Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
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Five Ways President Trump Will Reduce the Danger To America Of War In Europe (from Forbes)
November 21, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Foreign policy elites on both sides of the Atlantic are aghast that president-elect Trump might change Washington’s approach to European security. However, the changes he seems inclined to make could be good for America. First, he will seek common ground [Read More...] -
Five Reasons Why Fixing the Export-Import Bank Will Be Vital To President Trump’s Economic Agenda (From Forbes)
November 16, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D If President-elect Trump wants to preserve and protect U.S. manufacturing jobs, one of the easiest and cheapest options he has is to fix the Export-Import Bank. Ex-Im (as it is often called) is America’s official export credit agency, but right [Read More...] -
Will Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crash Land On Planet Trump? (From Forbes)
November 14, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D During the eight years Barack Obama occupied the White House, Elon Musk assembled a sprawling industrial empire focused on what might be called politically-correct technologies. Now, the imminent arrival of the Trump era is casting doubt on whether Musk’s business [Read More...] -
For the Defense Industry, Trump’s Win Means Happy Days Are Here Again (From Forbes)
November 9, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Although Donald Trump is sometimes said to be unpredictable, in fact he has been quite straightforward in describing what his military priorities would be as president. First, he would modernize the nation’s aging nuclear deterrent. Second, he would grow the [Read More...] -
Military Transportation: Getting To The Next War Is Going To Be Tough (From National Interest)
November 4, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The National Defense Transportation Association held its annual meeting in Saint Louis during the first week in November, and the news was not good. Strategic lines of communication to overseas military theaters are increasingly vulnerable to interdiction. Cyber attacks against [Read More...] -
What Defense Downturn? Why Military Contractors Are Thriving Despite Lower Pentagon Spending (From Forbes)
October 31, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The U.S. defense industry is entering the eighth year of a prolonged downturn in Pentagon demand for weapons, but you would never know that to look at the third-quarter earnings releases of the biggest companies. Sales are rising and earnings [Read More...] -
Five Reasons A President Trump Might Not Increase Defense Spending (From National Interest)
October 28, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Donald Trump is a nationalist, but he is no militarist. Observers should not assume that because he is so forceful in his public pronouncements on national security he is certain to raise military spending if elected president. In fact, there [Read More...] -
One Day’s Worth Of Federal Spending Per Year Can Avert U.S. Military Defeat In Europe (From National Interest)
October 25, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The next war in Europe might be coming soon, and it could be largely an Army show. Geography would make it difficult for the sea services to get to Eastern Europe where the conflict is likely to unfold, and the [Read More...] -
Five Think Tanks Unveil Latest Fashions In Warfighting (From National Interest)
October 20, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Fashions come and go in all walks of life, including the defense business. This week, five of Washington’s best-known think tanks revealed their views on what’s in and what’s out in modern warfare. It’s sort of like Fashion Week for [Read More...] -
The Hidden Defect In U.S. Nuclear Strategy That Could Spell America’s Doom (From National Interest)
October 18, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Many Americans think the U.S. homeland is defended against nuclear attack. It isn’t, except for a modest network on the West Coast designed mainly for dealing with North Korea. Washington decided during the Cold War that it would rely on [Read More...]