COLBY MUCH IN THE DEFENSE NEWS RE UKRAINE, NATO, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA AND AUKUS. 1/8 The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, by Elbridge A. Colby.
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 13 July 2025
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Elbridge A. Colby was the lead architect of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the most significant revision of U.S. defense strategy in a generation. Here he lays out how America’s defense must change to address China’s growing power and ambition. Based firmly in the realist tradition but deeply engaged in current policy, this book offers a clear framework for what America’s goals in confronting China must be, how its military strategy must change, and how it must prioritize these goals over its lesser interests.
The most informed and in-depth reappraisal of America’s defense strategy in decades, this book outlines a rigorous but practical approach, showing how the United States can prepare to win a war with China that we cannot afford to lose—precisely in order to deter that war from happening.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is CBS Eye on the World. Here's John Batchelor. |
| 0:08.8 | I welcome Elbridge Colby, the author of the new book, The Strategy of Denial, American Defense |
| 0:15.1 | in an age of great power conflict. Elbridge Colby is co-founder and principal of the Marathon Initiative. |
| 0:23.1 | He has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development |
| 0:27.9 | 2017 through 2018. |
| 0:31.0 | And we turn to the condition at hand in the world as we know it. |
| 0:37.4 | The competition, great power competition involves the players from the 20th century plus |
| 0:43.0 | China. |
| 0:44.2 | And Bridges book looks at all of those possibilities, but focuses on China. |
| 0:49.7 | So before we come to the examples of China and the U.S. in conflict in East Asia, we begin with definitions. |
| 0:57.7 | Bridge, a very good evening to you. Congratulations. |
| 1:00.8 | A military strategy for limited war. |
| 1:03.9 | What is limited war and what does the U.S. now know about its possible opponent, China, in a limited war? |
| 1:14.0 | Good evening to you. |
| 1:15.5 | Good evening, John. |
| 1:16.3 | It's wonderful to be back on with you. |
| 1:18.2 | It's a thanks for a pleasure to be back on and an honor. |
| 1:22.3 | What is a limited war? |
| 1:23.7 | A limited war is something that sounds paradoxical, but is very actually deeply |
| 1:28.3 | rooted in basically human nature and certainly military affairs, which is the idea that, |
| 1:34.0 | you know, even in wars that engage people's, you know, deepest emotions and, you know, aspirations |
| 1:40.3 | and fears, there are almost always incentives to keep a war from spiraling to the kind of the very worst levels of violence. |
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