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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 11h

In our new article, Dr. Anouar Boukhars examines why years of expanded military operations in West Africa have failed to produce durable security against groups like JNIM and IS-Sahel. tnsr.org/2026/10/conv... @africacenter.bsky.social | #Sahel #Security #WestAfrica

Scholar | "Fighting Without Holding:
Why Military Operations Fail to Produce Security in West Africa" by Anouar Boukhars

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 02/10/2026

"Linkage is real, but it is two-way, and it's bounded." Dr. Shuxian Luo cautions against the mistakes Washington and Beijing could make when trying to manage Taiwan and North Korea simultaneously. Listen to the full podcast: tnsr.org/2026/09/how-... #Geopolitics #IndoPacific #ForeignPolicy

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 30/09/2026

In our latest article, Samuel Helfont dismantles the myth of George H. W. Bush as a pure realist. He argues that while Bush's statecraft featured realist elements, his core policy was rooted in a disciplined liberal internationalism. @samuelhelfont.bsky.social tnsr.org/2026/09/libe...

Samuel Helfont | "Presidents are not international relations theorists, and Bush’s policies, like those of all presidents, displayed elements of realism, but at its core, Bush’s foreign policy was clearly liberal." from "Liberal Internationalism Forgotten: Myth & Memory in the Legacy of George H. W. Bush"

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 29/09/2026

In light of the recent summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, it's an apt time to consider whether China’s North Korea strategy is actually driven by US policy on Taiwan. Dr. Shuxian Luo joins the podcast to discuss this issue linkage. 🎧 Listen now: tnsr.org/2026/09/how-... #NationalSecurity

"Taiwan and North Korea as Linked Flashpoints in US-China Relations" by Shuxian Luo

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/09/2026

Was George H. W. Bush truly a foreign policy realist? In our latest article, Samuel Helfont challenges this myth. He argues that Bush 41 practiced a disciplined liberal internationalism, from the Gulf War to Somalia. Read more at tnsr.org/2026/09/libe... @samuelhelfont.bsky.social

Scholar | "Liberal Internationalism Forgotten: Myth and Memory in the Legacy of George H. W. Bush" by Samuel Helfont

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 23/09/2026

Simplistic readings of the "Thucydides Trap" risk driving fatalistic foreign policy. In our latest article, Robert Stone and Joshua Hammond argue that reducing ancient history to power politics misses Thucydides’ true insights. Read the full analysis: tnsr.org/2026/09/trap...

Trapped by the Tradition: Reading Thucydides on Strategy and Policy | "In place of the tired invocations of inevitable war, procrustean power politics, and democratic fickleness, Thucydides offers insights into the importance of international legitimacy, national character, and democratic exceptionalism." by Robert Stone and Joshua Hammond

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 21/09/2026

Is great-power competition with China destined for war? In our latest article, Robert Stone and Joshua Hammond argue that reducing Thucydides to generic power politics misses his core insights. Read now: tnsr.org/2026/09/trap... #GrandStrategy #ForeignPolicy

Scholar | "Trapped by the Tradition: Reading Thucydides on Strategy and Policy" by Robert Stone and Joshua Hammond

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 18/09/2026

On our latest Horns of a Dilemma, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya argues that European security hinges on Ukraine's victory. Hosted by our own @rgvest.bsky.social alongside Michael Kimmage (@kennaninstitute.bsky.social) at the Aspen Security Forum. tnsr.org/2026/09/svia... #Belarus #Ukraine #Security

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 16/09/2026

Policymakers shouldn't have to synthesize conflicting academic and intelligence inputs. In our latest article, James Kwoun proposes a framework for the Intelligence Community to integrate social science, history, and analysis. tnsr.org/2026/09/embr... #NationalSecurity #Intelligence

It is unrealistic for senior policymakers, operating under severe time constraints and pressure, to integrate fragmented insights from intelligence analysts, social scientists, and historians. A more helpful approach is to have the Intelligence Community assume this responsibility and create a framework to synthesize perspectives grounded in fundamentally different epistemologies. | "Embracing (Not Bridging) the Gap: Integrating Intelligence Analysis, Social Science, and History" by James Kwoun

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 15/09/2026

Recorded at Aspen Security Forum: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya joins Horns of a Dilemma with Dr. Michael Kimmage (@kennaninstitute.bsky.social) & Dr. Ryan Vest (@rgvest.bsky.social). She shares how Belarus's democratic movement resists Lukashenko, supports Ukraine, and builds power in exile.

"Changes in Russia can start from the changes in Belarus" | Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Battle for Belarus

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 14/09/2026

In our latest article, James Kwoun argues that attempting to "bridge" the scholar-practitioner gap is a mistake. Instead, national security analysis must embrace epistemological differences to build truly integrated judgments. Read the full piece at tnsr.org/2026/09/embr...

Strategist | "Embracing (Not Bridging) the Gap: Integrating Intelligence Analysis, Social Science, and History" by James Kwoun

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 10/09/2026

What drives Beijing’s calculations on Pyongyang? In our latest article, Shuxian Luo demonstrates that China’s willingness to constrain North Korea’s nuclear ambitions is directly linked to US credibility on Taiwan. tnsr.org/2026/09/a-pl... #ForeignPolicy #EastAsia #Geopolitics

Shuxian Luo | "China tends to condone and shield Pyongyang when it perceives US assurances vis-à-vis Taiwan as weakening; conversely, China is inclined to constrain North Korea when Washington demonstrates a strong willingness to reassure Beijing on the Taiwan issue." Quote from "A Plum for a Peach? Issue Linkage, Taiwan, and China’s Policy toward North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program"

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 08/09/2026

What drives China’s strategy toward North Korea's nuclear program? In our latest issue, Shuxian Luo argues that Beijing's willingness to constrain Pyongyang is directly tied to US assurances on Taiwan. Read now: tnsr.org/2026/09/a-pl... #ForeignPolicy #EastAsia #Geopolitics

Scholar | "A Plum for a Peach? Issue Linkage, Taiwan, and China’s Policy toward North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program" by Shuxian Luo

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 05/09/2026

In our upcoming issue, Editor-in-Chief Sheena Chestnut Greitens previews how military force must align with broader statecraft to achieve political ends. Read her introduction to Vol. 9, Iss. 4: tnsr.org/2026/09/on-w... @sheenagreitens.bsky.social #GrandStrategy #ForeignPolicy #Defense

"On War and Politics" by Sheena Chestnut Greitens | "The contemporary world presents example after example of the need to integrate the use of military force with broader tools of strategy and statecraft in service of broader political goals—and scholarship across history and political science highlights the costs of failing to do so well."

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 04/09/2026

In our latest podcast, guest experts explain how regional states leverage space ties with both China and the US to shape world order. tnsr.org/2026/09/chin... #SpaceDiplomacy #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #HornsOfADilemma

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 02/09/2026

In the introduction to our fall issue, Editor-in-Chief Sheena Chestnut Greitens examines why integrating force with broader statecraft remains central to world politics. @sheenagreitens.bsky.social #NationalSecurity #InternationalRelations #GrandStrategy

Foundation | "On War and Politics" by Sheena Chestnut Greitens

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 01/09/2026

Great power competition isn't just played on Earth. From satellite navigation networks to lunar research coalitions, China's space diplomacy in the Middle East is building long-term influence.

"China's Bid for Space Supremacy in the Middle East" with Lawrence Rubin, Lincoln Hines, and Dayana Alagirova

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 25/08/2026

In this clip from our latest podcast episode, Dr. Paul Slovic breaks down the phenomenon of psychic numbing and how human psychology struggles with mass tragedy. tnsr.org/2026/08/virt... @pslovic.bsky.social | @aofcompassion.bsky.social #PsychologyOfRisk #NuclearStrategy #CognitiveBias

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 18/08/2026

This week's podcast episode features Paul Slovic (@pslovic.bsky.social), Rose McDermott, and Daniel R. Post. Together, they break down how behavioral science can help reform high-stakes decision-making processes to protect human lives and prevent catastrophic escalation.

"Virtuous Violence and the Psychology of Nuclear Escalation" with Paul Slovic, Rose McDermott, and Daniel R. Post.

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 06/08/2026

How did North Korea interpret the fall of the USSR? @dubstepindprk.bsky.social explains how Pyongyang leveraged the collapse to frame Juche as superior to Soviet socialism, paving the way for military-first politics. tnsr.org/2026/08/how-... #NorthKorea #ForeignPolicy #ColdWar

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 04/08/2026

On our latest podcast, @dubstepindprk.bsky.social argues Pyongyang learned from the USSR's fall by doubling down on Stalinism and nuclear deterrence. Listen: tnsr.org/2026/08/how-... #NorthKorea #ColdWar #NuclearSecurity

"How the Soviet Collapse Shaped North Korea" by Benjamin R. Young

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

In "What Good Is a Nuclear Threshold Capability?", @ebrewer.bsky.social uses Iran’s nuclear trajectory to assess the strategic benefits and inherent risks of holding threshold nuclear status. tnsr.org/2026/06/what... #NuclearPolicy #MiddleEast #Deterrence

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

Subsea telecom cables form the vital backbone of global communications. @charlesmok.bsky.social highlights the urgent need for international collaboration to secure undersea cable networks against physical and cyber threats. tnsr.org/2026/06/towa... #CyberSecurity #Infrastructure #Policy

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

In "Saving Socialism," Benjamin R. Young (@dubstepindprk.bsky.social) explores the institutional and ideological lessons North Korea drew from the collapse of the Soviet Union to ensure long-term regime survival. tnsr.org/2026/07/savi... #NorthKorea #EastAsia #Security

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

In "Choosing Orbits," R. Lincoln Hines, Lawrence Rubin, and Dayana Alagirova explore China’s space diplomacy in Egypt, the UAE, and Iran, highlighting how local states exercise agency while navigating great-power rivalries. tnsr.org/2026/07/choo... #SpaceDiplomacy #China #MiddleEast

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

Research by @pslovic.bsky.social, Missy Peterson, Rose McDermott, Daniel R. Post, and Daniel Västfjäll demonstrates that public support for nuclear strikes is heavily influenced by cognitive biases rather than pure strategic logic. tnsr.org/2026/06/when... #NuclearStrategy #Psychology #Defense

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

In "The Meaning of Place," Francis J. Gavin argues that while geopolitics has shifted into non-physical domains like cyber and space, traditional geography and a sense of place continue to profoundly shape statecraft. tnsr.org/2026/06/the-... #Geopolitics #GrandStrategy #Diplomacy

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/07/2026

We are proud to announce the print release of Vol. 9, Issue 3, "New Challenges, Shifting Perspectives." The complete physical edition can now be purchased through @utexaspress.bsky.social. Read now: tnsr.org/volume-9-iss... #NationalSecurity #ForeignPolicy #InternationalRelations

TNSR | Texas National Security Review | New Challenges, Shifting Perspectives

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 24/07/2026

Satellites capture public attention, but 100-year-old undersea cables carry 99% of global data transmission. @charlesmok.bsky.social explores why policymakers routinely overlook vital physical infrastructure. He argues that out-of-sight cables represent a critical national security vulnerability.

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 21/07/2026

Undersea infrastructure carries 99% of intercontinental data, yet it remains a dangerous blind spot in national security circles. On our latest podcast, @charlesmok.bsky.social details how authoritarian states use gray-zone tactics to target these vulnerabilities.

Threats to Global Connectivity: Deep Ocean Danger

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 15/07/2026

What did North Korea learn from the Soviet Union's collapse? @dubstepindprk.bsky.social argues that they never bought the idea that economic reform leads to stability. The Kim regime chose patrimonialism and ideological control instead. That choice has defined North Korean statecraft ever since.

"Despite the contribution of economic issues to the Soviet Union’s demise, Pyongyang prioritizes continued commitment to patrimonialism and regime stability over economic progress." by Benjamin R. Young in Saving "Socialism: What North Korea Learned from the Collapse of the Soviet Union"

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 13/07/2026

What did North Korea take from the Soviet collapse? Benjamin R. Young argues Pyongyang drew one conclusion above all: strengthen ideological control and build nuclear weapons. Read now: tnsr.org/2026/07/savi... @dubstepindprk.bsky.social #NorthKorea #NuclearWeapons #NationalSecurity

Scholar | "Saving Socialism: What North Korea Learned from the Collapse of the Soviet Union" by Benjamin R. Young

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 10/07/2026

How do global conflicts reshape Beijing’s cross-strait strategy? Mike Kuiken explains how the PLA is analyzing military quagmires in Ukraine and Iran. He argues that these insights are prompting Chinese planners to comprehensively refresh their approach to a 2027 Taiwan scenario.

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 08/07/2026

The UAE signed an agreement to fly a lunar rover on China's Chang'e 7 this August. Then US ITAR restrictions forced it to withdraw. Hines, Rubin & Alagirova argue that moment captures something larger: American export controls are closing doors that China is walking through.

"Restrictive US policies that constrain exports of technology raise barriers to international collaboration and risk diminishing American influence, while allowing the PRC to position itself as the more accessible and cooperative partner in the global space arena." from "Choosing Orbits: China’s Space Diplomacy in the Middle East" by R. Lincoln Hines, Lawrence Rubin, Dayana Alagirova

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 07/07/2026

How has the US-China Commission shaped strategy over 25 years? Randall Schriver and Mike Kuiken break down the 2027 Taiwan timeline, tech competition, and over-the-horizon risks. tnsr.org/2026/07/25-y... #China #NationalSecurity #Taiwan @iips.bsky.social | @hooverinstitution.bsky.social

"25 Years of the US–China Commission: What Have We Learned?"

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 06/07/2026

China's Chang'e 7 mission launches this August, targeting the lunar south pole and carrying payloads from six international partners. Egypt is one of them. In our new issue, Hines, Rubin & Alagirova map China's expanding space diplomacy across the Middle East and find a deliberate strategy.

Scholar | "Choosing Orbits: China’s Space Diplomacy in the Middle East" by R. Lincoln Hines, Lawrence Rubin, and Dayana Alagirova

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 01/07/2026

A hit-and-run playbook leaves undersea cable networks highly vulnerable to gray-zone aggression. How can the international community respond? In our new article, @charlesmok.bsky.social argues that democracies must unite to protect this vital infrastructure.

Toward Undersea Cable Resilience: The Case for Global Collaboration | "To strengthen resilience, democracies must collaborate and invest in hardened cable designs, real-time monitoring and data sharing, routing diversity, regional repair hubs, and enhanced legal frameworks. They must work together to secure their lifeline for economic and national security and future digital-technology advancement." by Charles Mok

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 29/06/2026

Undersea cable networks carry up to 99 percent of intercontinental data transmission, but they are increasingly vulnerable to gray-zone sabotage at critical chokepoints. In our newest article, @charlesmok.bsky.social outlines a targeted framework for global collaboration.

Strategist | "Toward Undersea Cable Resilience: The Case for Global Collaboration" by Charles Mok

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 26/06/2026

Has degrading Iran's nuclear program actually made the region less safe? @ebrewer.bsky.social argues that previous restraint—like avoiding attacks on the Strait of Hormuz or Gulf energy targets—was driven by fear of retaliatory strikes. Now that those strikes have occurred, Iran has less to fear.

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 25/06/2026

How fragile are our moral boundaries during a high-stakes crisis? @pslovic.bsky.social et al. demonstrate that when forced to evaluate competing tragedies side-by-side, what was once considered completely unthinkable can quickly become accepted as a "lesser evil."

When Our Minds Go Nuclear | "Individuals opposed to nuclear weapons become more accepting of their use as projected US troop fatalities rise. Likewise, those appalled by the prospect of a nuclear strike causing thousands of civilian deaths may come to support it as a 'lesser evil' when the alternative is an attack killing millions." | Paul Slovic, Missy Peterson, Rose McDermott, Daniel R. Post, Daniel Västfjäll

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 23/06/2026

With the US and Iran negotiating a roadmap to end the recent war, Tehran’s nuclear program is once again at the forefront of global security. What role does nuclear latency play in regional stability?

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 22/06/2026

Our latest article challenges classical deterrence theory by exploring the limits of human rationality. @pslovic.bsky.social et al. argue that deep-seated cognitive biases, including psychic numbing and the affect heuristic, systematically distort high-stakes decisions regarding nuclear escalation.

Scholar | "When Our Minds Go Nuclear: Rethinking Nuclear Strategy Through the Psychology of Risk and Decision-Making" by Paul Slovic, Missy Peterson, Rose McDermott, Daniel R. Post, and Daniel Västfjäll

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 17/06/2026

Did Western military dominance inadvertently accelerate Iran’s nuclear ambitions? In our latest, @ebrewer.bsky.social examines the dangerous escalation cycle between the United States, Israel, and Iran. He argues that conventional superiority drove Tehran to advance its nuclear program . . .

Lessons from Iran’s Nuclear Program and Recent Regional Conflict | "As Iran’s expansive strikes against US bases and Gulf energy infrastructure, and its ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrate during the 2026 war, Tehran is far less restrained in a fight for its own survival. US and Israeli conventional dominance, however, also likely had the perverse effect of driving Iran to advance its nuclear program, exacerbating the cycle that ultimately led to Israeli and US strikes in June 2025." | What Good Is a Nuclear Threshold Capability? by Eric Brewer

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 15/06/2026

What are the strategic trade-offs of nuclear hedging? @ebrewer.bsky.social examines Iran’s nuclear program from 2023–25 and argues that instead of providing a net advantage, Iran’s threshold status became a critical vulnerability that invited conventional attacks and degraded its security.

Strategist | "What Good Is a Nuclear Threshold Capability? Lessons from Iran’s Nuclear Program and Recent Regional Conflict" by Eric Brewer

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 12/06/2026

In our new podcast episode, Herb Lin argues that unproven military tech lets policymakers gloss over operational flaws. It offers a convenient narrative to promise casualty reduction and simulate responsive action in unfavorable scenarios.

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 11/06/2026

Why are policymakers consistently drawn to the promise of revolutionary military tech despite repeated acquisition failures? Herb Lin reveals the persistent traps of technological overmatch, from "fallacy of the last move" thinking to the distinct architectural nature of AI.

"New Tech, Old Traps: The Persistent Pitfalls in Military Innovations" with Herbert S. Lin

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 10/06/2026

Geography is about more than just resources or strategic chokepoints. In our upcoming issue, Francis J. Gavin, the chair of our editorial board, argues that place fundamentally shapes identity and political realities.

"The meaning of geography, or place, goes well beyond its traditional economic or strategic dimensions. People care deeply about where they are from and how that shapes who they are and what is most important to them." from "The Meaning of Place" by Francis J. Gavin

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 08/06/2026

In the opening essay to our upcoming issue, Francis J. Gavin argues that modern geopolitics has expanded into the planetary commons, cyber, and space. Yet, traditional physical geography and a deep sense of place still fundamentally shape international conflict.

Foundation | "The Meaning of Place" by Francis J. Gavin

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 03/06/2026

Following recent talks in Beijing, "strategic stability" is the formulation of the moment in US-China relations. But how does this diplomatic shorthand map onto reality? In our latest issue, authors argue that achieving true strategic stability is harder today than ever.

Strategic Stability | "These essays . . . point out why the search for strategic stability in an era of geopolitical and technological change may, ultimately, prove more elusive than hoped." by Sheena Chestnut Greitens, TNSR Editor-in-Chief

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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 29/05/2026

On our latest podcast episode, Jackie Schneider (@jackieschneider.bsky.social) argues that analogies comparing cyber threats to Pearl Harbor or 9/11 is irresponsible. Instead, her research shows how the centralization of nuclear networks directly impacts their vulnerability.

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