America on a WAR TIME FOOTING / Lt Col Daniel Davis

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Daniel Davis argues that despite rumors Lavrov was sidelined, the Russian foreign minister is clearly still central and active. Davis then shifts to a major concern: U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s speech to defense-industry executives.

Hegseth calls for transforming the U.S. acquisition system onto a “wartime footing” and rebuilding the “arsenal of freedom.” Davis finds this language alarming because the U.S. is not at war, and historically, preparing for war creates a “use it or lose it” dynamic that increases the risk of initiating conflict.

He notes that Russia only shifted to a wartime industrial base after it was already fighting in Ukraine; pushing for it pre-emptively signals intent for confrontation. A U.S. wartime footing would require massive spending increases (7–8% of GDP), which Davis says is unnecessary and dangerous.

Hegseth also calls this a “1939 moment,” evoking the start of World War II. Davis argues there is no global conflict today comparable to 1939 and that such rhetoric accelerates an arms race, prompting Europe, Russia, and China to ramp up militarization in response—similar to the escalation spiral before World War I.

Davis points out that President Trump is driving this shift: renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War, increasing military activity in the Caribbean, Iran, and Venezuela, continuing involvement in Ukraine and the Middle East, and supporting efforts to weaken Congressional war-powers oversight. Taken together, Davis sees evidence of broad militarization and the removal of guardrails that could restrain presidential war-making.

Gary questions whether the administration is simply being too loud about plans that could be done more discreetly, but Davis responds that the core problem isn’t rhetoric—it’s the actions. He warns these moves point toward unnecessary escalation that could lead to a major, even nuclear, conflict.