The RAND Blog

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America's Trouble with China

Perhaps the best way to avoid confrontation is to cooperate on shared external threats, most notably nuclear proliferation, global climate change, and Islamic extremism. But getting to 2030 without a major confrontation will be a major achievement, writes Harold Brown.

Harold Brown

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Obama and Myanmar (Burma): Four Points About Conflict There

We can expect to see continued jockeying for scarce resources among vulnerable populations around the globe, attempts by majority communities to disenfranchise powerless minority groups, and episodes of extreme weather to blow away any notion that disasters—whether natural, man-made, or both—can't happen here, writes Jonah Blank.

Jonah Blank

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Former National Intelligence Director Renews Call to Reconfigure Intelligence Agencies

Adm. Dennis C. Blair, former Director of National Intelligence, tried to make the case for breaking up the CIA during his tenure but didn't get very far, he said during the opening session of the RAND Corporation's Politics Aside event Thursday evening.

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RAND's Dobbins Sees Increasing Chance of Syria Intervention

Amb. James Dobbins, director of the RAND Corporation's International Security and Defense Policy Center, said he is skeptical of some of the foreign policy predictions made by President Obama and Gov. Romney during the presidential campaign.

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Google's Schmidt Decries 'Balkanizing' of Internet

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, told the opening session of the RAND Corporation's Politics Aside event Thursday evening that he is 'terribly worried' about the prospect of 'balkanizing' the internet.

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The Diplomatic Power of Art

Museum directors and owners of private collections can wait to be challenged on the provenance of artifacts of foreign cultural heritage—or realize an opportunity for strengthening relations with the source nation, writes Erik Nemeth.

Erik Nemeth

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Will Mexico's New President Continue the War on the Cartels?

During his campaign, Enrique Peña Nieto, the victorious PRI candidate, promised frightened and war-weary Mexicans a reduction in the violence, but since his election victory in July, he has sounded more and more bellicose, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Generation Ex

The problem is that on any given day, disaster preparedness takes a back seat to ongoing operations. The tyranny of the urgent prevents hospital administrators from making investments in preparedness, writes Art Kellermann.

Arthur L. Kellermann

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Obama Trip Could Be Bellwether for U.S.-Asia Relations

Specific areas of focus for President Obama's visit are likely to include expanding trade and investment opportunities for U.S. businesses in Southeast Asia, increasing defense cooperation with Thailand, and offers of disaster recovery assistance to Burma in the wake of its recent earthquake, writes Scott Harold.

Scott W. Harold

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RAND's Pittsburgh Director Is Keynote Speaker at INVESTPennsylvania Conference

Susan Everingham, director of RAND's Pittsburgh office, will be the opening speaker at the inaugural INVESTPennsylvania Equity Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Thursday, Dec. 6.

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Short-Term Savings, Long-Term Losses: When Police Departments Respond to Economic Pressure by Cutting Their Forces

Many police departments around the United States have faced budget cuts recently. Ultimately, say Paul Heaton and Brian Jackson, for police services, as with most other things, you get what you pay for.

Paul Heaton, Brian A. Jackson

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Chinese-Iranian Ties in the Face of the Nuclear Crisis

The U.S. effort to isolate and pressure Iran in order to extract concessions on the nuclear program faces a significant vulnerability: the ties between Iran and the People’s Republic of China, says Alireza Nader.

Alireza Nader

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We Need a Public-Private Approach to Supporting Veterans

Honoring the sacrifices of veterans should be front and center on our policy agenda and not limited to one day a year, says Terri Tanielian.

Terri Tanielian

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What Louisiana Can Teach New York and New Jersey

The massive damage and disruption caused by “Super Storm” Sandy has created a rare moment when New York City, New Jersey and surrounding areas are singularly focused on the infrastructure they need in a changing environment – not just the infrastructure they already have thanks to the vision and investments of past generations.

Debra Knopman, Jordan R. Fischbach, et al.

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RAND Research for Military Family Month

RAND is a resource for research and policy recommendations that address the challenges faced by military members, spouses, and their children.