Why America May Not Be Ready for the Wars of the Future (#302)
5/19/202620 min
When people think about war, they picture missiles and mushroom clouds.
But what if the greatest threats today are the ones most people never see coming?
Christine Wormuth, former U.S. Secretary of the Army and current leader of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, explains why some of today’s biggest dangers are quieter, harder to detect, and easier to unleash than most people realize.
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First 90 secondsLynne Thomann· Host0:00
[chime] We talk about nuclear war as if it starts with a missile, but what if it doesn't? [gentle music] What if the threat is something messier and easier to miss? How real is the risk of a dirty bomb, and what's the thing we're least prepared for that's actually most likely? Hi, everyone. I'm Lynn Tolman, and this is Three Takeaways. On Three Takeaways, I talk with some of the world's best thinkers, business leaders, writers, politicians, newsmakers, and scientists. Each episode ends with three key takeaways to help us understand the world and maybe even ourselves a little better. Today, I'm excited to be with Christine Wormuth. She served as US Secretary of the Army and now leads the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Before that, she was Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Director for Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council. So she's been at the center of how the US plans for war and how it tries to prevent it. Christine, welcome to Three Takeaways.
Christine Wormuth· Guest1:16
Thank you. I'm so glad to be here.
Lynne Thomann· Host1:19
And thank you for your service in government as well.
Christine Wormuth· Guest1:22
Thanks. It's been a privilege.
Lynne Thomann· Host1:24
Let me start with something very basic but also a little unsettling.