Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate whether national security has been defined too loosely. If too many things fall under the category of national security, do we risk missing the really important ones? How should policymakers decide what is a national security threat–and what isn’t? What are the first-order national security threats facing the United States? And how can government decision-makers impose some discipline on how they think about and manage true national security threats? Grievances for China’s (other) bad behavior in the South China Sea and to the Military Sealift Command for taking 17 support ships out of service due to inadequate staffing. Attapeople for the Biden administration in helping to keep the U.S.-Chinese relationship from going completely off the rails; to the U.S. intelligence community and the U.S. media for their deft handling of Iranian attempted election interference; and to Ely Ratner and others in the Biden administration for negotiating a new compact with India.

Episode Reading

• Daniel Drezner, “How Everything Became National Security: And National Security Became Everything,”  Foreign Affairs, September/October 2024
• Christopher Preble and John Muller, A Dangerous World? Threat Perception and US National Security, Cato Institute, May 2020
• Demetri Sevastopulo, “The inside story of the secret backchannel between the US and China,” Financial Times, August 25, 2024
• William J. Perry and Ash Carter, “Preventive Defense,” Hoover Digest, October 30, 1999.
• Paul B. Stares, “Conflicts to Watch in 2024,” Council on Foreign Relations, January 2024.
• Aaron-Matthew Larissa, “40 Chinese Ships Blockade Resupply Mission to Philippine Coast Guard Flagship in South China Sea,” USNI News, August 26, 2024.
• “Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Iranian Election Influence Efforts,” FBI National Press Office, August 19, 2024.
• Ely Ratner, X, August 23, 2024.
• Sam LaGrone, “Navy Could Sideline 17 Support Ships Due to Manpower Issues,” USNI News, August 22, 2024.

Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Ash Severe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.