| With the US presidential election right around the corner, our curated content for this week comes with a special focus on the grand strategy implications of this much-anticipated event. The surprising thing is that many of the most incisive analysts seem to downplay the difference between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to actual grand strategy. Rachel Esplin Odell makes the fascinating and counter-intuitive argument that despite campaign rhetoric on both sides, Biden would actually govern as a China hawk and continue a course toward conflict. In a similar vein, Daniel Davis notes that the risks of maintaining a "forever war" status quo are dangerously high, irrespective of which party controls the White House. And Daniel DePetris laments the bipartisan embrace of sanctions policy. For better or worse, however, Americans still have to choose one candidate. Gil Bardollar offers an insightful breakdown of the pros and cons of President Trump and Joe Biden from a restraint-oriented perspective. Original Posts Rachel Esplin Odell, RealClearWorld After initially accusing President Trump of being insufficiently tough on China for its handling of the pandemic, the Biden-Harris campaign recently changed tack, signaling it would ... Gil Barndollar, RealClearDefense Regardless of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins in November, the next president will confront both a divided America and a world in its usual disarray. Among the many foreign po... Dan Caldwell, RealClearWorld During this election season, there is much discussion around the increasing polarization of the American electorate. While these conversations can seem overwrought, there is clear da... Essential Reading Justin Logan, Defense Priorities Bottom line: The U.S. should withdraw from the Middle East, a region that is small, poor, and strategically unimportant. U.S. involvement in the region is expensive, fruitless, and u... In the News Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, Responsible Statecraft Daniel Davis, Military Times Philip Gordon, War on the Rocks Paul Pillar, Responsible Statecraft Daniel DePetris, Responsible Statecraft John Dale Grover, American Conservative Patrick Porter & Joshua Shifrinson, Politico Gil Barndollar, American Conservative Robert Moore, The Hill Michael Horton, Responsible Statecraft Bonnie Kristian, Reason Matthew Duss, Foreign Affairs Daniel DePetris, RealClearWorld Daniel DePetris, Spectator Daniel Davis, National Interest The Majority Report Sam hosts Stephen Wertheim, the Deputy Director of Research at the Quincy Institute, to discuss his new book, Tomorrow the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy and the political and intellectual history behind US global hegemony post-WWII. Power Problems Is American influence declining? Emma Ashford talks to Ali Wyne and Gabby Tarini of the Rand Corporation about their new report on America in the world Cato Daily Podcast What can we infer from the new weaponry unveiled by North Korea? Eric Gomez and Doug Bandow describe how the U.S., South Korea, and China ought to respond. New Statesman's World Review Jeremy Cliffe and Emily Tamkin are joined by Stephen Wertheim. They discuss the development of American foreign policy, its place in the global theatre today and how it is playing in the American election. Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Two years ago today in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and butchered by the government of Saudi Arabia. Despite this heinous act, as well as countless other decisions that contradict U.S. interests and values, the Trump administration maintains strong support for Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. But as Quincy's Annelle Sheline explains, the U.S.–Saudi relationship is long overdue for a reset. | 
