| This week's curated content continues to cover geopolitical hotspots, with an emphasis on pieces that argue for the prudence and importance of scaling-down troop commitments overseas. This topic is especially relevant today as House Democrats and Republicans alike work to insert provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would make it more difficult for President Trump to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. Daniel DePetris' piece examines in detail the NDAA as a spring-board through which to rethink US foreign policy commitments. Doug Bandow covers the way in which various members of Congress are attempting to use the NDAA to make troop withdrawals more difficult, and Juliegrace Brufke covers the response from noted Congressional restrainers Thomas Massie and Andy Biggs. One of the pretexts for continuing to stay in Afghanistan was a recent intel leak suggesting that the Russians may have been paying Islamist groups bounties to attack American soldiers. Bonnie Kristian puts the "Russian bounty" into context, and Doug Bandow addresses the question of America's larger strategic relationship with Russia going forward. As to the broader question of America's role in the world and the considerations that should determine it, Andrew Bacevich's piece on American Empire is a must read. And, as always, our curated coverage keeps a close eye on all issues pertaining to China. Interested readers would be well served by looking at Gregory Kulacki's piece in Responsible Statecraft. In the News Emma Ashford & Matthew Kroenig, Foreign Policy Gregory Kulacki, Responsible Statecraft Bonnie Kristian, Responsible Statecraft Daniel Larison, American Conservative Doug Bandow, American Conservative Juliegrace Brufke, The Hill Eldar Mamedov, Responsible Statecraft Michael T. Klare, Responsible Statecraft Harry J. Kazianis, John Grover, & Adriana Nazarko, National Interest Daniel DePetris, Defense One Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy Daniel Larison, American Conservative Eric Levitz, Intelligencer Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, American Conservative Doug Bandow, Antiwar.com Empire Has No Clothes This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Daniel, and I spoke to Jessica Lee of the Quincy Institute. She told us what Donald Trump has gotten right and wrong on North Korea and whether there’s still hope for a peace deal. We also talked about H.R. McMaster’s new piece pushing back against the realists and why he wants to keep the forever wars going forever. Net Assessment If the United States does not turn things around soon, and demonstrate its capacity for solving the pandemic, will U.S. allies and partners be as willing to follow its leadership on a range of other problems? What will be the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the global order, and America’s place in it? Atlantic Council Which of the assumptions guiding US foreign policy are no longer fit for purpose? How can the United States learn from past mistakes and develop more productive and responsible modes of engagement? John Glaser & Caleb Brown, Cato Institute If claims of Russian‐paid bounties on U.S. soldiers turn out to be true, an obvious response should be to exit our decades‐long failed war in Afghanistan. Cato’s John Glaser makes the case. Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft The use of military equipment against Americans protesting police brutality demonstrates the link between militarization abroad and at home. The War on Drugs, the War on Terror, the bloated Pentagon budget, pork barrel politics of Members of Congress, have all led to systematic militarized violence against Americans. If police see themselves as soldiers, and the neighborhoods they patrol as battle space, then ordinary American citizens are the enemy. Empire Has No Clothes On this edition of Empire Has No Clothes, Matt, Kelley, and Daniel speak with Elizabeth Shackelford, a former Foreign Service Officer and the author of The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age. She talks about her experience in the State Department, the damage done to the department in the Trump years, her resignation, and the lack of accountability in our foreign policy. | 
