This is CBSi and the world. I'm John Bachelor. I welcome Bradley Bowman to the

Foundation for the Defense of democracies. He and his colleague Admiral

Montgomery, Mark Montgomery, U.S. Navy retired, exchanging as public intellectuals with another member of the think

tanks in Washington.

Elbridge Colby, the exchange is taking place in the Wall Street Journal and I tell Brad right away

this feels very much British Empire the way you would exchange thoughts and the times over years

about national security policy and the empire.

In this instance we're talking about not of empire, but of the threats to our ally Taiwan by the

People's Liberation Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Chinese Communist Party.

The sentence that is most particular is from Elbridge Colby's original essay about Taiwan and his concerns about Taiwan's defense.

He wrote, I have warned Taiwan that we are headed to a place where we may not even be able to

defend it. If Taiwan can't fight hard and hold out against

the Chinese attack, especially in the initial period of war, U.S. intervention might no longer

be enough to save it.

As I have always argued, it is insensible for America to

bludately forfeit its military in a losing fight, even for a very important interest. Brad, a very very important interest.

Brad, a very good evening to you.

I welcome you.

Those are ominous words.

And Elbridge Colby has written

passionately over the years about defending the US interests and its allies.

So at this point writing this letter there's despair.

...