Tag great power competition

The US-Materials Paradox

The most critical vulnerability of U.S. military power lies not on the battlefield, but in its supply chains.
This article examines how deep dependence on Chinese-controlled critical materials systematically undermines Washington’s deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific. Drawing on Pentagon data, RAND assessments, and industrial analyses, it reveals a strategic catch-22 in which military action appears urgent—but materially unsustainable.

Thailand’s Impossible Border:

Myanmar is collapsing next door – and Thailand is running out of room to maneuver.
As civil war, criminal networks and state fragmentation spill across borders, Bangkok is caught between humanitarian pressure, economic dependencies and great-power interests. ASEAN remains paralyzed, China quietly consolidates influence, and Thailand finds itself managing a crisis it can neither solve nor escape.