"War comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak."
— Ronald ReaganRepublican president Ronald Reagan believed America could achieve "peace through strength." Four decades earlier, Democratic president Franklin Roosevelt said that America must be the "great arsenal of democracy," with a military force "so strong that by its very existence, it will keep the threat of war far away from our shores."
Today, most Americans understand there is growing danger in the world and, like Reagan and Roosevelt, believe in the importance of American military power. They want Washington to invest more in the military so we will be prepared to fight a two-front war against Russia and China if that is necessary, even as we all hope it never is.
But America is not adequately prepared. By most measures, America still has the strongest military in the world. However, our lead is shrinking. We may not have enough ships to deter Russia and China and to patrol the Pacific and critical sea lanes, while the Army and other branches are missing their recruiting goals.
Our government shouldn't just blindly dump more money into the Pentagon — especially amid reports that military contractors have been overcharging and billions have been wasted on unnecessary or ineffective weapons systems. America undoubtedly needs to spend more to protect our security in a dangerous world, but we need to do so with much less waste and with zero corruption.
Since World War II, the US-led world order has seen the longest period of major power peace in modern history. We built a system of rules and alliances that deepened trade ties, enhanced security, and helped lift millions out of poverty.
"America has nothing to offer the world except domination."
— Vladimir PutinRussia and China are intent on upending this order. China's President Xi Jinping accuses the West of "all-round containment, encirclement and suppression." Listen to them both say Russia and China are forging a "friendship without limits," and it's obvious they aim to create a new, more dangerous and less stable order where they can bully other countries into submission.
Americans don't think we're a perfect country, but most think we have been — and continue to be — a force for good in the world. Our next president should govern with that same assumption.
If you agree, as most Americans do, that adversaries like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are trying to challenge or undermine American influence globally, then you should agree that it helps America to have friends.
Take America's European allies and partners as an example. With their support, we've built an incredible security network across much of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly through NATO, which now includes 31 countries. NATO is premised on collective defense: if one member is attacked, it's considered an attack on every member. That means when America is attacked — as we were on 9/11 — NATO comes to our defense.
Beyond Europe, key US allies like Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Australia have their own formidable firepower to defend our mutual interests. Those four countries alone provide 2,175,500 personnel, 4,000 aircraft, 420 ships, and 350,000 combined ground combat vehicles.
These alliances are built on more than collective military strength — they're about advancing our shared values and economic interests. In every community across America, there are jobs and businesses selling American-made products and services all over the world. America can't afford to go it alone. Our alliances and partnerships are critical components of our national security, economic prosperity, and global leadership.
In 2023, with the release of large language models like ChatGPT, Americans were forced to reckon with the awesome and alarming possibilities of AI, which has already proven its ability to spread convincing false images, voices, and videos across the web. This is just the beginning of the disruption.
AI will affect many of our jobs, making us more productive and creating new jobs, but also making some jobs obsolete. It could help solve many problems — enhancing our ability to cure diseases, combat climate change, and fight terrorism — while worsening others, like polarization and the spread of misinformation.
America remains the pacesetter in AI development — because China is eager to surpass the US and implement its own authoritarian vision for the technology.
China also appears to be planning offensive cyberoperations with AI. In June 2023, the US government's lead cybersecurity official called Chinese cyberespionage and sabotage the "defining threat" of our time. While the Chinese Communist Party has used AI to conduct unprecedented levels of surveillance and repression of its own people, America must ensure this technology advances human rights and freedom.
As a first step, the next president should create a national commission on artificial intelligence — to ensure America remains the world leader in its development and that development puts the world on a path toward ethical, safe AI.