National Security

Why America Should Be Safer than It Is

June 22, 2021  • Aspen Ideas to Go

Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. As a nation, America has cycled through the same defense and intelligence issues since the end of the Cold War. In her book Insanity Defense, Congresswoman Jane Harman chronicles how four administrations have failed to confront some of the toughest national security policy problems and suggests achievable fixes to move America toward a safer future. She joins Nicholas Burns, President Biden’s nominee for US Ambassador to China and former senior State Department official, to discuss the book and her experience on the frontlines of American foreign policy.

This conversation was the last in the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series at the Aspen Institute. Watch the conversation.

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