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August 2021

commentary

How State Critical Race Theory Bans Could Trickle Down to the Classroom
Given the potential blowback to teaching anything related to race or gender, avoiding lessons on the experiences of women or people of color will be the path of least resistance in many schools. But discussing racism and sexism in a safe environment is crucial for students to become active, knowledgeable citizens.
Aug 31, 2021

commentary

Afghanistan Was Lost Long Ago
The United States failed to build a lasting state in Afghanistan. Although the mission was not doomed from the start, early miscalculations and critical mistakes made success unlikely.
Aug 30, 2021
essay

Costa Rica Leads the Way in Cutting Carbon Emissions
Almost every country has pledged to slash carbon emissions to slow the gears of global warming. Costa Rica's plan provides a glimpse of what a carbon-neutral future will look like. It shows how nations can take action and make investments that hold up, regardless of what future comes to pass.
Aug 30, 2021
commentary

Chinese Recognition of the Taliban Is All but Inevitable
China is likely to recognize and legitimize the new leadership in Afghanistan within the coming weeks or months. Even if China has real concerns about the Taliban's willingness to keep its promises, the potential benefits are simply too great for Beijing to ignore.
Aug 27, 2021
commentary

After Afghanistan, Could Russia Misjudge America?
Over the years, the United States has been humbled abroad more than once but bounced back. Now, as it withdraws from Afghanistan, might Russia see the United States as defeated and vulnerable to pressure? This could be an error.
Aug 26, 2021
commentary

Afghanistan Withdrawal Says Little About U.S. Commitments Elsewhere
The United States is a nation which sees that it is in its vital interest to deter autocrats from adventurism and challenges to the world order. Drawing lessons from the narrow case of Afghanistan to speak about broad U.S. resolve or credibility comes with an inherent risk that adversaries may choose to ignore at their own peril.
Aug 25, 2021
commentary

Job Openings Are at a Record High. Why Aren't People Going Back to Work?
The U.S. labor market had 10.1 million job openings at the end of June, but 8.7 million workers were still unemployed in July. If there are so many more openings than job seekers, why are there unemployed workers left?
Aug 25, 2021
commentary

The Bright Appeal of New Tech May Overshadow Practical Business
Law enforcement departments are increasingly considering using augmented reality and virtual reality for training. How can the AR/VR industry be incentivized to ensure that content responds to user needs and is accessible?
Aug 24, 2021
commentary

China Is Organizing the VR Industry. The United States Could Do the Same
Given the potential value of virtual reality as a tool—and the increasing competition from China—the United States could focus more energy on advancing VR in a coordinated fashion. Otherwise, America risks missing an opportunity to excel internationally with a valuable and broadly applicable emerging technology.
Aug 23, 2021
commentary

Biden's Indo-Pacific Policy Blueprint Emerges
The Biden administration has yet to detail its goals in the Indo-Pacific region and how it plans to achieve them. But following recent virtual engagements and U.S. visits to the region, at least three key points have crystallized.
Aug 23, 2021
q&a

Collapse in Afghanistan: Early Insights from RAND Researchers
The sudden end to America's longest war came as the Taliban rolled into Kabul and the government collapsed. RAND researchers share their thoughts on how to help displaced Afghans, whether the country could again become a safe haven for terrorists, and the geopolitical implications of the collapse.
Aug 17, 2021
commentary

Climate Change Is Only One Driver of Explosive Wildfire Season—Don't Forget Land Management
The fire seasons that have been scorching huge areas and wiping entire towns from the map appear to be the future. Accepting that wildland fires are a part of our environment and working to live with fires rather than continuously fighting against them may be the most responsible path forward.
Aug 16, 2021
commentary

Which Kremlin Can Investors Expect?
A Kremlin that backs sound macroeconomic policy and a strong private sector could hearten investors. A Kremlin that pursues statist economics and security at all costs could discourage them. Which Kremlin should investors expect?
Aug 12, 2021
commentary

How Have Communities Been Faring During COVID-19? And How Will Lessons Learned Inform Future Response and Planning?
As the United States emerges from the devastation of the pandemic, it may be time to examine the choices communities made during the last year to see how these approaches shape continued COVID-19 response and recovery and help build resilience for future pandemic response.
Aug 11, 2021
commentary

Stress Tests: The Right Tool for Strengthening Supply Chains
Isolated interruptions to individual supply chains feel like a thing of the past. Today, the risks are more likely to cut across supply chains and leave companies vulnerable to shared or cascading threats. If we want to make supply chains more resilient, it's time to apply some stress tests.
Aug 10, 2021
commentary

Applying Machiavellian Discourses to the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
After 20 years of war without victory in both Afghanistan and Iraq, it is time to derive key lessons from both conflicts to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Niccolò Machiavelli, whose insights on statecraft have endured for five centuries, is a valuable guide in analyzing those lessons.
Aug 9, 2021
commentary

Reframing Retirement
Retirement is a fluid concept. Many retirees would consider returning to the workforce if conditions were right and they could set their own pace. A reframing of the aging and retirement process would allow us to see the issue in a new way.
Aug 9, 2021
commentary

How the United States Can Deter Ransomware Attacks
To rein in ransomware attacks, the United States needs to upend the risk-reward ratio for hackers and for the countries that harbor or support them. Such a strategy would make networks harder to breach, hit back harder against hackers, and claw back gains from those who succeed.
Aug 9, 2021
commentary

Defund Prisons, Not Police
The United States spends billions on prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities. New lows in incarceration rates present a chance to shift resources away from costly correctional facilities and toward education, job training, transportation, and other community services.
Aug 9, 2021
commentary

Commercialisation and Open Science Do Not Have to Be Uneasy Bedfellows
On the surface, tension exists between commercialization and open science approaches to research. But the two approaches are not irreconcilable--they can exist in harmony and complement one another to generate greater impact from investments in research and innovation.
Aug 6, 2021
commentary

Rebuild Public Health for the Next Pandemic?
COVID-19 exposed how underprepared the United States was for a pandemic and raised questions about preparedness for the next one. With political will to spend money on public health, how can America take a holistic view of all the options? And how should investments be prioritized?
Aug 6, 2021
commentary

Help, Not Just Hunt, Violent Extremists in the Military
The Pentagon is working to rid itself of violent extremist members. In addition to strengthening the chain of command to detect and remove extremist members from its ranks, the military could also empower military family members to intervene.
Aug 5, 2021
commentary

How Insurance Marketplace Regulators Can Help Consumers Enroll in Better Coverage
The Affordable Care Act simplified shopping for health care by creating the individual health insurance marketplaces where plans are categorized into labeled tiers. Consumers rely on these labels when comparing plans. But the labels don't tell consumers everything they need to know.
Aug 2, 2021
commentary

When a Free Trial Is Anything But
Several strategies could help protect consumers from subscription traps. Strategies could include providing better information showing that a free trial is followed by a subscription, reminding consumers that they have a subscription, and allowing consumers to easily cancel.
Aug 2, 2021