Assessing America’s National Security Threats

I was disappointed that the instructor was so politically opinionated and was happy to make political comments in the course. His political comments were a big distraction from the topic. I’ll never sign up again for a class taught by HR McMaster.

I'm very interested in the subject. The talks were mostly devoid of evidence, some of it incorrect, and lots of empty talk. Each section seemed like a repeat of the one before.

General McMaster uses the term 'presentations' to describe these 12 'lectures.' I agree with him; they are not lectures in the true academic sense of what is a typical course offered by The Great Courses. His knowledge and experience is extensive and his personal opinions on the topics are well worth listening to. This course is better as an audio learning tool since all he does is sit on a stool and reads from the teleprompter. The photos he offers are little more than promotional pictures of him with various leaders. His approach to these presentations strikes me more as someone who is thinking about running for elected office as opposed to a classroom professor. Nonetheless, I found them interesting and worthwhile as a forum for getting a better understanding of the dynamics associated with assessing America's security threats.

I find this series interesting enough. It is mostly about national security issues in past 30 years, within the geopolitical climate of the current world. However, I feel the series look at the personal point of view of the professor than generic introduction.

Assessing America's National Security Threats by National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster is a timely course on the problems US foreign policy faces from hostile nations, terrorists, and climate change. There is a lot of good information on how foreign policymakers should think strategically in addressing our problems and threats. One example was the explanation of the various playbooks Russia, China and Iran use in dealing with the United States. Another was the importance of integrating various foreign policies so they work together. Some Great Courses customers will probably find McMaster's obvious Republican political biases troublesome. For example, McMaster focuses on the benefits of democracy and the evil intentions of strongman dictators like Putin, yet is stunningly silent on former President Trump's admiration for strongmen dictators like Russia's Putin and Trump's total lack of respect for democratically elected leaders in Germany, France, and Canada. And when talking about the importance of addressing the problems of climate change McMaster fails to mention Trump thought climate change was a hoax. Critical comments made, I still believe this is a course well worth watching as McMaster makes a lot of worthwhile suggestions on how we should address these various problems. No matter the biases of policy experts we should give them our attention as citizens of a democracy.

This is just telling the true. It is the truth that happen in each time.

Wondrium certainly continues to obtain the best experts. For anyone interested in opening their mind to facts of national security, this course is a must.

This course should be viewed by all - Republicans and Democrats. Yes, the professor leans toward conservatism. But he is right in that Republicans are the only voice that seeks to keep the county as a Republic and not some form of socialist, perhaps even communist form of government. That being said this course gives a good estimate, although some might consider the course content as "opinion" only. A course well worth of the Great Course stable of content.

The Great Courses has scored a real coup in securing Gen. H.R. McMaster to provide his insights on the security threats our nation faces in this important course. While Gen. McMaster served as National Security Advisor under President Trump and currently serves as a fellow at the right-leaning Hoover Institution at Stanford, he offers in this course blunt criticisms of many of the foreign policy decisions of all of the Republican and Democratic administrations since Kennedy. He argues that administrations of both parties have been guilty of what he calls "strategic narcissism"--an overly US-centric view of the world--and is particularly critical of the isolationist left and right in the United States today. As the lecture list reflects, Gen. McMaster touches on the most pressing foreign policy challenges the United States faces all around the world. As to each, he provides eye-opening detail in describing how we have reached the current state of affairs and then offers candid suggestions--some posed as a high structural approach, others proposed as specific, concrete actions--to address the risks the US faces from abroad. All, however, are grounded in his study and experience honed through his many years in the White House, the military, and as an historian (he has a PhD in history). Many people on the left and the right will disagree with certain of his assessments, criticisms, and proposals, but I do not believe anyone can fairly criticize his passion, his fair-minded approach to engage debate from all perspectives, and his confidence that the US will rise to meet its challenges around the globe. Highly recommended!

Watching this in the UK, I really enjoyed and felt like I gained a lot of helpful insight from the 12 presentations. Salient, complex issues faced by the US and the world more widely, from hostile state motivations to overlapping environmental challenges, have been broken down and commented on in a forthright and constructive way by H.R McMaster, with key historical context, critiques of previous policy and practical solutions all being compellingly explained and well-illustrated by the various case studies and narratives. I wholeheartedly recommend the programme to anyone even just a little interested in those issues.