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irehman.bsky.social
Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Applied history, grand strategy and Asian security.
311 posts 3,668 followers 266 following
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How many air miles do you need to get upgraded to Platinum Dome status? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

submitted 3 days ago • 4 comments

A question for the bluesky hive mind— what are your favorite biographies of statesmen? And what made them so compelling in your eyes? I’ll start—my favorite recent biographies are Julian Jackson’s biography of De Gaulle, and Fred Logevall’s first tome on JFK.

submitted 4 days ago • 3 comments

A question for the bluesky hive mind— what are your favorite biographies of statesmen? And what made them so compelling in your eyes? I’ll start—my favorite recent biographies are Julian Jackson’s biography of De Gaulle, and Fred Logevall’s first tome on JFK.

submitted 4 days ago • 3 comments

An interesting (& resonant) overview of the causes of great power decline from the 17th century-in this instance from the famed Duke of Sully when asked by Henri IV to pen a short memo enumerating "all the things by which I thought the glory of a powerful kingdom might be destroyed or sullied,"(1/6)

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

For those needing a timeline cleanse, I recommend following this Kashmiri photographer’s account. A reminder of the beauty of the people and landscapes of this conflict-wracked region. x.com/basiitzargar

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

« If Bucharest does lurch over to the saboteur camp, it would be a bitter blow as Romania carries greater geostrategic heft than Hungary or Slovakia. The Black Sea nation of 19 million has, until now, been a rock-solid stalwart of the EU and the NATO alliance. » www.politico.eu/article/geor...

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

The best post-crisis analysis I have read so far--with a particularly useful discussion of what "the combination of new norms on attribution, the precedents set by provocative targeting, the chaotic information warfare environment, and new drone technologies" mean for future India-Pakistan crises.

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

This article is well worth a read. @gesineweber.bsky.social has rapidly emerged as one of the most probing, knowledgeable and nuanced analysts of French and European security.

submitted 10 days ago • 1 comment

Macron took the nuclear-sharing debate one step further in his marathon TV appearance last night, stating that France was open to discussing the stationing of 🇫🇷 nuclear warheads in other allied European countries on.ft.com/4jOcabW

submitted 10 days ago • 1 comment

Tiberius remains one of Rome’s most misunderstood emperors. warontherocks.com/20...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

As I completed my research into my biography of Tiberius, I discovered 'Iron Imperator' by @irehman.bsky.social. His well-articulated insights into the mind of Rome's second emperor are on point. For the reasons why, see my review in @warontherocks.bsky.social. 👇 warontherocks.com/2025/05/reth...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Honored by this generous review by @lindsaypowell.bsky.social of my book “Iron Imperator” in @warontherocks.bsky.social (1/12) warontherocks.com/2025/05/reth...

submitted 11 days ago • 1 comment

On this day, thinking of my Franco-British grandfather, Major Peter Fawcett of the King’s African Rifles, who also served as liaison officer with the the Free French, and of my Norman great-grandparents, Hippolyte and Marcelline Durand, who served in the French resistance.

submitted 16 days ago • 2 comments

India cannot dedicate its entire air force, surface-to-air missiles, and drones to fighting Pakistan. A chunk of it is kept at the ready to deter China. To be credible, any strength comparisons of India and Pakistan must account for that: for a two front scenario India has insufficient equipment.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

France and Poland have negotiated and will sign a new bilateral treaty which includes military and defence elements.

submitted 19 days ago • 5 comments

A French parliamentary report describes Europe's effort catch up on conventional deterrence.

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Hard to think of a more riveting location for the military historian than the isle of Malta. Already plotting at least two longform essays on different aspects of this doughty island’s fabled military history.

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

“Taiwan imported about 70% of the calories its people ate in 2023, but is largely self-sufficient in rice, vegetables, fruit & seafood. It has stockpiled about 7 months’ worth of rice and 12 months of meat. There are contingency plans for instant noodles.” economist.com/briefing/202...

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

"Modeling (America's AGI) approach on the broader Apollo program would provide a better template for whole-of-society competition, ensuring U.S. safety, security, and prosperity." A smart, nuanced piece of analysis by RAND colleague Matt Chessen & Craig Martell.

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

"Gold and green are the fields in peace, red are the fields in war, black are the fields when the cannons cease, and white forevermore." The Pulitzer-prize-winning dean of American cartoonists, John McCutcheon, in the Chicago Tribune, August 1914.

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

Excellent piece in @foreignaffairs.com by @ldfreedman.bsky.social on a topic dear to my heart: protracted warfare: www.foreignaffairs.com/age-forever-...

submitted 37 days ago • 0 comments

Art of the deal www.nknews.org/2025/04/nort...

submitted 38 days ago • 1 comment

One of the most interesting (and perhaps still somewhat under-examined) ramifications of the war in Ukraine--the growing strategic convergence between Asian & European democracies, and the sizable role now played by the ROK's defense industry in Europe. breakingdefense.com/2025/04/sout...

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

“Ironically, the only thing Taiwan has enough of are generals and admirals: 308 to be exact. The ratio of general and flag officers to servicemembers is approximately 2.5 times higher than that found in the U.S. military.”

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

Very much looking forward to reading this.

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

Great piece. I'd add that the 1978 animated film is a dark masterpiece which, as a child, I found both enthralling and chilling in equal measure.

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

"To achieve scale, Washington must transform its alliance architecture from a collection of managed relationships to a platform for integrated & pooled capacity building across the military, economic, & technological domains." Excellent and timely piece: www.foreignaffairs.com/china/undere...

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

Excellent, bipartisan set of papers on US-China technology competition published by the @pellcenter.bsky.social : www.pellcenter.org/the-project-...

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

Given Japan's capabilities and the increasing role of PRC and DPRK in the conflict, this would greatly benefit NATO's efforts: "Japan says it wants to join a NATO command for the support of Ukraine" apnews.com/article/japa...

submitted 45 days ago • 1 comment

Very much looking forward to reading the new essays in the most recent Washington Quarterly--especially @sheenagreitens.bsky.social 's reflections on protracted warfare, & Toshi Yoshihara and Evan Montgomery's analysis of China's coercive options vis a vis Taiwan twq.elliott.gwu.edu

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

“A wise king is not less a father of those subjects who shall live at the distance of three or four generations, than of those who live in his own time.” The Duke of Sully cautioning against the lure of quick fixes & stressing the importance of longer-term grand strategy archive.org/details/memo...

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments