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The Water's Edge

James M. Lindsay analyzes the politics shaping U.S. foreign policy and the sustainability of American power.

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U.S. Army soldiers participating in a training operation as part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 20, 2025.
U.S. Army soldiers participating in a training operation as part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Happy Birthday to the United States Army!

America’s oldest military service turns 250 on Saturday. If you see an active duty, former, or retired member of the Army, wish their service a happy birthday.

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Philippines
The President’s Inbox Recap: The China-Philippines Standoff
Maritime clashes between China and the Philippines over contested waters in the South China Sea threaten the balance of power in the Pacific and may draw in the United States.
South Africa
The President’s Inbox Recap: The United States and South Africa
President Trump has ended an idealistic cooperation with South Africa that obscured rising foreign policy tensions between Washington and Pretoria.  
United States
Remembering Those Whom Memorial Day Honors
The story of an American hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.
  • India
    The President’s Inbox Recap: The India-Pakistan Crisis
    The military clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan after a terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir has given way to a tenuous ceasefire.
  • Iran
    The President’s Inbox Recap: The Iran Nuclear Talks
    The negotiations are fraught with a history of enmity and a lack of trust, even as both Washington and Tehran seek a narrow deal.
  • China
    The President’s Inbox Recap: The U.S.-China Trade War
    President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign against China has ignited a trade war with mutually disastrous economic consequences and no clear end in sight.
  • United States
    The Vietnam War Ended Fifty Years Ago Today
    The second-longest war in U.S. history began with dreams of quick victory and ended in catastrophe.  
  • United States
    The President’s Inbox Recap: Trump’s First 100 Days
    Unconstrained by ideology or tradition, President Donald Trump has disrupted U.S. foreign policy and turned his back on U.S. leadership of international order.  
  • United States
    First 100 Days: Trump’s Foreign Policy Disruption Is Just Beginning
    President Donald Trump has challenged and changed many aspects of U.S. foreign policy since returning to the White House. This disruption likely won’t subside simply because his presidency has hit an arbitrary milestone.
  • Climate Change
    The President’s Inbox Recap: Climate Change Realism on Earth Day 2025
    The world is losing its battle to limit climate change, and the United States needs to prepare for consequences.