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Published June 19, 2026
McMaster identifies recurring failures in national security strategy: weak historical analogies, untested assumptions, groupthink, contrived consensus, and insufficient attention to the risks of inaction. He applies this framework to US policy toward China, Iran, and Russia, showing how assumptions about integration, accommodation, or reduced hostility shaped strategic choices across administrations. Strategic competence requires clear problem definition, disciplined historical judgment, a realistic understanding of adversaries, and genuine policy options that clarify costs, risks, and consequences.
Recorded on August 14, 2025.
Check out more from H.R. McMaster:
- Watch "Today's Battlegrounds" with H.R. McMaster here.
- Watch "GoodFellows" with H.R. McMaster here.
- Read "The Free World’s Competitive Edge" by H.R. McMaster here.
Learn more about H.R. McMaster here.
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The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
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