Robert Gates: “the decision on Taiwan arms sales is fundamentally a political decision.”

it's a terrible way to budget. I mean, it is a gimmick.

Putin feels that he has a destiny to recreate the Russian Empire.

Allies are a huge asset and in not understanding that I think is a real problem.

I think part of the problem is that at the end of the Cold War, we were affected by triumphalism or hubris, whatever you want to call it.