Frontiers of Freedom
Ignore the frontiers of freedom, and the threats that begin there will eventually show up—amplified—on our doorstep.
The strength of freedom in Mexico City (photo above) and other locations around the world matters to the U.S.
- History teaches a hard lesson:
- In an age of contested interdependence, the frontlines of strategic competition no longer lie only in territory. They now run through technology platforms, supply chains, energy grids, and the standards that govern trade, data, and defense.
- This blog—Frontiers of Freedom—follows those fault lines.
- It explores where freedom is tested, where it is advancing, and where it is under siege. It connects vision to execution, analyzing how open societies must respond with clarity, coherence, and strategic coordination. Drawing on the GRIPS, PIVOT, and ALIGN frameworks, it offers a 360° view of national strength, institutional posture, and operational readiness.
- At WISC, we believe that what happens at the edge of liberty determines its future at the core.
- We must shape the frontier—or be shaped by it.
- Launched in the week of Independence Day 2025, this blog affirms a founding truth:
Freedom is not self-sustaining. It must be defended—proactively, strategically, and together.
Today’s Front Line of Freedom is Digital
What Beijing Taught Me About Freedom, Dependency, and Digital Power
November 25, 2025
America Can’t Go It Alone
The Hidden Costs of Onshoring Every Supply Chain
November 25, 2025
Slow Government in a Fast World
The Strategic Consequences of a Legislature That Can’t Move at Modern Speed
November 18, 2025
The Humblest Rank, The Highest Honor
They didn’t list a rank of command or a party of choice — only a record of service
November 11, 2025
Engineering Trust in a Divided Digital World
How Democracies Can Secure Freedom in a World That Runs on Code
November 5, 2025
Leverage Wins Headlines; Architecture Wins the Future
Leverage Without Architecture is Power Without Permanence.
October 30, 2025
Sparking an Industrial Reawakening
Rebuilding Global Resilience Through Physical AI and Trusted Partnerships
October 23, 2025
Building Digital Trust Together
How Partnerships Can Shape a More Open Tech Future
October 15, 2025
Geopolitics in the Fab Lane
What I Saw, Heard, and Didn’t Hear at a Semiconductor Conference
October 10, 2025
Interoperability as a Club Good: An Idea Worth Exploring
A Framework for Trusted Openness in the Digital Age
October 9, 2025
Universities at the Frontline of the Tech Race
Equipping Students, Empowering Faculty, and Advancing National Resilience
October 2, 2025
Strategic Competition at NYU: Four Pillars for Democratic Strength
The Wahba Initiative for Strategic Competition relaunches at the Development Research Institute to help democracies deliver freedom and opportunity
September 25, 2025
Answering Today’s Biggest Digital Questions
How the U.S. and Europe’s Instincts Play Out in Policy
September 16, 2025
Different Histories, Different Rules
How America’s Rebellion and Europe’s Scars Produce Different Digital Rules — and Why That Can Be a Strength
September 9, 2025
Global Redistricting: How Energy Pipelines Are Re-Drawing the World’s Divides
From Siberia to Shanghai: The Strategic Stakes of Power of Siberia 2
September 3, 2025
Peace Requires Strength and Allies
Why today’s Ukraine negotiations must be judged not by ending this war, but by preventing the next.
August 18, 2025
Outrunning the Dragon Means Running Together
Fragmentation Is Failure: How Alliance Disunity Hands the Digital Future to Beijing
August 14, 2025
Two Gaps America Must Close to Win the AI Race
Without empowering universities and outcompeting authoritarian models abroad, we’re leaving key runners at the starting line.
August 12, 2025
A Stronger DFC for a Freer, More Open World
With an Oct. 6 deadline looming, reauthorizing the DFC is essential to America’s strategic and development leadership
July 31, 2025
Leading at Light Speed: Quantum Will Redefine Global Power
America cannot afford to lag—yet it does in quantum communications. Congress must reauthorize and expand the National Quantum Initiative Act now.
July 22, 2025 with Troy E. Dunn
The Five Faces of Power: Unpacking GRIPS in a World of Strategic Competition
Why strength today is systemic—and how each pillar must reinforce the others
July 17, 2025
Mind the Gap: Turning Strategy into Coherence
How the ALIGN Framework Helps Institutions Deliver on What They Declare
July 16, 2025
Are You Ready to Compete? Introducing the PIVOT Framework
Diagnosing Institutional Posture in a World of Strategic Pressure
July 15, 2025
Macron’s Strategic Message: A GRIPS View of Europe's Path Forward
What France’s president revealed about European power in a fragmented world
July 11, 2025
GRIPS: A Framework for National Strength in a Fragmented World
Governance, Resilience, Innovation, Perception, Security
July 10, 2025
Seeing Clearly in a Contested World
How GRIPS, PIVOT, and ALIGN Offer a 360° Framework for Strategic Coherence
July 8, 2025
Why the Frontiers of Freedom Still Matter to America
History teaches: Pay attention early—or pay more later
July 1, 2025