In "American Crisis," David C. Gompert and Martin Libicki examine the precarious military dynamics between China and the United States, identifying the phenomenon of "crisis instability," where the first nation to initiate conflict gains a significant strategic advantage. This situation, particularly relevant in volatile regions such as the Koreas and Taiwan, poses a heightened risk of unintended hostilities as both countries’ forces are directly targeted at one another. The authors highlight the underappreciated role of cyber warfare in this context, arguing that it could further incentivize preemptive strikes, increasing the likelihood of conflict. They call for a reassessment of military strategies to address the complexities introduced by cyber capabilities, emphasizing the need for defense analysts to explore the implications of cyber conflicts on traditional military confrontations.