Brandon C. Patrick

The author is a doctoral candidate in the Strategic Studies department at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where his research focuses on Iranian military innovation in the “maximum pressure” age. Brandon also works as a defense analyst in the D.C. area. He completed undergraduate degrees in Arabic and Middle Eastern / North African studies from the University of Arizona after serving as a linguist in the USAF. He lives with his wife in northern Virginia.

Before the Spark: The Decades-Long Roots of the Syrian Civil War

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was unaware of the coming inferno – one which would rage across North Africa and into the Middle-East, leaving in...

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Maduro’s Capture: The Rise of Might-Makes-Right International Order?

Maduro’s capture signals a grim shift: power over law. From Venezuela to Gaza and Ukraine, force is normalised, sovereignty erodes, and multilateral institutions hollow out—ushering a dangerous might-makes-right world order.

The Russian Far East and China: Turning a Resource Periphery into a Gateway for Growth

Sanctions revived Russia’s Far East as a pivot to Asia, but China ties remain extractive. Without diversification—energy, digital, tourism—the region risks staying a resource periphery, not a Northeast Asian gateway.

The Tiny Chips Shaping Our World: AI and the New Geography of Power

AI’s real power isn’t abstract—it’s silicon and data. Tiny chips now shape geopolitics, supply chains, and sovereignty. The AI race is a struggle over who sets the rules of our digital lives.

Japan’s F-2 Fighter and the Challenge of Co-Developing Defense Capabilities with South Korea

Japan’s F-2 shows co-development fails when power is asymmetric. Today, Japan–South Korea symmetry and shared threats create a rare chance to jointly build real deterrence—quietly, modularly, and beyond symbolism.

Greenland, and the Arctic Turn in U.S. Policy

Greenland is no longer just a partner—it’s a test. U.S. appointments signal an Arctic turn from consent to power, forcing Denmark, Europe, and Nuuk to defend self-determination against strategic coercion.