Examining the U.S. Defense Budget: An expert speaks in G.R. on February 19

Dr. Stephanie Young from the Washington D.C. think-tank RAND Corporation will give two presentations about the U.S. Defense Budget on Monday, February 19.

Young will speak on the topic "Are Getting the Right Bang for our Bucks?" at Calvin College's Covenant Fine Arts Center Recital Hall at 12 noon, and again in Aquinas College's Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m.

The presenations are the fourth in the eight-part Great Decisions series sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, intent on helping West Michigan residents gain information on international relations, foreign policy and global issues.

Young will be addressing questions such as "What size military force and what kind of weaponry is appropriate for the nature of today's conflicts?" and "Are we spending the military budget reponsibly?"

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor's degree in physics and astrophysics and a Ph.D. in history, Young is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, specializing in foreign policy and national security.

In 2012 she spent three months asn an analyst embedded with the Special Operations Joint Task Force in Kabul, Afghanistan. At RAND, she teaches a Ph.D. level course on the U.S. Defense Budget.

On February 12. the World Affairs Council hosted Dr. Sinan Ciddi, the director of the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University. He related the rocky history of U.S.-Turkey relations and warned that the current relationship in near the brekaing point.

Ciddi urged dialogue between the three segments of international relations that has kept the two countries connected since 1946, despite occasional disagreements: the diplomatic corps, military leadership and representatives from the executive branch, including the country's presidents.

"The world cannot afford these two countries, anchors of the NATO alliance, to be at odds," he said. "Repairing this relationship must be a priority." 

Ciddi noted that two primary developments have hurt cooperation between the two nations; changes in the regional dynamic of the Middle East after the Arab uprisings; and internal politics within Turkey and the U.S.

All are welcome to Great Decisions presentations. Admittance is $10, although faculty, staff and students of most local colleges and universities and employees from over 50 corporate partners can attend free of charge. See www.worldmichigan.org/greatdecisions2018 for more information.