Political Economy of Naval Force Structure,” uses an economic approach to examine the variance in the development of naval power across states, and intends to draw policy-relevant implications for U.S. grand strategy, the pivot to Asia, and competition with China as a rising economic power. Our conversation discussed how economic considerations influence how great powers construct their navies, how U.S. policymakers should think about sea lanes, and China and Russia's Arctic ambitions.

Aude Darnal on the Global South in the Trump Era Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi spoke with Aude Darnal, a Research Analyst and Project Manager at the Stimson Center, and the founder and leader of the Global South in the World Order Project — hosted by the Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program. Prior to joining Stimson, Aude served as an associate director at the Atlantic Council’s New American Engagement Initiative. She is originally from Martinique, in the French Caribbean.

Our conversation discussed how Global South countries are responding to the Trump Administration in light of its recent tariffs and foreign aid cuts, as well as how U.S. grand strategy can meet the moment in an increasingly multipolar world.

"Order of Oppression" by Tim Murithi

Stimson's Global South in the World Order Project site

Is a Career in Political Risk Right for You? Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

Is a career in political risk right for you? On March 13, JQAS recorded a webinar about careers in the private geopolitical risk sector with several alumni of the Society. The panelists and co-hosts John Allen Gay and Julie Thompson-Gomez discussed what a typical day in the life for someone in the industry looks like, how prospective applicants can be competitive candidates for roles in the space, and various tips and tricks for navigating careers in this emergent sector. Panelist bios are as follows:Natalie Armbruster is a Senior Middle East Intelligence Researcher at Seerist. She is a former Research Associate at Defense Priorities.John Goodnight is the Chief of Staff at John Hulsman Enterprises. Prior to this role, he was the Southern Regional Director at JQAS.Scarlett Kennedy is an Analyst at Valens Global, as well as an alumna of the Society's Marcellus Policy Fellowship.

Spencer Ackerman on the Global War on Terror and Biden's Legacy Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi interview Spencer Ackerman, a Pulitzer Prize and National Magazine Award-winning reporter, who has covered the War on Terror and U.S. foreign policy for The New Republic, Wired, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, and Zeteo. He is also the author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump and the Forever Wars newsletter, and he is currently writing the new Iron Man series for Marvel Comics and The Torture and Deliverance of Majid Khan. Our conversation discussed the impact of the GWOT on U.S. politics, whether the GWOT is actually over, and the Biden Administration's foreign policy legacy.

Sarang Shidore on the Global South and the U.S.-Philippines Alliance Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi interview Sarang Shidore, the director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Our conversation discussed whether interests, ideology, or both drive the policies of some Global South states, whether China is part of the Global South, and what a better approach to the U.S.-Philippines alliance might look like.

Sarang Shidore's new Quincy Institute explainer on the U.S.-Philippines alliance: https://quincyinst.org/research/defending-without-provoking-the-united-states-and-the-philippines-in-the-south-china-sea/

Skip Shelton: Practitioner's Journey to Realism and Restraint Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of Security Dilemma, John Allen Gay and A.J. Manuzzi interview Skip Shelton, a career foreign policy professional with experience in defense, diplomacy, and development about the unique career journey that brought him from coordinating elections in Iraq and building roads in Afghanistan to working on Somalia's security assistance and conflict monitoring in Ukraine. The conversation also touches on how those experiences shaped Shelton's own views on American foreign policy.

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