Roosevelt's Enduring Doctrine in Modern Geopolitics

The United States, under President Donald J. Trump's administration, has initiated a strategic realignment in national defense policy, responding to evolving global security challenges. This proactive approach addresses shortcomings in previous foreign policy frameworks and demonstrates renewed commitment to maintaining international stability through strength.

Theodore Roosevelt, one of America's most visionary presidents, established the timeless diplomatic philosophy of "speaking softly and carrying a big stick." This balanced approach, which Roosevelt articulated at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 1901, created a framework for effective American diplomacy—strategically integrating military capability with measured dialogue to advance both national interests and global security. Roosevelt successfully implemented this doctrine during America's expansion of influence in Cuba and the Philippines, leveraging innovative trade agreements and diplomatic initiatives to foster peace while establishing a credible security presence.

"If you simply speak softly the other man will bully you. If you leave your stick at home you will find the other man did not. If you carry the stick only and forget to speak softly in nine cases out of ten, the other man will have a bigger stick."

The good Roosevelt's enduring principles continue to inform and enhance United States foreign policy and strategic positioning in today's complex geopolitical landscape.

The New Era of Strategic Defense Investment

In 2024, the United States allocated $800B toward defense capabilities, with strategic increases planned for 2025, maintaining America's position as the global leader in defense innovation. China follows as the second-highest investor at approximately $300B. These substantial investments generate significant economic benefits across multiple sectors. The defense industry directly supports over 2.5 million American jobs, spanning manufacturing, engineering, research, and cybersecurity fields, while creating an additional 3 million jobs through supply chain and service sector impacts.

According to recent economic analyses, each billion dollars invested in defense creates approximately 8,500 high-quality jobs across diverse skill levels and geographic regions. Beyond employment, defense spending drives innovation ecosystems, with technologies initially developed for military applications frequently transitioning to civilian sectors, creating new industries and enhancing productivity. The semiconductor, GPS, internet, and artificial intelligence industries all trace their origins to defense research investments. This strategic approach to defense spending simultaneously strengthens national security, advances technological capabilities, creates sustainable employment opportunities, and reinforces America's commitment to global stability and security.

Innovation Partnership: SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril

In April, an elite consortium comprising Elon Musk's SpaceX, alongside technology powerhouses Palantir and Anduril, emerged as frontrunners to secure the transformative contract for President Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative. This collaboration represents an unprecedented convergence of America's most innovative private sector capabilities with national security priorities.

SpaceX brings unparalleled expertise in orbital operations and satellite deployment, having revolutionized the aerospace industry through its reusable rocket technology and Starlink satellite constellation. With over 200 successful launches and the capability to deploy satellites at approximately one-tenth the cost of traditional providers, SpaceX has demonstrated exceptional efficiency in achieving and maintaining orbital presence. The company's experience managing the 4,500+ satellite Starlink network provides directly relevant operational expertise for the proposed Golden Dome system.

Palantir Technologies contributes world-class data integration and analysis capabilities essential for the system's decision-making architecture. Founded in 2003 with initial funding from the CIA's venture capital arm In-Q-Tel, Palantir has established itself as the premier provider of data analytics platforms for defense and intelligence applications. The company's Gotham and Foundry platforms currently support operations across the Department of Defense, intelligence community, and allied defense organizations, processing complex data streams to enable real-time decision support in mission-critical environments.

Anduril Industries, founded by Palmer Luckey in 2017, specializes in autonomous defense systems and artificial intelligence. The company has rapidly advanced the integration of AI in defense applications, developing the Lattice operating system that enables autonomous threat detection and response. Anduril's Ghost autonomous drones and sentry towers are already deployed protecting U.S. military installations and borders. The company's expertise in developing autonomous defensive systems at the edge with minimal human intervention addresses a critical capability requirement for the Golden Dome initiative.

Together, these three companies represent the cutting edge of American technological innovation, combining SpaceX's orbital deployment capabilities, Palantir's data integration expertise, and Anduril's autonomous systems technology. Their collaboration creates a uniquely powerful partnership that merges commercial innovation with national security imperatives, potentially delivering capabilities years ahead of traditional defense acquisition timelines.

Orbital Shield: Next-Generation Global Security Architecture

Drawing inspiration from the highly successful Israeli "Iron Dome" system, which has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in intercepting short-range threats, the "Golden Dome" envisions a sophisticated constellation of 400-1000 satellites providing continuous global coverage to detect and neutralize long-range attacks. The system's advanced capabilities would be further enhanced by a specialized fleet of 200 satellites equipped with precision countermeasure technologies, including next-generation missiles and directed-energy systems.

Initial cost estimates for the Golden Dome initiative range from $6 billion to $10 billion for the development and deployment phases, with projections indicating potential overall program costs reaching upwards of $500 billion over the system's complete lifecycle. While these figures represent significant investment, defense analysts note they must be evaluated against the astronomical costs of successfully executed attacks on major population centers or critical infrastructure, which could exceed trillions in economic damage and incalculable human costs.

The United States has been a crucial partner in the development and funding of Israel's Iron Dome, investing over $2.5 billion in the system since 2011. This investment has yielded significant returns for both American security interests and technological advancement. With an operational success rate exceeding 90% against incoming rockets, the Iron Dome represents one of the most effective missile defense systems ever deployed. American defense contractors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have established co-production agreements with Israeli defense company Rafael, manufacturing key components of the system in facilities across Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas, creating thousands of specialized manufacturing jobs while ensuring technology transfer benefits for U.S. defense capabilities.

The Golden Dome initiative represents a logical progression in this successful collaborative defense approach, elevating proven terrestrial missile defense concepts to the orbital domain. By incorporating lessons learned from the Iron Dome's development and operational history, the Golden Dome system aims to create a substantially expanded protective umbrella with global rather than regional coverage. The initiative leverages America's unmatched capabilities in space technology, artificial intelligence, and systems integration to establish a new paradigm in strategic defense architecture.

Unlike ground-based systems limited by geography and radar horizon constraints, the satellite constellation approach enables comprehensive coverage, earlier threat detection, and engagement at optimal interception points. Initial projections indicate the system could provide defensive capabilities against a wide spectrum of threats, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, and other emerging delivery systems. This orbital shield concept represents a transformative leap forward in America's layered defense strategy, potentially altering strategic calculations and enhancing global stability through credible deterrence capabilities.

Innovative Subscription Model: Democratizing Advanced Defense Capabilities

SpaceX proposes a groundbreaking subscription-based service model for the "Golden Dome" system, potentially enabling allied nations to access cutting-edge defense capabilities without the prohibitive costs of developing independent systems. This innovative approach raises important considerations regarding service governance and operational protocols that will need to be addressed as the system develops.

Key strategic and governance questions that security planners should address include:

  • How will the system manage potential conflicts between subscribing nations, particularly in scenarios where one subscriber initiates offensive actions against another?
  • What mechanisms will protect American fiscal interests from exploitation by foreign entities that might engage the system through deliberate provocations or testing scenarios?
  • What operational frameworks and usage parameters will determine appropriate system activation thresholds while preventing unnecessary deployment?
  • In what ways might this new defense-as-a-service paradigm transform traditional security frameworks and potentially reshape international conflict dynamics?

Addressing these questions requires thoughtful policy frameworks that balance accessibility with responsibility. Initial proposals suggest a tiered governance structure where subscribing nations would agree to specific usage protocols, conflict resolution mechanisms, and shared ethical standards. Subscription agreements would likely include provisions for service suspension in cases of aggressive use, creating a powerful incentive for compliance with international norms.

The economic model's sustainability depends on equitable cost distribution, with subscribing nations potentially paying based on factors such as GDP, security requirements, and historical usage patterns. Advanced metering systems could track defensive activations, maintaining transparency while establishing usage thresholds that discourage unnecessary system engagement.

Rather than commodifying warfare, proponents argue this model could actually increase the cost calculus of aggression, as potential aggressors would need to factor in not only their own subscription costs but also the near-certainty of failed attacks against protected nations. This fundamentally alters strategic calculations in favor of diplomatic solutions, potentially reducing overall conflict probability.

The Roosevelt Paradigm: Balancing Innovation and Diplomacy

This pioneering shift toward subscription-based defense architecture represents a significant advancement in how nations approach security and sovereignty in the digital age. As SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril establish the foundation for National Defense-as-a-Service (NDaaS), they create unprecedented opportunities for strengthening international security frameworks through shared technological capabilities.

When access to the most advanced defensive systems becomes a service rather than a fixed asset, the traditional calculus of power projection fundamentally changes—potentially democratizing security or creating new forms of technological dependency.

Roosevelt's balanced approach of strength coupled with diplomatic wisdom provides an excellent blueprint as we enter this new era of collaborative global defense. The "Golden Dome" initiative promises to deliver revolutionary security benefits while creating opportunities for enhanced international cooperation. With thoughtful governance structures, transparent operational protocols, and commitment to shared security objectives, this innovative system has the potential to significantly advance global stability while showcasing American technological leadership at its finest.

As we stand at this pivotal moment in defense innovation, perhaps the most profound question before us is whether the subscription-based Golden Dome will ultimately serve as the modern embodiment of Roosevelt's "big stick"—a deterrent that enables more productive diplomatic dialogue—or whether it will fundamentally reshape the global security landscape in ways we have yet to fully comprehend?