“What States Say They Can Do and COVID-19 Status at Six Months” is the title of a paper written by NWANY Wijesekara, HDB Herath, KALC Kodituwakku and HV Pathirana for Security Nexus. This paper reports finding a significant positive correlation globally between countries’ SPAR scores that indicate their capacities to deal effectively with public health risks and events and their COVID-related morbidity and mortality. Significance disappears in most cases when examined regionally. The authors offer minimal speculation as to the reasons for the unexpected finding, but sensibly suggest both additional factors, not currently assessed by SPAR, and further research. Continue reading

Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper speaks to the concept of Free and Open Indo-Pacific, with Dr John Chipman, and his audience. Continue reading