Debating the Meaning of Military Victory
On this episode, Chris, Melanie, and Zack consider the question of military victory. Is there such a thing? Is military victory achievable f...
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Net Assessment
Hosts Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble debate their way through some of the toughest and most contentious topics related to war, international relations, and strategy....
Episodes
20 of 113 episodesWill AI Tank Think Tanks?
As the artificial intelligence revolution advances and the Trump administration questions the value of outside experts, think tanks are faci...
Unpacking the IG Report on the Iran War
With Zack out collecting frequent flyer miles, Tom Karako joins Chris and Melanie to discuss the Lead Inspector General Report on Operation...
Lessons Learned (and Unlearned) from the GWOT
In this show, the Net Assessment crew ponders the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Twenty-five years after 9/11 and five years after the disastr...
Science: A New Golden Age?
The team sits down to talk about the new OSTP report, Science: A New Golden Age. What role should the government have in the scientific ente...
The Beginning of the End in the Middle East?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate Michael Fuchs's recent article arguing for a U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East. They also discuss the imp...
A Strategy of Denial?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss public attitudes toward the United States and China, and the Trump administration's response -- which mostl...
Net Assessment Assesses the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a look at the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment. Does the document get the threats, and their prioritiztion, right...
Apocalypse Soon? The US and NATO at a Crossroads
With Chris galavanting across Europe, Stimson's Emma Ashford joins Melanie and Zack to debate whether the United States is undermining deter...
Might the United States Lose Access to Foreign Bases?
In this show, Chris, Melanie, and Zack consider the benefits and costs for U.S. allies and partners who host U.S. bases on their territory....
Mexico's Fight against the Cartels
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a chat about how Mexico is handling the drug cartels, which continue to perpetrate terrible violence and facil...
A Strategy of Consolidation: Playing for Time?
Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate Wess Mitchell's proposed U.S. strategy of consolidation. They discuss whether this strategy would finally re...
Is the US a Predatory Hegemon?
Do we live in a world governed only by force, one in which the United States' military and economic power alone will advance U.S. interests?...
Can the UN Be Reformed?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a discussion about whether the United Nations can and should continue in its current form. Has it outlived its...
Implementing a Hellscape Strategy for Taiwan
On this show, Melanie, Chris, and Zack consider whether the porcupine strategy that Taiwan is currently implementing is the best plan to det...
Is There an End in Sight for the US War in Iran?
What are the goals in the US war in Iran? Is the situation in the Strait of Hormuz manageable, or is the Iranian threat to shipping a challe...
Will U.S. Allies Hedge? Should They?
Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a discussion about how America's allies and partners, after decades of relying on the US for security, are der...
A Broadside Against Battleships
Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate the wisdom of President Trump's proposal for a Golden Fleet of new American "battleships." They question the...
Is Resolute Global Leadership the Right Grand Strategy for the United States?
In this episode, Chris, Melanie, and Zack, discuss a recent Council on Foreign Relations special report which explores varies grand strategi...
New Denial Strategy? Assessing the 2026 NDS
Zack, Melanie, and special guest Kelly Grieco take a look at the Department of War's 2026 National Defense Strategy. What does a "decent pea...