Hidden Forces

American Grand Strategy & the Logic of War | Edward Luttwak

Nov 20, 2023

Edward Luttwak, an expert in grand strategy and international relations, discusses the logic of war, American grand strategy in the 21st century, and the potential risks of China attempting to take Taiwan by force. He explains why such an action would lead to war with the United States and its allies, and why it would ultimately end in China's defeat. The conversation also touches on Edward Luttwak's diverse background, his involvement in US foreign policy, and the different levels of military strategy.

56:35

Creator website

Episode guests

Edward Luttwak

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The competency and capabilities of decision-makers and strategists, rather than the political system itself, determine a state's grand strategy.

During the Cold War, the United States adopted a defensive strategy of containment, focusing on self-defense and not involving offensive actions.

The United States lacks a clear grand strategy, and intelligence reform is crucial to address challenges and formulate an effective strategy.

Deep dives

The Influence of Political System on Grand Strategy

The nature of a state's political system does not directly determine its grand strategy. There are examples of both autocratic and democratic regimes with good or bad strategies. Autocratic regimes can have effective strategies, while democracies can have flawed ones. The key is not the political system itself, but the competency and capabilities of the decision-makers and strategists within that system.

The Importance of Geography and Grand Strategy in Warfare

01:20

How Reactive Armor was Developed and Utilized in Military R&D

01:20

Introduction

3min

Edward Luttwak's Journey and Career

7min

National Health Service, Fresh Orange Juice, and Personal Trauma

2min

Childhood Exposure to Violence and Writing a Book on Coup d'Etat

3min

Involvement in US Foreign Policy and Advisory Roles

5min

Levels of Military Strategy

23min

The Concept of Grand Strategy

12min

American Foreign Policy, China, and the Future of Confrontation in the Pacific

2min

In Episode 338 of Hidden Forces, speaks with Dr. Edward Luttwak about American grand strategy and the logic of war. Dr. Luttwak is an author and consultant to governments and companies around the world and is known for his work on grand strategy, military strategy and history, and international relations.

Luttwak and Kofinas spend the first hour of their conversation discussing the logic of war and the dimensions of strategy, how the nature of a nation state’s political system influences its grand strategic objectives, and what American grand strategy is and should be given the strategic challenges the United States faces in the 21st century.

In the second hour, the conversation shifts to China given U.S. President Biden’s and Xi Jinping’s recent in-person meeting at the APEC summit in San Francisco. Edward Luttwak explains why he believes that it would be a very bad idea if China attempted to take Taiwan by force, how it would find itself at war with the United States and an assortment of regional and international allies, why it would lose that war, and why that still won’t deter Xi Jinping from trying to retake the island by force. The two also discuss the implications of China’s nearly three decade-long one-child policy for its military readiness and what Beijing’s push to increase domestic grain production as part of its initiative to promote food security (even at the expense of long-standing efforts to reforest the country) can tell us about Xi Jinping’s desire to ready the country for war.

You can subscribe to our premium content and access our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports at HiddenForces.io/subscribe.

If you want to join in on the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community, which includes Q&A calls with guests, access to special research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners, you can also do that on our subscriber page. If you still have questions, feel free to email info@hiddenforces.io, and Demetri or someone from our team will get back to you.

If you enjoyed listening to today’s episode of Hidden Forces you can help support the show by doing the following:

Write us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

Subscribe to our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/

Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas

Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou

Subscribe and Support the Podcast at https://hiddenforces.io

Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod

Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas

Episode Recorded on 11/15/2023

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Hidden Forces

American Grand Strategy & the Logic of War | Edward Luttwak

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Influence of Political System on Grand Strategy

Containment as a Defensive Strategy

The Need for Intelligence Reform

Unclear Grand Strategy

Confrontation with China and the Future

The Importance of Geography and Grand Strategy in Warfare

How Reactive Armor was Developed and Utilized in Military R&D

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts