Marking The E.R.’s 50th episode, David Rothkopf, Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Yochi Dreazen spiritedly debate how we define war in today’s age. Has the traditional definition changed since the cataclysmic wars of the 20th century? And what does that mean for the war on drugs, the war on terror, or cyber warfare. Does this expanded definition of the battlefield give more credibility to non-state actors, such as the Islamic State or Mexican drug cartels?
The group then turns to wars that aren’t receiving enough meaningful coverage. From the war in Ukraine to the wars across the African continent, most of these armed conflicts aren’t being given the time of day in today’s news cycles. Perhaps it’s not surprising then, that they end up low on the list of our government’s priorities. Why is that?
Rosa Brooks is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and teaches international law, national security, and constitutional law at Georgetown University. She is the author of the newly released book “How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything.” Follow her on Twitter at: @brooks_rosa.
Kori Schake is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, where she focuses on military history, and a former foreign-policy advisor to Sen. John McCain. Follow her on Twitter at: @KoriSchake.
Yochi Dreazen is the deputy managing editor at Vox and author of The Invisible Front. Follow him on Twitter at: @yochidreazen.
David Rothkopf is the CEO and editor of the FP Group. Follow him on Twitter at: @djrothkopf.