Published Works

The Christchurch Call represented a historic opportunity for international unity. By rebuffing it, the United States shows just how far it has retreated from the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. (New Atlanticist/Atlantic Council)

Digital forensic analysis of preparations made by the Poway, CA synagogue shooter. (DFRLab/Atlantic Council)

Small exchange with partisan pundit dominates media coverage and online conversation about historic congressional hearing on white ethno-nationalist terrorism. With Melissa Hall. (DFRLab/Atlantic Council)

In the final days before the 2018 U.S. Midterm Elections, social media platforms remain at serious risk of targeted viral misinformation. While Silicon Valley had taken some preparatory actions, the U.S. government has done essentially nothing. With P.W. Singer. (The Guardian)

The spread of viral misinformation has become a dangerous public health crisis, akin to the spread of contagions past. This crisis must be answered with a strong emphasis on information literacy. With P.W. Singer. (The Globe and Mail)

Reflection of the two-year anniversary of the Access Hollywood scandal. Far from sinking the Trump political campaign, it showed how social media had thrown all the old rules of American politics out of the window. With P.W. Singer. (Rolling Stone)

As the internet has transformed so much of human society, so it has transformed the ways and means of conflict. Perception matters as much as reality. Sufficient manipulation of that perception can achieve a war-like objective without firing a shot. With P.W. Singer. (Foreign Affairs)

How China embraced the internet on its own terms, giving rise to a dangerous new form of cyber-authoritarianism in the process. Worse is yet to come. Excerpted from LikeWar. With P.W. Singer. (Popular Science)

Discussion of how the rise of social media has affected perceptions of the war in Afghanistan. Despite vastly improved access to information, the war has never been so far from sight. With P.W. Singer. (TIME)

Donald J. Trump's journey from failing reality tv star to conservative icon to 45th U.S. president, all made possible by Twitter. Excerpted from LikeWar. With P.W. Singer. (TIME)

How a 1979 chain email about science fiction spawned the internet we know today. Excerpted from LikeWar. With P.W. Singer. (Slate)

Rare interview with Michael Flynn, examining his fall from grace and what it tells us about the internet more broadly. Excerpted from LikeWar. With P.W. Singer. (The Atlantic)

How Taylor Swift's mastery of online authenticity explains (in part) the propaganda success of the Islamic State. Excerpted from LikeWar. With P.W. Singer. (Defense One)

In the social media age, what you share is deciding what happens on the battlefield. With P.W. Singer. (Foreign Policy)

Interview with Spencer Pratt, reality TV villain with keen insights into the relationship between social media, narrative, and reality. Excerpted from LikeWar. With P.W. Singer. (The Daily Beast)

Argument that the "neutrality" of the social media giants, always illusory, is now tipping the balance in favor of the Trump administration. With P.W. Singer. (WIRED)

Consideration of complications for U.S. defense planning in Syria following commencement of Russian air strikes and expansion of Russian ground presence in the region. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

Reflection on the fourteenth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Argues that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force must be revisited and revised. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

Review of "Ghost Fleet," a futuristic thriller by P.W. Singer and August Cole. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

Analysis and discussion of the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, the budgetary mechanism that has founded U.S. expeditionary operations since 2001. With Janine Davidson. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

Reflection on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's recent trip to the United States. Offering robust U.S. support to Ghani will be making a positive investment in Afghanistan's future. With Janine Davidson. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

Comparison of troop equipment spending patterns between the U.S. Army and China's People's Liberation Army. Current Chinese policy sees drastic underinvestment in force protection relative to other procurement categories. With Lauren Dickey. (Defense One)

Reflection on the recent U.S. 2014 midterm elections. Looking ahead, President Obama may focus more on foreign policy initiatives in his last two years – just as President Bush after 2006. With Janine Davidson. (Defense One)

Assessment of the state of the special immigration program reserved for Afghan interpreters who have assisted American forces. Its renewal before December 31, 2014 is both a strategic and moral imperative. With Janine Davidson. (Defense One)

Assessment of the ramifications of the anti-ISIS air campaign’s expansion into Syria. This effort the will be stymied without robust regional partnerships. With Janine Davidson. (Defense One)

On the eve of the 2014 NATO Wales Summit, the ongoing war in Afghanistan should not be relegated to a “side issue” in light of emerging crises. The next few months will be critical in ensuring that Afghanistan does not follow the path of Iraq. With Janine Davidson. (Defense One)

The argument articulated by many critics of the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq – that U.S. troops should have simply stayed “until the job was done” – does not represent a viable strategy. In fact, it represents the opposite. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

The argument articulated by many critics of the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq – that U.S. troops should have simply stayed “until the job was done” – does not represent a viable strategy. In fact, it represents the opposite. (Defense in Depth, Council on Foreign Relations)

Assessment of potential glideslopes for U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in wake of the April 5 presidential elections. The most effective plan will be phased and gradual – but this will likely be incompatible with American public opinion. With Janine Davidson. (Defense in Depth/Council on Foreign Relations)

Discussion of obstacles faced by current generation of officer-applicants. With sharply reduced defense spending and a surplus of qualified candidates, many will never have the opportunity to commission. (The Best Defense, ForeignPolicy.com)

Examination of unemployment, underemployment, shifting labor dynamics, and debt shouldered by Millennials in wake of the Great Recession. Many college graduates will never find skilled labor. (Fair Observer)

Evaluation of the rapid rise and outsized political influence of the right-leaning Tea Party movement. Investigates and rebuts some of the gravest charges leveled against the nascent movement. Concludes that hyperpartisanship and ideological rigidity demanded by Tea Party faithful will ultimately further stymie the American policymaking process. (Fair Observer)