Is the US in a New Cold War?
If so, how do we win?
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein
Over a year ago, JR was asked to join a group of fifty experts in national security, military intelligence, and global politics in an audacious thought experiment. Each participant was asked two questions:
Is the United States in a New Cold War?
If so, how do we win?
Put your answer in the form of an essay. (No peeking, no sharing.)
The first question is deceptively simple. Of course, we’re in a New Cold War! But the second question calls for more analysis.
With whom? China, Russia, Iran, North Korea…all of the above?
What actions do we take now to win tomorrow?
Mountain Lake Press, the publisher behind the Imagine Project writes:
Their answers to those two simple, straightforward questions involved pursuing their analyses in any direction they wished, uninfluenced by even the work of their fellow writers. They did not see one another’s essays until we collected them all, so everyone gave his or her own unvarnished opinion. The result is a book that is not a single, carefully word-smithed document followed by a bunch of signatures. It’s also not a collective report that conceals individual author contributions. It is a compilation of individual ideas. Exceptional ideas.
The 50 essays are gathered in a single volume now available in ebook, print, and audiobook.
What was JR’s answer?
Naturally, the question you’re all asking yourselves is: What did JR have to say?
He chose a different approach to his essay. He figured the other authors would likely tackle, head on, the strategic challenges of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other nations falling into the orbit of the cabal of autocracies. Instead of looking outward at the threats, JR felt it was time for the US to look inward, to rethink the organizational structure of our national security apparatus. The first step in winning the New Cold War should be to ensure we’ve got the best organization to deal with whatever shows up on our doorstep.
Having served as a naval officer and a military diplomat, and because he ran strategic-level clandestine human intelligence (HUMINT) operations for DoD, requiring coordination with the FBI and CIA, he’s seen firsthand how broken and disjointed the “interagency process” is within the US government. Bureaucracy, distrust, and misalignment of resources make our response less effective. All this leads to a mismatch between policy and strategy.
In the wake of the Signal chat scandal—yes, it’s hard to believe that was only two weeks ago—JR was interviewed by John Rash, an editorial writer for The Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The column he filed, An intelligence analyst’s smart take on the Signal chat, should be required reading for every citizen regardless of political persuasion.
Longtime reader and reviewer Chris Fried weighed in with his very generous assessment of Proxy War this week. To say that Chris’s reviews are comprehensive is like saying the dictionary has a lot of words in it. (Here’s a link to his review.)
He specifically calls out a scene in which our main character is impersonating a target’s girlfriend over text, trying to lure him up to her apartment.
The whole scene almost has a meta feel. I think the authors are winking at me, stating “we know this is funny, but it’s also realistic because big operations sometimes hinge on the smallest of details, the human element makes it all unpredictable and the seriousness of the situation cannot be understated.” It’s a tough balance to walk, but these authors handle it with aplomb. Even though these novels have big stakes and intense situations, this scene is probably one of the funniest things I’ve read in their novels to date.
Busted! We had a lot of fun writing that particular scene.
Be happy. Stay healthy. Read (or listen to) a book.
As always, thanks for being a supporter –
David & JR, AKA the Two Navy Guys
PS – Are you looking for the FREE download of Death of a Pawn?
PPS - This email is free, but it's not cheap. If you'd like to show your support, here's where you can find all the Two Navy Guys' books.
PPPS - If you enjoyed this post, you can get it delivered to your inbox every week for free.
From my time in the trenches, I'd add a mismatch between expectations and resources. Another insightful newsletter.