At the Water's Edge
Geo-politics and national security from the practitioner's seat. Insight beyond the headlines.
Episodes
19 episodes
E19 The Ukraine War with Tim Mak
In this episode, Scott interviews Tim Mak, an American journalist living in Ukraine, about the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Tim runs a publication called The Counter Offensive, which focuses on telling the stories of the R...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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43:24
E18 Afghanistan, Why We Failed with David Kilcullen (PhD)
Guest David Kilcullen. The conversation explores the reasons behind America's failure in Afghanistan and the consequences of the Taliban retaking Kabul. It delves into the concept of counterinsurgency and its application in different contexts. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:10:41
E17 The Army's Readiness Crisis with Michael Linick
The conversation explores the concept of readiness in the military and the challenges of balancing people-first initiatives with the pursuit of readiness. It delves into the definition of readiness and its various components, such as individual...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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58:36
E16 The Problem with American Innovation and National Security with Leo Blanken (PhD)
In this episode Scott interviews Leo Blanken (PhD), an associate professor of defense analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School, about innovation as a tool of national security. They discuss the need for innovation in the rapidly changing s...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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56:37
E15 Winning Irregular Warfare in Space with John Klein (PhD)
The conversation explores the competition and strategic implications of space exploration and activities between states. It discusses the role of the US Space Force, the reasons for the increasing focus on space as a domain of competition, and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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47:23
E14 How to Win Against China with Liza Tobin
Liza Tobin, Senior Director of the Economy Team at the Special Competitive Studies Project, discusses China's systemic rivalry with the United States and the need for a strong American industrial policy. She explains why China is the main geopo...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:00:30
E13 South Africa's Genocide Case Against Israel
With death tolls rising on all sides, Israel's military operation in Gaza to rescue it's hostages and root out the Hamas terrorists that attacked it on October 7th continues to grind on. As imagines of Palestinian suffering reach audiences arou...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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1:42:01
E12 Jahara Matisek (PhD) Does American assistance cause coups in Africa?
Scott and Jahara 'FRANKY' Matisek discuss the misconceptions surrounding US military assistance and coups in Africa. They explore the goals of US security assistance in Africa and the challenges of promoting democracy through this assistance. T...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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53:33
E11 Sean O'Keefe, fmr. Secretary of the Navy and NASA Administrator
Sean O'Keefe's wide ranging career in government stretched from being the staff director for the Senate appropriations committee, chief financial officer for the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, and leading NASA. He shares his view...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:13:31
E10 Ethan Brown and the Ghost of GWOT
Ethan Brown is an Airforce Special Operations veteran who is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. He wrote an article that deep dived the impact of 20 years of the Global War on Terror has had on...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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55:40
E9 General Kurt Sonntag and Special Operations in Great Power Competition
Retired Army Special Forces two-star general Kurt Sonntag discusses the transition of special operations from counterterrorism to great power competition. He shares his experience leading the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa and...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:16:34
E8: Matt Stoller, Why America is Out of Ammunition
America is struggling to produce enough ammunition and other hardware to support our allies in a time of need, which has exposed deep cracks in our defense industrial base. Matt Stoller looked at how a series of consolidations among America's d...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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40:55
E7 Judge James Baker, Int'l Law and the Ukraine War
In this conversation, Judge Baker discusses the sources of sovereignty and legitimacy in international law, the role of law in security beyond war crimes, and the challenges and importance of working with lawyers in the military. He also explor...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:22:55
E6 Jon Pelson, author of Wireless Wars
Check out Jon's book here: https://www.wireless-wars.com/The conversation explores the competition between the US and China in the development and implementation of 5G technology. It highlights the importance of 5G in various sectors an...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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54:57
E5 America's Support for Democracy Abroad
This episode explores the arguments for and against supporting the current rules-based international order and promoting freedom and democracy as a consistent American foreign policy principle. It discusses the historical context of the post-Wo...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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24:31
E4 Bob Curris and Army Psychological Operations
Bob Curris served over 30 years in the military and led Psychological Operations teams around the world. He's concerned the Army is making cuts that will degrade America's ability to conduct information and influence operations as the need to c...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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1:07:16
E3: Josh Paul, former Director at U.S. Department of State
Discussion with Josh Paul on his decision to resign from the State Department over concerns with the Biden administration's Israel policy, the role of arms transfers in U.S. foreign policy, and the role America plays in the world. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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1:02:15
E2: The rise of BRICS and threat of de-dollarization
Will the BRICS nations end the reign of the U.S. Dollar as the world's dominant currency, threatening America's prosperity and security? On paper, they could, but things get real messy real quick after that. The devil is always in the details.&...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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21:07
Episode 1: Israel and the Invasion of Gaza
As Israel prepares to invade Gaza and destroy Hamas, what challenges will it face and where can it all go wrong? We discuss the military, political, and economic implications of the ground assault and what lessons Israel should take from Americ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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30:15