What are the greatest threats facing the United States and how well has the current administration been managing them? Colonel Larry Wilkerson, who was Chief of Staff to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, identifies nuclear weapons and climate change as existential risks and sounds the alarm over military and civilian leaders in both America and Russia growing more comfortable with the idea of using battlefield nuclear weapons. On the war in Ukraine, Colonel Wilkerson castigates the “warmongering media” in the West and asserts there is no way Russia is going lose the war.

Turning to Asia, Colonel Wilkerson warns that the US would probably be unable to win a war with China over Taiwan and would likely suffer over 100,000 casualties in the first 10 weeks of fighting. He highlights the numerical naval superiority the PRC has built up over the last two decades and raises the prospect of America losing two aircraft carriers with their 10,000 personnel within the opening days of hostilities. He paints a harrowing picture of survivors afloat amid flames and diesel in the South China Sea. In an even more stark warning, Colonel Wilkinson details China’s expanding nuclear arsenal and more aggressive force posture, which he says increases the risk that military conflict with China would lead to a nuclear exchange.