A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

U.S. intelligence needs to adapt to maintain relevance & trust. LTG (Ret.) Bob Ashley joins Tom Spahr to break down how the IC must adapt to closing technological gaps & a changing world order

Army transformation is ON! Director Johnny Ives explains the shift to AI-centric warfighting & next-gen, cloud-centric C2 for lethality & agility.

How do "sunk costs" influence wartime decisions? JP Clark interviews Brian Groves on his book, "When Presidents Fight the Last War."

The conversation on defending against sUAS continues. Lushenko & Spahr discuss the new Joint Interagency Task Force 401 a whole-of-govt approach focusing on warfighter lethality.

Peter Pomerantsev, a Johns Hopkins University scholar and author specializing in propaganda, joins Michael Neiberg to explore the psychology of modern propaganda. They reveal how Sefton Delmer's covert WWII radio tactics subverted German morale. Pomerantsev connects these historical strategies to present-day Russian propaganda in Ukraine, emphasizing how propaganda thrives amid identity crises. The discussion also delves into social media's role today, the importance of cultural understanding, and techniques for countering conspiracy beliefs.

Taiwan's "porcupine defense" aims to stop a #Chinese invasion. Jay Hsieh & Pete Roongsang say new policies need faster innovation & US aid synchronization in order to succeed.

Grant Golub explains how Henry Stimson transformed the WWII War Department into a political force, cementing the military's influence on U.S. foreign policy.

The final TRADOC cdr, GEN Gary Brito, joins JP Clark to discuss the U.S. Army's "continuous transformation" & the new T2COM.

Stephan Kieninger discusses his new book on former Dep Sec of State Strobe Talbott whose belief that both NATO expansion & engagement with Russia were achievable.

Kurt McDowell, a colonel in the U.S. Army and Director of the Washington Field Office for U.S. Southern Command, joins the conversation to explore innovative military strategies. He and co-guest Michael Smith advocate for an 'elastic mindset' essential for adapting to future warfare by 2040. They discuss how effectual logic, an entrepreneurial approach, can transform military planning. The duo also emphasizes the need for a cultural shift within the Army that embraces technology's role in decision-making and the lessons learned from recent conflicts like Ukraine.