National Security
Nov 3, 2012
Ever since Barack Obama entered the White House, pundits and historians have been searching for presidential parallels. Is our 44th president the new Lincoln out to give the country a “new birth of freedom?” Is he another Theodore Roosevelt bent on pursuing the Rough Rider’s progressive agenda? Is he some combination of FDR and LBJ delivering a new and greatly updated version of the New Deal/Great Society? Or is he the next JFK, full of youth and energy and a new New Frontier?
Oct 18, 2012
In a famous sequence in Joseph Heller's satirical war novel "Catch-22," the protagonist—bombardier Yossarian—makes an unauthorized call during an aerial bombing raid to take out a bridge by going in for a second run at the target. He scores a hit, destroying the bridge, but his decision inadvertently results in the death of a flight crew in another plane.
His superiors, embarrassed by the loss, try to figure out how to save face. Yossarian suggests they give him a medal. "You know, that might be the answer—to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of," Col. Korn responds. "That's a trick that never seems to fail."
Jan 19, 2012
Army Captain Pete Hegseth, an American Experiment Senior Fellow, recently wrote the following update while in Kabul, Afghanistan and then Manas, Kyrgyzstan on his eventual way back to Minnesota.
Welcome home, soldier and great thanks for your brave service and that of your family.
Nov 10, 2011
Fall has come to Afghanistan. Back home in Minnesota, it’s my favorite season; ushering in falling leaves, weekend football, warm sweatshirts, and the forthcoming crisp winter air. The weather is changing here as well, with chilly nights, frequent rain, and snow on distant mountaintops. It feels foreign to experience “fall” in a warzone—it just doesn’t compute. My previous two deployments were perpetual summers, with yearlong weather patterns cycling between hot, hotter, and hottest. Fall feels like home, yet it has arrived in Afghanistan—with winter close behind. I’m certainly glad to be rid of the heat; it just takes a while to associate the cold with camouflage.
Sep 12, 2011
As dawn broke on Sept. 11, 2001, America was asleep—believing itself to be prosperous, safe and secure. Hours later, we gazed in horror and disbelief as the Twin Towers collapsed in a maelstrom of flame, smoke and debris.
What did we learn? First and foremost, that there is evil—real evil—in the world.
Sep 11, 2011
We all remember where we were when the towers fell.
Sep 6, 2011
In counterinsurgency warfare, the population is the prize. The strategic sympathies of people in cities, villages, and the countryside are what both insurgents and counterinsurgents seek. Population support—whether active or passive—determines physical freedom of movement, either stifling insurgent operations (see my 2008 articles from Baghdad and Samarra) or providing safe haven and support (Marjah, 2009). The same goes for counterinsurgents.
Aug 17, 2011
Last week, Capt. Pete Hegseth--American Experiment's newest Senior Fellow--sat down for an interview with FoxNews.
Jul 28, 2011
The following are remarkably insightful first impressions of the military and political situation in Afghanistan by Army Capt. Pete Hegseth, a Minnesota native from Forest Lake—and I’m very pleased to announce, a newly named American Experiment Senior Fellow.
Dec 4, 2007
Prof. John Radsan discusses what he describes as Iran's "grave threat" to American security and national interests.