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Artwork for Horns of a Dilemma
China
United States
Russia
Ukraine
Cold War
NATO
North Korea
National Security
Artificial Intelligence
Declassification
Taiwan
International Relations
Nuclear Weapons
European Union
War In Ukraine
Germany
World War II
U.S. Foreign Policy
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 monthlyEpisodes308Founded8 years ago
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PoliticsGovernmentNews

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Artwork for Horns of a Dilemma

Latest Episodes

We are joined by Dr. Benjamin R. Young to discuss his TNSR article, "Saving Socialism: What North Korea Learned from the Collapse of the Soviet Union."

Dr. Young argues that the fall of the USSR profoundly influenced Pyongyang's grand strategy. Rat... more

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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

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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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Recent Guests

Benjamin Young
Author of Saving Socialism, What North Korea Learned from the Collapse of the Soviet Union
Fayetteville State University (Assistant Professor of Intelligence Studies)
Episode: How the Soviet Collapse Shaped North Korea
Charles Mok
Author of Toward Undersea Cable Resilience, The Case for Global Collaboration
Global Digital Policy Incubator, Stanford University; Internet Society; former Legislative Council member, Hong Kong
Episode: Deep Ocean Danger: Unveiling the Threats to Global Connectivity
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
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

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.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Deep Ocean Danger: Unveiling the Threats to Global Connectivity
Q: Could you tell our audience why undersea cable attacks seem to be increasing and what advantages attackers hope to gain?
Disrupting undersea cables is attractive because it directly undermines connectivity and can serve strategic leverage in conflicts, testing resilience and procurement responses, while also signaling capabilities to adversaries. The trend is driven by higher global dependence on the internet, the concentration of critical routes at chokepoints, and the perceived ability to exert influence over targeted economies.
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.

Audience Metrics

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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. NatSec Matters

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Horns of a Dilemma launched 8 years ago and published 308 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. Benjamin Young
2. Charles Mok
3. Randall Schriver
4. Mike Kuiken
5. Eric Brewer
6. Dr. Jackie Schneider
7. Michael Horowitz
8. Cameron Tracy

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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