Spencer Ackerman has an interesting post asking whether counterinsurgency doctrine is intrinsically imperialist. He concludes that it’s not, but that it may nevertheless be of great use to imperialists. It’s worth reading as a primer on an important debate. And for a broader look at the influence of counterinsurgency ideas within the military, check out my colleague Tara McKelvey’s article on the Cult of Counterinsurgency.

Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.