Hunter Stires

Thinking that "national security" is limited to "whatever people do in the Army" is one of the reasons that war colleges and national security education programs exist: To help military officers get past this narrowness and understand how civilians make national security policy.

The International Criminal Court seeks to become the unaccountable arbiter of a new global law — empowered to prosecute and arrest our citizens at will and existentially threaten American sovereignty. We will teach the ICC the full meaning of American resolve.

Trump says he will seek a 20% cut of all shipping in the Strait and reinstates the blockade of Iranian ships:

On the basis of the full and effective implementation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC), China is actively advancing consultations on the DOC. China has the confidence and determination to work with relevant parties to overcome distractions, bridge differences, guard the blue waters, and coexist in harmony.

Jones Act is based on idea that higher shipping costs are worth paying to preserve the capacity to build and crew ships in wartime. If the tradeoff was real, maybe. Instead, we've ended up with the worst of both worlds: higher costs, but still without the shipbuilding capacity.

🚨Trump on Truth Social: The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Mr. Jay Tarriela is once again turning facts upside down. If anyone is undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea, it is not China. According to incomplete statistics, the Philippine side has dispatched more than 100 aircraft to illegally intrude into the airspace over China's Huangyan Dao since the beginning of 2026, while repeatedly sending vessels to provoke incidents at sea. These actions are the real source of tensions. The past ten years have made one fact unmistakably clear: the so-called arbitral award has resolved nothing. Instead, it has been used by the Philippines as a pretext for infringement and provocation, while giving external forces an excuse to interfere in the South China Sea. Rather than promoting peace or stability, it has become a stumbling block to improving China-Philippines relations and maintaining regional peace and stability. ——Deputy Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy Guo Wei

Big question now is which country will host the BBNJ Secretariat. The choice is Brussels, Valparaiso (Chile) or Xiamen in China. If only China could be trusted to respect international maritime agreements and rulings…