Welcome to Breaking Beijing

The Blueprint for How to Win

Here I go again. With my novel about the future of US-China conflict, EX SUPRA, now finally live and arriving on doorsteps, I’ve moved on to my next project: the Breaking Beijing newsletter. I’ve identified a gap in coverage and I want to fix it. DC is full of commentary on US-China competition and conflict, and I’ve written my fair share on it. However, there’s really no hub for solid, detailed plans for how to win. Bemoaning the problem or think tank buzzwording the problem away won’t work. Much like with my novel, where I sought to write the book that I wanted to read. I’m going to build the newsletter that I want to subscribe to. I want to write the recommendations that think tanks won’t dive into, recommendations that give clear guidance, not vague 10,000 foot admirations of the problem. Instead of commentary for the sake of commentary, Breaking Beijing will be more like a blueprint for well…check the title.

I’ve written FICINT stories, vignettes, policy, and plenty of commentary. And in all my work and research I have been constantly annoyed and confounded at how bland research papers, think tank reports, and big wig commentary can be. If you work in DC and really work the problem I know it drives you crazy too. I don’t claim to have al the answers, but I want to do more than just prove how many buzzwords I can cram into a paper or line myself up for employment with a future admin.

I want Breaking Beijing to be the blog that says “this is how we win.” For you the potential subscriber, I promise practical recommendations, details, and the occasional red-teaming of my own recommendations and present policies. I want those recommendations to be just as well understood as some PhD as the regular American just trying to understand the world better. For those who know me personally, you know I’m not in this for the career or the insider parties, I’m in it to win. I believe in the mission. In order to win, we have to start breaking the mold of what it means to help out in the policy world.

As far as how this will all work, I plan on publishing about once a week and might host guest writers as well. Ideally, Breaking Beijing will become a place for those ideas and reports that would otherwise be crushed by the think tank world. Additionally, I am even considering launching a podcast down the line. This will be a big experiment, so bear with me.

I’ll welcome feedback on all of this. More to follow soon.