Month: January 2018

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Quick Analysis

The Great Divide in American Politics

The divide between conservatives and centrists on side, and leftists and progressives on the other, can only be understood if the basic world-view of both are considered.

Those on the right typically emphasize the lessons of history and experience. Humanity’s heavy slough from tyranny to freedom renders them suspicious of overbearing government. From monarchs to commissars, fuhrers and dictators, the most dramatic crimes against mankind have been committed by strong ruling powers using a variety of excuses for their actions. Conservatives proudly point to the revolutionary role of the U.S. Constitution as a turning point in our species’ evolution. They note that it established for the first time the concept and the practical application of a government established not to rule over, but to represent the people. They point to the process within that document that allows orderly updates through the amendment process. They stress as well the role of Western Civilization and the Judeo-Christian ethic in promoting the dignity and sovereign rights of individuals.

Similarly, they favor capitalism, despite its flaws, because of its proven accomplishment in providing more prosperity for a greater number than any other economic system.

Since the U.S. is the birthplace of the Constitution and the most significant practitioner of capitalism, they tend to emphasize patriotism.  They recognize the yawning gulf between it and so much of the rest of the world, and seek to preserve and protect its unique nature, which they call its “exceptionalism.”

The progressive left has a different focus. They point out the existing inequities within both the U.S. and the West. They view America’s success as less than salutary if it is not shared with the rest of the world. Essentially, they take less comfort in the general prosperity of the U.S. as long as any poverty exists within or beyond its shores.  They concentrate on past misdeeds of western society, and, even though those actions have in most cases been corrected, believe those prior acts should inhibit criticism of other societies. In line with that perspective, they are hesitant to acknowledge the threats posed by opposing nations to U.S. interests.

Conservatives and centrists believe that by providing an example of how governments should be run, and how economics should be structured, they are helping the rest of the world by providing a roadmap to freedom and prosperity. The Left believes that a more tangible sharing of the fruits of freedom and prosperity with those outside its realm is a moral imperative. The right worries that this will allow non-capitalist, non-free governments to persevere, and continue their mistaken and oppressive policies.

The two ideological camps even differ in their strategies of how to win power and popular support.

Centrists and conservatives rely on straightforward appeals to voters through normal political channels. The left, in contrast, has adopted a strategy using dominance of cultural, educational, and entertainment institutions to spread their message.
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The key question is, despite the vast gulf between the camps, is there common ground? Both seek a world that is prosperous and peaceful, free of racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination. The similarities, however, break down substantially after that.

The concept of individual rights and responsibilities, so cherished by the right, is not reflected in the left’s emphasis of collectivism and group identity. The centrist-conservative concern for a strong national defense worries the left, which believes that much of the funds spent on the military should be allocated to domestic programs.

The U.S. political divide in the 21st Century has become more combative than in the immediately preceding decades.  The liberals and centrists who formerly dominated the Democrat Party differed from the conservatives and centrists in the Republican Party mostly in their means to achieve ends both sides shared.

Those liberals have been replaced by the leftists-progressives who now dominate the Democrat leadership. Their views and goals differ far more sharply from their predecessors and those in the center and the right.  Because of that, there is less room for compromise or common approaches. The days when a Democrat Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neil, and a Republican President Ronald Reagan could joust in public but reach a compromise in private conversation, or when Republican Speaker Gingrich and Democrat President Clinton could agree on some legislation are, lamentably, at least for the moment, gone.

There are fringe movements that some pundits have tied to one side or another. White Power groups have little or no influence with centrists-conservatives. The Black Lives Matter group, which has some elements of extremists within its ranks, has a more noticeable place within leftist-progressive circles. A worrisome trend of antisemitism has become noticeable on the left.

Some may argue that the Tea Party represents an outlier movement, but that is inaccurate. That movement’s emphasis on a strict construction of the Constitution and a more traditional view of the federal budget places them rather solidly in the mainstream.

The ability of both sides to avoid listening to opposing views has become a worrisome trend, as social media has become a driving force in news reporting.

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Infrastructure Challenge Tests Washington’s Ability to Function, Part 2

At a hearing of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, Ranking Democrat Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) called for improving long-term economic growth by investing in infrastructure. “Investing in broad-based economic growth was at the core of America’s success in the decades after World War II. We invested in our people through the GI Bill, and in our infrastructure, building the nation’s interstate highway system. It paid off. While publically held debt more than tripled between 1945 and 1981, it fell by about three-quarters as a share of the economy.

Business Insider notes that “There’s a $1 trillion crisis threatening the American way of life as we know it.” Despite the obstacles, infrastructure repair and upgrade is vital. John Grady, no fan of the current White House, wrote in Chicago Business  “…if you want to make America great again, start repairing the nation’s failing infrastructure… I am referring to the infrastructure that is the backbone of the U.S. economy, such as bridges, drinking water systems, dams, navigable waterways, rail, roads, transit and wastewater. Industries and companies of all sizes are risking everyone’s safety by relying on the current state of America’s failing bridges, drinking water plants, roads, tunnels and wastewater treatment plants.”

A 2016 Reuters review highlighted in Fortune Magazine noted that “Nearly half of registered U.S. voters think American infrastructure has deteriorated in the last five years… Forty-one percent of Democrats said infrastructure has gotten worse over the last five years, while 53% of Republicans took that view.”

But can common ground be found on how to do it? Can the problems of waste and corruption, so endemic to almost all areas of federal spending, be minimized to make the task affordable?
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An example of this roadblock to real progress can be seen in how a significant portion of 9/11 funds were misused. A New York Daily News study found that “9/11 recovery aid was used to finance a plethora of projects that taxpayers elsewhere could be forgiven for characterizing as old-fashioned pork-barrel spending. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on projects that seemingly had nothing to do with 9/11 and lower Manhattan… more millions went to help projects already in the works before 9/11 or on the drawing board with no prior funding source. Huge contracts were given to companies and organizations linked to the very officials tasked with deciding how to spend the money – creating, at a minimum, the potential for multiple conflicts of interest. Substantial sums were given to companies to stay in lower Manhattan even though they had no intention of leaving…”

Even apart from corruption and waste, federal rules render many necessary projects expensive and potentially unaffordable. The Davis-Bacon Act increases the labor portion of any project. According to the Department of Labor, “The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, apply to contractors and subcontractors performing on federally funded or assisted contracts in excess of $2,000 for …public works. Davis-Bacon Act and Related Act contractors and subcontractors must pay their laborers and mechanics employed under the contract no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on similar projects in the area…The Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage provisions apply to the “Related Acts,” under which federal agencies assist construction projects through grants, loans, loan guarantees, and insurance.” Tim Worstall, writing for Forbes notes that “Union Wages Increase Construction Costs By 20%.”

It is appropriate to question why the $780 billion “stimulus” package spent by the Obama Administration failed to even attempt to address this, and why the former president alleged that he couldn’t find “shovel-ready” jobs.  Addressing the infrastructure issue will be a test of whether the U.S. political environment can rise up partisanship to achieve a vital goal.

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Infrastructure Challenge Tests Washington’s Ability to Function

There is no area where more bipartisan agreement exists than that of repairing America’s crumbling infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) rates the nation’s infrastructure at only a D+.

ASCE notes: “Our nation is at a crossroads. Deteriorating infrastructure is impeding our ability to compete in the thriving global economy, and improvements are necessary to ensure our country is built for the future. While we have made some progress, reversing the trajectory after decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure requires transformative action from Congress, states, infrastructure owners, and the American people. Our nation’s infrastructure challenges are significant but solvable. Through strategic, sustained investment, bold leadership, comprehensive planning, and careful preparation for the needs of the future, America’s infrastructure will be improved and restored. For the U.S. economy to be the most competitive in the world, we need a first-class infrastructure system—transport systems that move people and goods efficiently and at reasonable cost by land, water, and air; power transmission systems that deliver reliable, low-cost power from a sustainable range of energy sources; and water systems that protect public health. To achieve this, leaders on both sides of the political aisle need to make good on promises they have made to improve our nation’s infrastructure and ensure these pledges don’t fall by the wayside after each election cycle.”

But can work on this begin in 2018? From the potholed roads and overaged bridges of the Northeast to the worrisome levees of New Orleans and the inadequate mass transit of California, the United States is in urgent need of infrastructure upgrade and repair. That’s only part of the problem. The nation’s electrical grid, currently unprotected, could be wiped out by an EMP attack originating from either an attack or a natural solar event.

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The Trump Administration  believes that “Nothing more visibly reveals the failure of Washington than the crumbling roads, bridges, and infrastructure that dot America’s landscape. Instead of putting people to work, fragmented and unpredictable federal approval processes drag on for years and sometimes decades. It’s time to lighten the federal touch, provide clear rules of the road for new technologies, and empower communities to modernize this archaic system… Rebuilding America’s infrastructure is a critical pillar of President Donald J. Trump’s agenda to promote job creation and grow the U.S. economy. America’s infrastructure has fallen to 12th in the world and that is unacceptable. Every American depends on our roads, rails, ports, and airports, and the President is committed to fixing this problem, not just pushing more liabilities onto future generations… The Federal Government inefficiently invests in non-Federal infrastructure. In part, our lack of sustained progress has been due to confusion about the Federal Government’s role in infrastructure. During the construction of the Interstate System, the Federal Government played a key role – collecting and distributing Federal tax revenue to fund a project with a Federal purpose. As we neared the completion of the Interstate System, those tax receipts were redirected to projects with substantially weaker nexus to Federal interests. The flexibility to use Federal dollars to pay for essentially local infrastructure projects has created an unhealthy dynamic in which State and local governments delay projects in the hope of receiving Federal funds. Overreliance on Federal grants and other Federal funding can create a strong disincentive for non-Federal revenue generation. At the same time, we continue to apply Federal rules, regulations, and mandates on virtually all infrastructure investments. This is despite the Federal Government contributing a very small percentage of total infrastructure spending. Approximately one-fifth of infrastructure spending is Federal, while the other four-fifths are roughly equally divided between State and local governments on one hand and the private sector on the other. We will reevaluate the role for the Federal Government in infrastructure investment.”

The Report Concludes Tomorrow. 

 

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The Martland Act

A guest editorial by Chaplain Don Zapsic Jr. ,Ohio Army National Guard (Ret.)

Sometimes words are hard to find, let alone explain the harsh political realities of war. While the realm of politics is far too often the graveyard of morality and ethics, the House Armed Services Committee is the final resting place of H.R. 4717 also known as the MARTLAND (Mandating America’s Responsibility To Limit Abuse, Negligence, and Depravity) Act. The catalyst for Congressman Duncan Hunter’s proposed legislation was an impending discharge action against Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class (SFC) Charles Martland reprimanded for roughing up a pedophilic Afghan commander “lawfully” raping and enslaving a young boy against his will (www.armytimes.com). H.R. 4717 had eighteen proud co-sponsors in the 114th Congressional House Armed Services Committee out of a sixty-three member total. While SFC Martland was granted a last-minute reprieve by the Army, the MARTLAND Act faded into obscurity.

The thrust of the proposed legislation was designed to “establish a policy against sexual abuse on all U.S. military installations, whether located in the United States or overseas (www.congress.gov.bill).” Standing Department of Defense (DoD) policy has not required the reporting of Afghan national sexual assaults on U.S. installations unless used as a “weapon of war” (www.nytimes.com). While the last minute reprieve of SFC Martland from an impending discharge action is a compelling national story, the fall of the legislative axe on H.R. 4717 is a national disappointment. The “falling axe” was one of disengagement and delay on the part of the House Armed Services Committee. Consequently, the raping of young Afghan boys on U.S. military installations is still tolerated in Afghanistan to this day.

The MARTLAND Act was never given due consideration as a standalone bill which would have required a full committee vote regarding Afghan child rape on U.S. military installations. Rather, it was diverted and subsequently considered as an addendum to the 2017 Defense Authorization Act in March of 2016. An omnibus bill that in addition to including the national defense budget is chocked full of tacked-on provisions having little to do with national defense. H.R. 4717 did not make the cut being rejected on the grounds that it was introduced too late in the legislative calendar to be duly vetted for inclusion. The story does not end here as the House Armed Services Committee has not further addressed the issues presented in the MARTLAND Act. Obviously, it was not just a question of timing since twenty-one months have passed with no further legislative action taken on the subject. What else could it be?

All other issues aside, DoD toleration of child rape safe-havens on U.S. military installations coupled with legislative impotence exacts a heavy psychological toll on our servicemembers. Even if all legal, spiritual, ethical, and moral considerations are set aside, the physical, mental and emotional impact of exposure to unchallenged human rights abuses is undeniable. Consider the shame and guilt evoked for not helping a defenseless child when able to do so. Or for that matter, the mental strain of trying to reconcile following orders that contradict all previous sexual assault training with the need to be tolerant of the abhorrent cultural practices of others. It is a recipe for PTSD with corresponding symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, emotional numbing, and intrusive thoughts persisting far beyond one’s active military service.

It is an acceptable practice within the military hierarchy to deny that U.S. Servicemembers are

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bases. I received one such denial in a correspondence from the Ohio National Guard’s

Liaison Office (Dec. 1, 2017) stating at one point, “It is our understanding that you are advocating for legislation to bring awareness to alleged child abuse in theatre.” The Ohio National Guard would have to be oblivious to the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three Marines on a U.S. base in Helmand Province to issue such a statement.  They were shot in cold blood by a teenage Afghan sex slave back in 2012 (New York Times, Kirsten Luce, Sept. 20, 2015).

Lance Cpl. George Barkley Jr., one of three Marines gunned down, was cited in Luce’s article as complaining to his father during a phone call home about hearing Afghan police officers sexually abusing boys they had brought into the barracks one floor above them. For many reasons cited and otherwise, there was ample justification for Congressman Duncan Hunter Jr. to introduce the MARTLAND ACT. While the DoD Inspector General has recently forwarded recommendations to the Department of Defense for child abuse reporting procedures, the rhetoric still falls short of empowering servicemembers to actually stop a deviant act in progress. The House Armed Services Committee needs to do its job and forward a like version of the MARTLAND ACT onto the House Floor to stop one of the great travesties of our time and all of the grief associated with it.

 

 

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Hate and Politics

The tweets by former Obama advisor Ben Rhodes musing on the death of Trump and GOP leaders, and similar extreme comments by others raise an important issue: Are the bonds which unite Americans weakening due to the strident attacks on the outcome of the presidential election?

It’s increasingly worrisome that much of the political chattering classes have become obsessed—there is no better word—with their hatred for both Trump and his supporters, those whom the Democrat presidential candidate in 2016 described as “deplorables.”

Their anger differs from the usual political disagreements that have characterized politics in the past. It is not a rejection of policy or actions—such as that which marked centrist and conservative dissent against Obama’s agenda.  It is, instead, a cultural hatred of those that don’t subscribe to progressive orthodoxy. In its extremity, it is a rejection of the identity of those whom one disagrees with as fellow citizens of a free republic, merely because of differing views. The trend was crystalized when Hillary Clinton, when asked who she thought of as “the enemy,” responded, not Russia or China, or poverty or discrimination, but “Republicans.”

Labelling countrymen as “enemies” or “deplorables” opens the door to the justification of harsh repressive measures. This trend was becoming apparent during the Obama Administration, when the IRS was used to attack the Tea Party, and when Attorney General Loretta Lynch seriously considered criminally prosecuting those who merely disagreed with the President’s view on climate change.

In the past, even significant transfers of power from one ideology to the other were peaceful. Liberal Jimmy Carter’s replacement with conservative Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush to Barack Obama being salient examples. Of course, there were disagreements and harshness, but nothing approaching what occurred after the 2016 election.  The well-coordinated and financed violence that occurred in city streets, the calls to impeach Trump before he was even inaugurated, the commencement of a politically motivated investigation on the most specious and unsubstantiated grounds, and the creation of a false sense of crisis by a partisan media are unprecedented.

The images of Trump’s severed head made popular by comedian Kathy Griffen, and the shoot-up of a Republican sports outing by a left wing fanatic have carved out unwelcome and dire territory in the American political experience.
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The problem extends far beyond vapid Hollywood starlets and hyper-partisan politicos. The actions of oft-overturned Ninth Circuit judges seeking to seize the statutory powers of the presidency, the attempts by career federal bureaucrats to ignore the directives of elected officials, and perhaps most distressingly the very serious discussion of a California secession movement all point to a potential break in intra-national relations not seen since the assault on Fort Sumter.

In many ways, the intensified declarations by a number of city and state governments that they are “sanctuary cities” is similar to the nullification argument of southern states before the outbreak of the Civil War.

The 1832 South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification was issued in response to a federal tariff. The state government simply decided it had the right to ignore federal legislation, in an area of law the Constitution clearly provided to Washington.  USHistory.org notes: “As far as South Carolina was concerned, there was no tariff. A line had been drawn. Jackson rightly regarded this … challenge as so serious that he asked Congress to enact legislation permitting him to use federal troops to enforce federal laws…If nullification had been successful, could secession have been far behind?”

The nation was able to pull back from the brink of confrontation in 1832. It did not escape a cataclysm in 1861.

When some states, cities and courts decide to ignore the Constitution, when many political partisans declare that “Trump is not my President,” and when biased media outlets vigorously push a fevered and inaccurate picture of a nation in turmoil, it would appear that America is in danger of moving closer to an ideological 1861 moment.

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2018’s Key Issues

The fresh attitude brought about by a New Year should lead to a resolution to effectively address the most serious and long standing problems affecting the nation.   There are several issues that, if effectively dealt with, could dramatically improve the nation.

Health care has been a contentious issue, and frankly, most attempts to address it have only made the problem worse.  Obamacare did bring coverage to some who had none, but also made insurance unaffordable to many. But simply repealing Obamacare will not solve the problems that led to that legislation in the first place.  An entirely new approach to medical insurance is necessary, some portions of which have already been commenced by the current White House.  Greater availability of low cost “catastrophic” policies, which would only cover truly unaffordable treatment, would make insurance more attractive to young adults and bring more cash into the pool. Increased competition across state lines will also lead to reduced costs, as would tort reform to end nonsense law suits that are more affordable for insurance companies to settle than defend. Allowing greater latitude to physician assistants is an excellent way to reduce overhead.  But those are responses to financial issues.  Our increasingly impersonal medical system has divorced doctors from patients. Medical care must be restructured to allow doctors to have the time to actually listen to and become acquainted with their patients.

Over the years, Washington has increasingly taken over responsibilities that rightfully belong to the states.  This has prompted extraordinary waste, and eventually a massive federal deficit.  The time has come to reverse that trend.  Washington’s “One size fits all” programs, especially its “war on poverty,” have wasted trillions, with almost no benefits. After a half century, the poverty rate remains unchanged.  Let the states keep those tax dollars and tailor programs that actually work.

Speaking of wasted dollars, the diversion of funds in schools from actual teaching to all sorts of non-pedagogical activities and personnel has truly harmed learning.  Add in the hijacking of curriculum from the lower grades straight through college by ideologues who disdain America, and the  result is an educational system that has run amuck. One further point: universities that charge ridiculously high and unjustified tuition rates should be treated as for-profit enterprises.

America has had an unsavory history of race relations, including the horrors of slavery and segregation, as have many nations.  It took a Civil War to end slavery.  Segregation took far too long to end, but it had by the end of the 1960s, and sincere efforts have been made to correct the evil legacy of racial bias. Politicians and pundits who seek to build their careers on exploiting racial hatred, whether in the name of “White Power” or “Black Power” are an abomination.  In 2018, its time those low-life rabble rousers were firmly rejected.
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Spending dollars on defense is neither cheap nor easy.  It is a discredited rhetorical trick to point to domestic needs and claim that funds spent to pay soldiers and build war machines could be put to better use.  But reality must be dealt with. The forces arrayed against America by Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are rapidly growing, and the belligerence and deadly intent of that “Axis of Evil” is evident. For eight years, the U.S. cut defense spending and reduced international military activities.  The response by our nation’s enemies—and yes, they are enemies—was to dramatically increase their armed forces and accelerate their global belligerence. It’s time for Americans to come together and wholeheartedly support efforts to keep the nation safe.

Perhaps most importantly, the divisiveness and harshness of our national rhetoric needs to cease.  2018 must be the year in which Americans remember that despite our political or other differences, we are all citizens of a great Republic.  We can only survive and prosper if we move forward as one people, devoted to the principles of freedom.

Happy New Year!

 

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America’s New National Security Strategy, Part 4

What are the goals in both trade and military security of the new National Security Strategy? In this final excerpt from the document itself, we present the key provisions.

Promote Free, Fair, and Reciprocal Economic Relationships

For decades, the United States has allowed unfair trading practices to grow. Other countries have used dumping, discriminatory non-tariff barriers, forced technology transfers, non-economic capacity, industrial subsidies, and other support from governments and state-owned enterprises to gain economic advantages.

Today we must meet the challenge. We will address persistent trade imbalances, break down trade barriers, and provide Americans new opportunities to increase their exports. The United States will expand trade that is fairer so that U.S. workers and industries have more opportunities to compete for business. We oppose closed mercantilist trading blocks. By strengthening the international trading system and incentivizing other countries to embrace market-friendly policies, we can enhance our prosperity. Th e United States distinguishes between economic competition with countries that follow fair and free market principles and competition with those that act with little regard for those principles.

Priority Actions

ADOPT NEW TRADE AND INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS AND MODERNIZE EXISTING ONES;

COUNTER UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES;

COUNTER FOREIGN CORRUPTION;

WORK WITH LIKE-MINDED PARTNERS;

FACILITATE NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES;

 

The U.S. must:

Lead in Research, Technology, Invention, and Innovation;

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Embrace Energy Dominance;

MILITARY SECURITY

The United States must retain overmatch— the combination of capabilities in sufficient scale to prevent enemy success and to ensure that America’s sons and daughters will never be in a fair fight. Overmatch strengthens our diplomacy and permits us to shape the international environment to protect our interests. To retain military overmatch the United States must restore our ability to produce innovative capabilities, restore the readiness of our forces for major war, and grow the size of the force so that it is capable of operating at sufficient scale and for ample duration to win across a range of scenarios. We must convince adversaries that we can and will defeat them—not just punish them if they attack the United States. We must ensure the ability to deter potential enemies by denial, convincing them that they cannot accomplish objectives through the use of force or other forms of aggression. We need our allies to do the same—to modernize, acquire necessary capabilities, improve readiness, expand the size of their forces, and affirm the political will to win.

NUCLEAR FORCES

Following the Cold War, the United States reduced investments in our nuclear enterprise and reduced the role of nuclear weapons in our strategy. Some parts of America’s strategic nuclear Triad of bombers, sea-based missiles, and land-based missiles are over 30 years old, and much of our nuclear infrastructure dates to the World War II era. At the same time, however, nuclear-armed adversaries have expanded their arsenals and range of delivery systems. The United States must maintain the credible deterrence and assurance capabilities provided by our nuclear Triad and by U.S. theater nuclear capabilities deployed abroad. Significant investment is needed to maintain a U.S. nuclear arsenal and infrastructure that is able to meet national security threats over the coming decades.

Defense Industrial Base

A healthy defense industrial base is a critical element of U.S. power and the National Security Innovation Base. The ability of the military to surge in response to an emergency depends on our Nation’s ability to produce needed parts and systems, healthy and secure supply chains, and a skilled U.S. workforce. The erosion of American manufacturing over the last two decades, however, has had a negative impact on these capabilities and threatens to undermine the ability of U.S. manufacturers to meet national security requirements. Today, we rely on single domestic sources for some products and foreign supply chains for others, and we face the possibility of not being able to produce specialized components for the military at home. As America’s manufacturing base has weakened, so too have critical workforce skills ranging from industrial welding, to high-technology skills for cybersecurity and aerospace. Support for a vibrant domestic manufacturing sector, a solid defense industrial base, and , and resilient supply chains is a national priority.

Space

The United States must maintain our leadership and freedom of action in space. Communications and financial networks, military and intelligence systems, weather monitoring, navigation, and more have components in the space domain. As U.S. dependence on space has increased, other actors have gained access to space-based systems and information. Governments and private sector firms have the ability to launch satellites into space at increasingly lower costs. ­ e fusion of data from imagery, communications, and geolocation services allows motivated actors to access previously unavailable information. ­ is “democratization of space” has an impact on military operations and on America’s ability to prevail in conflict.

Cyberspace

Malicious state and non-state actors use cyberattacks for extortion, information warfare, disinformation, and more. Such a acks have the capability to harm large numbers of people and institutions with comparatively minimal investment and a troubling degree of deniability. These attacks can undermine faith and confidence in democratic institutions and the global economic system. Many countries now view cyber capabilities as tools for projecting influence, and some use cyber tools to protect and extend their autocratic regimes. Cyberattacks have become a key feature of modern conflict. The United States will deter, defend, and when necessary defeat malicious actors who use cyberspace capabilities against the United States. When faced with the opportunity to take action against malicious actors in cyberspace, the United States will be risk informed, but not risk averse, in considering our options.