Mostrando resultados por autor "Ryan Webb" en Todas las categorías

Raised by Sisters is a comedy podcast hosted by two longtime friends who analyze, discuss, and oversimplify some of the world's most basic concepts.

Husbands Ryan and Chance are watching Grey’s Anatomy... Again! Join them as they watch every episode starting from the beginning and immediately find a way to make it competitive. New episodes release weekly on Friday. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ryan-webb07/support

Because of the monumental destructive force of nuclear weapons, no theory of international relations is more important than that which guides US nuclear policy. During the Cold War, the views of Thomas Schelling and Herman Kahn dominated the debate. Overall, both theorists had confidence in deterrence, felt it was predictable, and based their reasoning on a rational opponent. Still, they each drew different conclusions, with the United States adopting Kahn’s recommendation for a strong offense, while siding with Schelling’s view that defense was not needed. While Cold War deterrence ...

While globalization is not a perfect economic system, it has been overwhelmingly beneficial to the world. According to Thomas Friedman, the “Golden Straightjacket” of market capitalism benefits you the more you tighten it (Lexus and Olive Tree). The system promotes competition and rewards those who work the hardest with a better standard of living. Still, Noreena Hertz, in The Silent Takeover, focused on the negatives of the system, arguing that it drowns democracy and leaves too many people in the hole of poverty. In addition, author Paul Blustein focused on the complexity of the ...

In 1847, Albert Gallatin published, Peace with Mexico, a pamphlet in which he called for an honorable and just end to the Mexican War. Gallatin argued that the United States acted immorally when it provoked war with Mexico and needed to redeem itself. Instead of dismembering Mexico to satisfy what he called a hunger for conquest, he suggested the United States voluntarily relinquish all conquests and only demand the rights that were due her citizens.

This scenario contains multiple examples of humanity's lust for power, which is defined as having an intense desire or need to control or influence others. Lust for power also has the characteristic of being able to appear anywhere and in many different forms. These forms can be conspicuous or subtle. The more noticeable forms include military domination, political power, and economic superiority. More subtle forms include dominating a conversation, always having to get ones way, and bullying others. All of these examples show that lust for power is varied and widespread.

Both John Mill and Jeremy Bentham agreed with the utilitarianism claim that a “good action” resulted in an increase in the overall balance of pleasure. At the same time, a “bad action” decreased the balance. In other words, actions can be deemed “right” depending on their promotion of happiness and labeled as “wrong” when they produce the opposite effect. It should also be noted that, according to the theory, happiness is characterized as pleasure and the absence of pain.

Even though the collapse of the Soviet Union left America as the sole world superpower, the United States sought to promote a world order based on cooperation between states. In 1991, President Bush formed a large coalition to push Iraq out of Kuwait. In the same spirit, America worked with the United Nations in Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo. In addition, throughout the 1990’s, the United States turned to the United Nations to implement a policy of containment against Saddam Hussein’s regime. Nevertheless, containment gradually eroded, and by 2001, the policy appeared to be no longer viable...

In 1914, Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, explained to his Parliament the danger posed by German aggression. In The British Rational for Entering World War I, he said moral and security interests necessitated British involvement. Morally, Britain needed to defend Belgium and uphold independence for the Low Countries. As for security, a stronger Germany in control of Western Europe threatened British dominance. Grey pointed out that Britain would suffer whether or not she entered the war. Financing the war and British casualties would hurt her if she entered the war and, if ...

A likeness between things, when the things are otherwise entirely different, is an analogy. Comparing one situation to another in order to gain perspective and formulate policy is a common human technique and a favorite of historians. For example, the Cold War has been compared to the Athens-Sparta rivalry, while Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union has been called folly by those who look to the “lesson” of Napoleon’s failed 1812 campaign. While analogies can be useful, one should use caution, as no two situations are the same. For example, is it logical to compare the partially ...

On 17 December 1903, Wilbur Wright watched his brother, Orville, fly a biplane a distance of one hundred and twenty feet over the dunes of North Carolina. While obtaining an altitude of only twenty feet, their flying machine, powered by a twelve horsepower engine, accomplished a remarkable feat. In just twelve seconds, their “Flyer” broke the barrier of powered human flight. In less than twenty years, major world powers integrated the new technology into their militaries. In Great Britain, Hugh Trenchard predicted the airplane would transform warfare. From 1914 to 1945, Trenchard ...

Before becoming president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison. Reflecting on this crucible, he stated, “The cell is an ideal place to know yourself. People tend to measure themselves by external accomplishments, but jail allows a person to focus on internal ones.” A crucible is “a transformative experience through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity.” For me, the crucible of naval flight training expanded my understanding of organizational leadership. In addition to learning the importance of the operations process, the ...

The United States is the only nation with the moral standing and military and economic power to lead the world. Since her birth, America has celebrated freedom and liberty. Her people believe that democracy is the best form of government because it encourages human excellence. In light of this reasoning, should America support democratic revolutions around the world? Or should she pursue stability in foreign relations? While there are benefits and drawbacks to each approach, the weight of the evidence supports a policy of encouraging democratic revolutions. Such an approach could spread ...

In "How Designers Think," Bryan Lawson described several traps in the design process. One of these, the image trap, is when a designer visualizes a design but fails to realize it does not match reality. Lack of experience, bias, or assumptions can mislead a designer. As a result, they do not examine their ideas with a critical eye. Over time, however, as the design process proceeds, the designer often realizes that what they envisioned is not possible under the current conditions or available resources. For example, in the years preceding the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel’s military and ...

In Plato’s, The Ring of Gyges, Glaucon believed that man created justice by coming to an agreement not to inflict injury or suffer it. Glaucon also pointed out that man struggled to act justly since his natural tendency was to be unjust. This hypothesis is demonstrated in the story of the ancestor of the Lydian Gyges. In this story, a man found a ring that could make him invisible. Leaving his life as a quiet shepherd, he decided to engage in an affair with the king’s wife, killed the king, and then took over the kingdom. Would other men act similarly? Glaucon believed the only way to ...

Today, the House of Representatives is debating a bill that would permanently normalize trade relations with China. At the same time, the State Department reports that terrorist activity has shifted to the Southeast Asian countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In southern Lebanon, Israeli troops prepare to pull out of the buffer zone following two decades of occupation. In Iran, a Jewish Iranian admits he was paid five hundred dollars per month to spy for the Israeli intelligence service. He faces the death penalty if convicted. In the Philippines, twenty-one foreigners, held hostage by ...

Using Peter Schwartz’s scenario-building model, several outcomes of the COVID-19 crisis can be considered. These future scenarios are not meant to predict events, but to guide one’s understanding of the operational environment, which can inform planning. Furthermore, by identifying three scenarios, one should not conclude that there are only three possible scenarios. Rather, there are a myriad of potential outcomes, which could include some, or even none, of the elements identified.

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. In addition to his army, he brought along a library of books on science, geography, poetry, politics, and religion. It is not surprising that Napoleon, an avid reader, also studied military history. He stated, “Read over and over again the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Gustavus, Turenne, and Frederick the Great. This is the only way to become a great general.” Napoleon’s advice is just as applicable today as it was in his lifetime. For the military professional, military history informs their long-term education in several ...

Since liquor was easily transportable and widely desired, saloons were one of the first businesses to arrive on the Rocky Mountain mining frontier. The earliest establishments were crude tents or haphazardly constructed shacks. Over time, saloon owners upgraded to more permanent facilities and added ornate decorations, expensive mirrors, and billiard tables imported from the East. In, The Saloon on the Rocky Mountain Mining Frontier, Elliott West stated, “The physical evolution and diversification of the drinking house . . . paralleled the growth of the mining town and its search for a ...

In the aftermath of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the British and French moved in to carve up the Middle East in pursuit of their national interests. At the same time, local leaders within the region sought to acquire greater power themselves, following the ousting of the sultan in Istanbul. Prominent leaders such as Ibn Saud and Sharif Hussein attempted to exert greater influence and called for Arab unity in an effort to unite the region. However, neither of these leaders had a legitimate following outside of their localities. In fact, the loose structure of the ...