The U.S. military’s ban on women in combat rests on false stereotypes and an outdated understanding of war. Irregular warfare has blurred the concept of frontlines, meaning that many female American soldiers already risk their lives in battle. And research suggests that women can meet the functional requirements of fighting and that mixed combat units are no less effective than all-male ones. It’s time to abandon a policy that does no good -- and treats half of Americans as less than equal.

As Western defense budgets are declining, the price of projecting power is increasing and the range of interests requiring protection is expanding. To square this circle, the Pentagon needs to embrace a dramatic shift in its strategy. It should turn its focus away from repelling traditional cross-border invasions and pursuing regime change followed by stability operations -- and concentrate instead on assuring access to key regions and the global commons.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has become increasingly addicted to oil, which has underwritten bad policies and allowed Putin to buy off key constituencies and the masses. But petroleum could also hold the key to Russia’s salvation. The supply of cheap oil is running out, and Russia’s best hope of responding to the coming crunch is making the sort of changes liberal reformers have been pushing for years.