Ep. 21 Dominance Playbook: National Security Strategy, Undersea Competition, & Golden Dome Limits

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric crack open the 2025 National Security Strategy. They start by explaining what a National Security Strategy is supposed to do—define outcomes, not micromanage actions—and what it means when a strategy leans hard into “America First” rhetoric while saying almost nothing about education, health, and the human capital that underpins national power. They walk through the Trump Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine and the Western Hemisphere, the choice to treat partners transactionally rather than as allies, and whether this document focuses on strategy or specifics.They then shift domains to the undersea world of submarines, seabed pipelines, and cables as the quiet backbone of global power and the next domain of competition. From there, they discuss updates to the Golden Dome missile-defense concept and ask what it can realistically deliver (risk reduction and better decision-making) and what it can’t (a perfect shield against major nuclear powers). They close with What We’re Watching: the silence around serious budget and ACA debates heading into the holidays, and a second Venezuela boat-strike video that only seven members of Congress have seen, raising fresh questions about transparency, lawful oversight, and how much trust citizens should place in policy narratives.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Understandable Insights01:29 Top Christmas Movies 04:26 National Security Strategy 2025 17:21 The Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine28:39 The Bearing Game35:55 Undersea Competition43:56 Golden Dome Limits54:14 What We’re WatchingArticles: 2025 National Security StrategyCatch Me If You Claus About the show:Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon is the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.Website and Feedback:Remember we’re here for you. Provide us feedback or suggest topics for next time: FeedbackSend us Fan MailJoin us on Youtube, Instagram, and wherever you enjoy your podcasts. New episodes every Tuesday.  Follow or subscribe today.