COLBY MUCH IN THE DEFENSE NEWS RE UKRAINE, NATO, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA AND AUKUS. 3/8 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
⏱️ 13 minutes
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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. I in the World. I'm John Batchel with Elbridge Colby, the author of the new book, |
| 0:09.1 | The Strategy of Denial, American Defense in an Age of Great Power conflict. We turn to Beijing's |
| 0:15.5 | point of view, the theoretical coalition arranged by the United States and its allies, naming Australia, India, |
| 0:24.4 | there are pieces of this coalition accent right now, the quad, India, Australia, Japan, and the United States, |
| 0:33.0 | the New Arcust, Australia, the United Kingdom in the United States, Anzis, the American, New Zealand, |
| 0:39.0 | and Australia, and others, a bilateral defensive arrangement with Japan and other allies. |
| 0:47.8 | Japan with an alliance in some fashion with Vietnam. |
| 0:54.3 | All of these things, however, the larger coalition, it faces Beijing. |
| 1:00.1 | Beijing has to assume all of these things are part of the anti-hegemonic, anti-Beijing power and ambition. |
| 1:09.8 | So we look at Beijing's best strategy. |
| 1:13.3 | Hide and bide is a possibility, was a possibility. |
| 1:17.8 | What does that mean, bridge? |
| 1:19.1 | And has Beijing quit that or is it continuing? |
| 1:22.8 | Hide and bide was the line that Deng Xiaoping, |
| 1:25.5 | the admonition he gave to Chinese leaders and so forth, |
| 1:29.0 | I think in the 1970s. And it was hide your capabilities and bide your time. So basically, you know, |
| 1:34.8 | the idea being let's grow, let's get rich, and then we'll be powerful. And then everyone will have |
| 1:39.9 | to respect us, but keep a low profile for as long as possible. In a sense, this is kind of what |
| 1:43.9 | the United States did in the 19th century, with a few exceptions. |
| 1:47.1 | And the end result, if you're successful, is people suddenly realize, oh my gosh, this is a dominant |
| 1:52.1 | power, we just have to deal with it. |
| 1:54.3 | Beijing abandoned it more or less about starting probably about 10 years ago, certainly |
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