Speech and book reviews, expert interviews and news you can use on cyber-security, U.S. national security and global security matters from Lisa Bernard, President of Lisa Bernard's SecuritySpeak, LLC - a private consulting firm and speakers bureau.
Showing posts with label Russian foreign policy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russian foreign policy. Show all posts
As American media pile-on to place former President George W. Bush's address in an "anti Trump" framework, critical lines from it echo in my mind: "[T]he Russian government has made a project of turning Americans against each other. This effort is broad, systematic and stealthy. It's conducted across a range of social media platforms...." For a sense of how this Russian campaign has made skillful and sustained use of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, inter alia, to interfere in our democratic practices and national narratives, visit SecuringDemocracy.org and be certain to visit the "Hamilton 68 Dashboard." Russian interference in our 2016 elections is just the tip of the iceberg and the Alliance for Securing Democracy is carefully monitoring this campaign in the Russian war on the United States in particular and democracies more broadly. Whatever our politics, it behooves us to smarten-up when "Following," "Liking," "re-Tweeting" and "Sharing" on social media because it simply isn't just "social" any more.
Heads up TV journalism fans and those concerned with
American and Russian politics and relations.I urge you to view two broadcasts
airing, ironically, in the same time slot on Sunday evening, June 4, 2017 at
7:00 p.m. ET. One is the venerable 60 Minutes (CBS) on which a story about the “mysterious attacks on
the lives of Russian activists” will lead.The other is Sunday Night with Megyn
Kelly, (NBC), the premier episode, featuring the stalwart Megyn Kelly’s interview
with Russian President Vladimir Putin.As
an American Independent (politically speaking) and a disciple of Realpolitik—particularly
where Soviet-turned -Russian rulers are concerned—I expect that the veneer of Vladimir
Putin’s carefully constructed image and well-orchestrated public persona will
be unglued before us on two fronts.We as a nation need clarity on him, his means
and his objectives in order to assess our own vulnerabilities and possibilities at this critical
time in our still very young democracy’s trajectory.
The weather was just the first treat on July 19th
when I arrived in Washington, D.C., at the Capitol Hill Club on that cool, dry
and sunny morning to hear Dr. Stephen J. Blank deliver an address, Russia’s Global Probes. Like a luxury cruise ship, Dr. Blank navigated
his remarks with expert engineering, using sophisticated instruments that work
below deck to produce a smooth sail and memorable journey. His talk docked in three parts of the globe –
Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.In each port of Russian activity,
he delivered his audience reality-checks on Russian history in the region, Vladimir
Putin’s objectives, Russia’s intrinsic nature, and the problems for U.S.
national security with projecting American values into the interpretation of Russia’s undertakings. With the temporal breadth of a skilled
historian of Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet affairs, Dr. Blank portrayed a crisp
yet comprehensive snapshot of the world today through the Russian lens.He deftly decoded Russian behavior and Vladimir
Putin’s positions, leaving his listeners sobered and empowered with a ready frame
of reference for understanding and interpreting Russian diplomatic, information,
military and economic operations.
Dr. Blank and I then returned to his office at the American
Foreign Policy Council for an interview. His generosity continued. A former professor of Russian National Security
Studies and U.S. National Security Affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute
of the US Army War College, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work informally
as if my viewers were students there with him in his private office hours.Here are excerpts.
BERNARD: I heard U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry assert that "nowhere is there a greater hotbed or incubator for these terrorists than in Syria," as he wrapped up meetings in Moscow with Russian President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov exploring U.S.-Russian cooperation to end the five-year civil war there. Reports are conflicting about the outcome of their talks and the possibility at all for military cooperation and intelligence-sharing. As an old Cold Warrior, it's not my first instinct to imagine us "sharing" intelligence with the Russians or "cooperating" militarily. Yet, the Syrian situation is compelling. What's your take on all this?
BERNARD: My clients at SecuritySpeak include global investors, businesspeople and entrepreneurs. Some are exploring markets and opportunities in the energy and other resource-rich regions of the former USSR. How stable is Central Asia today?
BERNARD: My clients at SecuritySpeak are concerned about threats like North Korean missile strikes and cyber-attacks. What do you see as the Russian role in these scenarios?
BERNARD: In four months, we Americans will elect ourselves a new President and Commander-in-Chief. What frame of reference can you offer him or her for advancing American and global security interests?
BERNARD: Thank you, Steve, for your insights, time and energy. I know you have an interview with Romanian TV journalists at noon and you're only just back from delivering a master class in Brussels last week. It was a pleasure attending your address this morning at the Capitol Hill Club and speaking with you here now.
To arrange a presentation by Dr. Blank for your firm, association or university, contact Lisa Bernard's SecuritySpeak, LLC at 203.293.4741 or LisaBernard@SecuritySpeak.net.
