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Artwork for Horns of a Dilemma
China
United States
Russia
Ukraine
Cold War
NATO
National Security
North Korea
Artificial Intelligence
Declassification
Taiwan
International Relations
Nuclear Weapons
European Union
U.S. Foreign Policy
Germany
War In Ukraine
World War II
Korean War
Joseph Nye

Brought to you by the Texas National Security Review, this podcast features lectures, interviews, and panel discussions at The University of Texas at Austin.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes307Founded8 years ago
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Artwork for Horns of a Dilemma

Latest Episodes

This episode, we are joined by Charles Mok, author of the TNSR article "Toward Undersea Cable Resilience: The Case for Global Collaboration." He speaks on the rising pace of attacks on undersea cable infrastructure and why these vulnerabilities remai... more

Twenty-five years after its founding, how has the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission shaped American strategic policy? In this episode, we feature a panel discussion examining the evolution of major power competition. Dr. Sheena Chestnu... more

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As the United States and Iran negotiate an end to recent hostilities, the strategic implications of Tehran's nuclear latency are more urgent than ever. In this episode of our podcast, Eric Brewer unpacks the realities of Iran as a nuclear threshold s... more

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National security scholar Herbert S. Lin joins us to discuss his latest TNSR article, "On Optimism About New Military Technologies." Lin argues that political incentives and cognitive traps like the "fallacy of the last move" often blind planners to ... more

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Randall Schriver
Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security; Commissioner on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Institute for Indo-Pacific Security; US-China Commission
Episode: 25 Years of the US-China Commission: Taiwan, Tech Competition, and Over-the-Horizon Risks
Mike Kuiken
Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution; Commissioner on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Hoover Institution; US-China Commission
Episode: 25 Years of the US-China Commission: Taiwan, Tech Competition, and Over-the-Horizon Risks
Eric Brewer
Author of What Good is the Nuclear Threshold Capability? Lessons from Iran's Nuclear Program and Recent Regional Conflict
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)
Episode: Iran's Nuclear Tightrope: Between Power and Peril
Herb Lin
National Security Scholar, author of On Optimism About New Military Technologies
Stanford University; Stanford Emerging Technology Review; National Academies
Episode: New Tech, Old Traps: The Persistent Pitfalls in Military Innovation
Dr. Jackie Schneider
Author of Cyber Operations and Nuclear Stability, Networked Instability
Hoover Institution / Stanford University
Episode: The Balance of Control and Vulnerability: Cyber and Nuclear Risks
Michael Horowitz
Author of Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Strategic Stability; Director of Perry World House and Richard Perry Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities
University of Pennsylvania; Council on Foreign Relations; Perry World House
Episode: Challenges and Opportunities for AI in Military Systems
Cameron Tracy
Author of Technological Surprise and Normalization Through Use
Berkeley Risk and Security Lab, UC Berkeley
Episode: Beyond the Hype: The Reality of Precision-Strike Weapons in Ukraine
Rose McDermott
Author of The Influence of Psychological Factors in the Search for Strategic Stability
Brown University
Episode: Psychological Biases in the Era of Nuclear Weapons and AI
Frank Gavin
Professor; chair of the editorial board of the Texas National Security Review
Johns Hopkins University; Henry Kissinger Center for Global Affairs
Episode: Understanding Schelling's Nuclear Paradigms with Francis J. Gavin

Hosts

Ryan Vest
Host of the show; Executive Editor of TNSR
Sheena Chestnut Greitens
Host of the podcast; Editor-in-Chief of the Texas National Security Review

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 226 ratings
  • A++

    Podcast Addict
    5
    aduque
    4 years ago
  • Meh…

    Not very nuanced. It would be nice to have guest contributors’ viewpoints and opinions challenged, or at least elaborated on. Without that, it sounds like a series of politically-biased talking points strung together for a majority of each episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    J_____N
    United States4 years ago
  • Very informative

    I enjoy listening, as I learn a great deal from each episode. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Elpasoid
    United States4 years ago
  • “Woke” Strategy

    I have tried repeatedly to listen to this over the last year. After 12 months, I have only found one or two episodes that reflected centrist positions that we’re both critical and well thought out. This is a podcast for the “Woke” strategist to feel good about themselves within their own bubble of self reflection.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Ravin.teen.titans.go
    United States5 years ago
  • Mixed Bag

    This show usually features interesting interviews on National security, but the guest are almost uniformly center left, with the occasional neocon. Occasionally, such as with the border crisis episode, you get straight up unchallenged leftist talking points.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    LMJIi
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate diverse, high‑level debates on tech and deterrence, with room for more critical challenge.
Thoughtful, rigorous policy discussions that connect theory to real‑world security concerns.
Guests bring deep expertise, but some episodes face audio quality and balance challenges.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#102
Taiwan/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#119
Singapore/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#167
South Africa/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#196
South Korea/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Psychological Biases in the Era of Nuclear Weapons and AI
Q: What is the practical takeaway for policymakers from the four biases discussed?
Policymakers should institutionalize structured decision processes, training to recognize biases, and explicit value-based checklists to ensure that rapid crisis decisions don't overlook long-term stability and human consequences.
Iran's Nuclear Tightrope: Between Power and Peril
Q: What caused the shift from initial limited success to a broader strategic setback for Iran, and how did the crisis in 2024-2025 influence that trajectory?
The period saw Iran's deterrent pillars eroded (proxies and missiles), direct attacks against Iran's territory, and a shift toward more explicit weaponization rhetoric, which, combined with external pressures, undermined its deterrence and pushed it closer to potential weaponization.
Iran's Nuclear Tightrope: Between Power and Peril
Q: What does it look like in practice for a country to be a near-nuclear power rather than a full nuclear power, and how has Iran used that latency in its deterrence strategy?
Brewer argues that latency should be seen as capability, not necessarily intent; Iran possessed high latency and hedging but struggled to credibly deter adversaries like Israel, with initial deterrence against US pressure eroding as regional and strategic dynamics shifted.
The Principle of Distinction in the Autonomous Age
Q: How should policymakers think about striking the balance between the lethality of these systems, the legality, and the ethics of their deployment?
Policymakers should remember that being ethical and legally righteous is a force multiplier and that responsible systems design can enhance efficacy in warfare.
Ensuring US Military Readiness in the Indo-Pacific
Q: What should the Pentagon be doing right now to ensure important reforms are made?
The Pentagon should recapitalize the submarine industrial base, double down on long-range strike capabilities, and apply lessons from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific concerning unmanned systems.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Horns of a Dilemma

What is Horns of a Dilemma about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful series focused on national security, nuclear deterrence, and the implications of emerging technologies in defense. Conversations frequently center on how AI, cyber operations, hypersonics, and other innovations affect strategic stability, crisis decision‑making, and alliance dynamics, often through rigorous scholarly lens and historical context. Noteworthy is the show's habit of pairing top researchers or former policy leaders with detailed technical explainers, producing nuanced debates about risk, governance, and the pace of technological change. Listeners can expect rigorous analysis, policy relevance, and rich, cross‑disciplinary perspectives from academia, think tanks, and government backgrounds, making it valuable for str... more

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1. Net Assessment
2. War on the Rocks
3. Modern War Institute
4. Irregular Warfare Podcast
5. The Proceedings Podcast

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Horns of a Dilemma launched 8 years ago and published 307 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Horns of a Dilemma?

Recent guests on Horns of a Dilemma include:

1. Randall Schriver
2. Mike Kuiken
3. Eric Brewer
4. Herb Lin
5. Dr. Jackie Schneider
6. Michael Horowitz
7. Cameron Tracy
8. Rose McDermott

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