Kerby Anderson

A few weeks ago, Donald Trump argued that we are closer to World War III than we have been in decades. Is that merely campaign hyperbole or an honest assessment of reality? Global conflicts seem inevitable no matter who is elected president.

The Commission on the National Defense Strategy just issued a 114-page report. The commission was created by Congress in 2022 and began its deliberations in April 2023. It is co-chaired by former Democrat congresswoman Jane Harmon, and by Eric Edelman, a top Pentagon official during George W. Bush administration. Here are a few of its conclusions:

“The threats the United States faces are the most serious and most challenging the nation has encountered since 1945 and include the potential for near-term major war.”

“China and Russia are major powers that seek to undermine U.S. influence… China is outpacing the United States and has largely negated the U.S. military advantage in the Western Pacific through two decades of focused military investment.”

“China and Russia’s 'no-limits' partnership, formed in February 2022 just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has only deepened and broadened to include a military and economic partnership with Iran and North Korea, each of which presents its own significant threat to U.S. interests. This new alignment of nations opposed to U.S. interests creates a real risk, if not likelihood, that conflict anywhere could become a multi-theater or global war.”

This report is a reminder that we live in a dangerous world and that a global war is possible. Who we select as the next Commander in Chief will face some significant challenges.