January 18, 2016
Iran’s Arrest of U.S. Sailors Reflects Obama’s Foreign-Policy Weakness
Two thousand years ago, a Roman could wander the known world confident that he would be unmolested by local unruly elements, protected only by the statement “Civis romanus sum,” I am a Roman citizen. His confidence stemmed from a demonstrated assurance that any group that dared attack a Roman would trigger a response in the form of a Roman legion, which would deal swift and brutal justice. Juxtapose this image of a previous world-spanning hegemon with the image of ten American Sailors kneeling on the deck of their own vessel with their hands clasped together over their heads. It is an image of indignity and failure that is accompanied by the smell of rotting power.
Read the full article in the National Review.
More from CNAS
-
Uncrewed but Confident: Forging New Rules of the Road to Avoid Accidental Escalation
Commentary
Air and maritime uncrewed platforms in the Indo-Pacific may be a promising area for developing new confidence-building measures....
By Tom Shugart
-
Stacie Pettyjohn on drones in Ukraine
Video
The Merge podcast hosts Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn to discuss her new report: Evolution Not Revolution, Drone Warfare in Russia’s 2022 Invasion of Ukraine Stacie is a Senior Fel...
By Stacie Pettyjohn
-
How China’s $100B+ Shipbuilding Empire Dominates the U.S.’s
Video
China has transformed into a shipbuilding powerhouse over the past two decades, cementing its status as a major maritime power. In 2023, more than half of the world’s commerci...
By Tom Shugart
-
Stock Buybacks in Defense: What Drives Them, and How That Can Change?
Commentary
Lack of capital is not a problem hindering investment at the largest defense primes. The issue revolves around the capital allocation decision....
By Mikhail Grinberg, Jerry McGinn & Lloyd Everhart
