The Thinker VI The Unbearable Lightness of Strategy

In case you need them, here are some reasons not to read the new national security strategy open.substack.com/pub/blueblaz...

Thinker 4.0 The Thinker versus The Machine

The Thinker has thoughts about AI. open.substack.com/pub/blueblaz...

Alliance of Revisionists: A New Era for the Transatlantic Relationship The transatlantic alliance is changing. This article argues that Donald Trump’s second term, together with the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe, may usher in a new era of revisionist t...

New paper with @sophiabesch.bsky.social on the "Alliance of Revisionists: A New Era for the Transatlantic Relationship". We argue that D. Trump’s 2nd term & the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe, may usher in a new era of revisionist transatlanticism:
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TDBEP...

The New American Imperialism: How Europe Can Deal With Trump’s Threat to Greenland EU leaders will have to learn how to stand up to the bully in the White House.

Trump’s threats to seize Greenland (and annex Canada, and claim the Panama Canal) requires a strong response. The EU will have to learn how to stand up to the bully in the White House, write @sophiabesch.bsky.social and @jyshapiro.bsky.social in the Foreign Policy Essay.

How the Trump administration makes foreign policy decisions The Technocratic versus Factional Processes

How does Donald Trump make decisions in foreign policy? There is a process but it is distinct from most presidents. Like an authoritarian, he pits factions against each to get options and avoid collusion. My latest from Blue Blaze: blueblaze.substack.com/p/how-the-tr...

The Thinker III why the Thinker is a hawk

Start off the New Year with the latest episode of The Thinker, a chronicle of the trials and tribulations of a foreign policy thinker. This episode explains why The Thinker is a hawk. open.substack.com/pub/blueblaz...

Up close and personnel: What Donald Trump’s administrative picks mean for US foreign policy and Europe Donald Trump is choosing the cabinet for his second administration. Who will oversee key foreign policy positions – and whether they are a ‘primacist’, ‘prioritiser’, or ‘restrainer’ – will determine ...

What do Trump's initial personnel picks tell us about US foreign policy? Well, it's complicated but Majda Ruge explains that balance between primacists, prioritizers and restrainers.
ecfr.eu/article/up-c...

The Senate may believe that they can have a regular process, but the first Trump administration pioneered all many other ways around the confirmation process: "acting", "officials performing the duties of" and other dodges. We document some of them in the "Orbanisation of America": t.co/jKVT5ifyWs

Gaetz Nomination Seen as Doomed by Some Senate Republicans GOP lawmakers say Trump’s attorney general pick will face scrutiny over sexual misconduct allegations

"Senators also indicated they weren’t planning to cede any of their power over nominees, brushing back Trump on his demand that they allow him to make recess appointments to speed picks into office.

'We want to use the regular process,' said incoming Senate Majority leader John Thune (R-SD)"

Interesting -- in my parallel universe, Trump isn't even president-elect.