The Torch
Illuminating Security and Defence Issues
USA
The US Badly Needs Rare Minerals and Fresh Water. Guess Who Has Them?
13 October 2025
As China tightens its grip on critical resources, Trump eyes Canada’s riches
Inflection Point: How to Reverse the Erosion of U.S. and Allied Military Power and Influence
5 September 2025
The U.S. defense strategy and posture have become insolvent. The tasks that the nation expects its military forces and other elements of national power to do internationally exceed the means that are available to accomplish those tasks. Sustained, coordinated efforts by the United States and its allies are necessary to deter and defeat modern threats, including Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and reconstituted forces and China's economic takeoff and concomitant military modernization. This report offers ideas on how to address shortcomings in defense preparations.
US moves decisively to avoid dependence on China’s rare earths
27 July 2025 -
The Pentagon’s package of support for rare earths company MP Minerals, announced on 10 July, should free the US military and eventually much of US industry from dependence on Chinese supply chains for rare earth magnets.
The National Security Costs of Trump’s Tariffs
27 July 2025 -
President Donald Trump has been wielding tariffs to confront a range of national security threats: fentanyl, illegal immigration, the trade deficit, steel, aluminum and other imports deemed threatening. But looking at the national security ledger, the costs of those tariffs are starting to become clearer than the benefits, especially for the U.S. defense industry, critical infrastructure, and relations with partners and allies.
Distributed Maritime Operations, Logistics, Industry, and American Strategy in Asia
10 June 2025 -
This analysis will examine the U.S. Navy’s operational concept, Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) against the U.S. strategy towards China. A U.S.-China conflict will involve a key air-naval element, meaning the way the U.S. Navy plans to fight has a distinct influence on strategy.
Beyond Tariffs: What the U.S. Can Learn from China’s Industrial Playbook
20 May 2025
The Trump administration is attempting to spur an industrial revival in the United States by imposing tariffs on trading partners. China—a key target of U.S. tariffs—has experienced the largest industrial expansion in history, rising from poverty to become the top global manufacturer and exporter within a generation. Despite the unique nature of its political economy and the challenges it faces, China offers valuable lessons that could benefit the United States as Washington attempts to increase domestic manufacturing.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Trump Has Launched a Second American Revolution. This Time, It’s Against the World.
26 March 2025
In ten dramatic shifts, the president has declared independence from the global system that America made.