Rational Security

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat down with unofficial fourth co-host, Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett, to discuss the week’s big national security news, including:

• “That’s one, one disqualified elector. (Ah ah ah.)” Both the House and Senate finally seem ready to reform the Electoral Count Act, the ambiguity-ridden statute that has (kind of) governed how Congress counts electoral votes since 1887. What threats to our elections process will these reforms fix? Which will they leave unaddressed?
• “It’s No Longer A-Me, Mario.” Recent elections are set to replace Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi with none other than Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy movement. What does her victory mean for democracy in Italy and across Europe?
• “Narcnado.” The Treasury Department’s decision to sanction Tornado Cash, an open source cryptocurrency tumbler, has privacy and technology advocates crying foul. Will the sanctions survive a coming legal challenge? Does it put First Amendment rights at risk?

For object lessons, Alan confessed his love of Jon Hamm, particularly in the movie "Confess, Fletch." Quinta recommended journalist David Enrich's deep dive into the big law firm Jones Day, "Servants of the Damned." Scott urged listeners to check out both his long-awaited report on standing doctrine and the late Loretta Lynn's rocker "Portland, Oregon" off her album with Jack White, "Van Lear Rose." And Natalie passed along a recent very real, non-satirical filing before the Supreme Court by America's finest news source, The Onion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare managing editor Tyler McBrien to hash through the week's big national security news, including:

• “Bad Vlad’s Sad Grab Has Leningrad a Tad Mad.” Russian President Vladimir Putin seems intent on escalating the conflict in Ukraine, as he’s mobilized thousands of civilian conscripts and is on the verge of incorporating separatist parts of the country into Russia following a sham referendum. But will the Russian people stand for these new actions? And what will they mean for the future of the conflict?
• “What’s Farsi for Riotgrrrl?” Young Iranians have taken to the streets for women’s rights following the apparent killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by religious police for failing to adequately cover her hair. Could this be a real threat to the Iranian regime? And what will it mean for hard-line President Raisi and the ailing Ayatollah Khameini?
• “Cannon as Anticanon.” Everyone’s favorite federal district court judge Aileen Cannon has had the part of her order requiring that a special master review even classified records seized from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate slapped down by the 11th Circuit. Where is the case—and the broader investigation—likely to go from here?

For object lessons, Alan recommended the long awaited mainstream press treatment of the Hunter Biden laptop story (over Quinta's reservations). Quinta memorialized "Wolf Hall" author Hilary Mantel, who recently passed away. Scott celebrated the Renaissance of fantasy television by giving his stamp of the approval to the debut season of Rings of Power. And Tyler endorsed both the solo movie date and the documentary Riotsville, USA that he recently took in.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott went guestless to discuss the week’s big national security news, including:

• “Ne Me Quitte Pas.” The nearby island nation of Haiti is hitting new levels of instability, as paired economic and political crises have given way to open gang warfare in broad swathes of the country. While the events have some calling for external intervention, others have expressed major reservations with such a step, given its past failings in the country. Where might this crisis lead?
• “I’m Rubber, You’re Su(ing).” Last week, the Fifth Circuit released a real barn-burner of an opinion in the matter of NetChoice v. Paxton, wherein it adopted a narrow reading of the First Amendment in order to resurrect a Texas law severely limiting how social media platforms can moderate content. What will this case mean for platforms moving forward?
• “Flying Worst Class.” Florida Governor Ron Desantis became the latest Republican governor this week to fly undocumented migrants to northern cities in purported protest of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. But his move has sparked unexpected furor among Florida’s Cuban and Venezuelan immigrant communities—as well as at least one criminal investigation. What was he thinking and where will this controversy go next?

For object lessons, Alan endorsed his and his wife's new favorite seasonal sweet treat: salted maple ice cream. Quinta highlighted a recent judicial opinion that appeared to mix up two of the judge's favorite philosophers: Plato and Donald Rumsfeld. And Scott celebrated his most recent homemade hot sauce success: turning tabasco chilis into "peppa sauce." 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat down with Lawfare deputy foreign policy editor and RatSec rookie Dana Stuster, to talk through the week’s big national security news, including:

• “Chechens Coming Home to Roost.” Ukraine’s surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv has proven to be a massive success, leading Russian troops to surrender seized territory as they beat a retreat. At the same time, supporters of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov—are becoming more openly critical of how the Russian government is managing the campaign. What will these setbacks mean for the future of the conflict—and the Putin regime itself? 
• “Did You Know You Can Eat Them With the Skins On?” Last week, Cloudflare announced that, due to “an unprecedented emergency and immediate threat to human life,” it would cease providing security services to Kiwi Farms, an internet forum infamous for coordinating harassment and doxxing campaigns. Should essential service providers like Cloudflare be put in the position of policing online content in this way? What’s the alternative?
• “Spoilers for Season 5 of ‘The Crown.’” For almost a century, Queen Elizabeth II was a stable presence in global politics, even as her country—and the global order it helped shape—transitioned from an era of empire and colonialism through an international Cold War and into the modern era. What might her death mean for the monarchy and the world moving forward?

For object lessons, Alan (and his dentist) thanked Quinta for supporting his saltwater taffy habit. Quinta shared a Civil War-era meme. Scott endorsed the once-and-forever named Tappan Zee Bridge and surrounding Palisades as a lovely way to transit through NYC. And Dana shared a book very appropriate for this moment of reflection on British history, David Ziblatt's classic "Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy." 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by co-host emeriti Ben Wittes and Shane Harris for a very special anniversary edition of Rational Security that pits their national security hot takes up against each other.

Which of the following takes will the team find to be "too hot," which "undercooked," and which "just right"?

• Americans (and especially progressives) will regret reviving the prospect of disqualifying people under section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
• Over the next year, there will be a windfall of information regarding unidentified aerial phenomena, including some pointing to possible extraterrestrial origin.
• A President Ron Desantis won't be as dangerous as President Donald Trump.
• Russia's terminal decline presents one of the greatest threats to global security.
• American democracy will be saved by social conservative minorities voting for the Republican Party. 

For object lessons, Alan endorsed his favorite children's book about affectionate penguins (of many), "I Like it When" by Mary Murphy. Quinta recommended Garret Graff's new eponymous book on Watergate, "Watergate." Scott urged D.C. area residents to visit Wheatland Spring Farm and Brewery on their next trip out to Purcellville, VA, and try their "Land + Waters" farmhouse ale for a true taste of Virginia. Ben thanked Scott for supporting him through his crippling dog shirt addiction, even though that support has now reached its limits. And Shane recommended a non-spy book by "the American LeCarre" Charles McCarry, entitled "The Bride of the Wilderness," as well as the famous used bookstore where he bought it: "The Bookstore" in Lenox, MA.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this anniversary-eve edition, Alan, Quinta, and Scott reunited to hash through this week’s big national security stories, including:

• “The Other Other Nuclear Option.” Hostilities in Ukraine are getting perilously close to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, with each side accusing the other of recklessly pursuing military in its vicinity. The IAEA is sending in a team to help secure the site. But what difference can the international community make? Does it need a different response?
• “Biting the Hand that Retweets You.” A new report indicates that Meta and Twitter have taken down a network of accounts associated with a pro-Western information operation critical of China, Russia, and Iran. Should the United States and its allies be engaging in these sorts of activities? How should social media platforms be treating them?
• “Fixing the CivCas Mismatch.” The Defense Department has rolled out a long awaited new policy aimed at finally accomplishing that many have long agreed on in principle, but have disagreed on how to prioritize: reducing civilian casualties from U.S. military operations. What does it do and is it likely to work?

For object lessons, Alan celebrated his recent trip to Miami by passing along a recipe for arroz con pollo. Quinta made up for last week with a double-headed set of endorsements: the Twitter feed @WatergateDayOf, which helps readers relive the Watergate scandal one day at a time, and the new Mountain Goats album "Bleed Out.” And Scott urged listeners to get excited about the most exciting biopic of a musician to come out in years: "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a Quinta-less Alan and Scott were joined by host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's big national security stories, including:

• “Sometimes the Best Defense is a New Offensive.” With apparent U.S. support, Ukraine is bringing the fight to Crimea and other Russian-held areas—and perhaps to the streets of Moscow itself, where a well-known Russian nationalist’s car and daughter were detonated this past week. What are the risks of this new strategy? And how far will (or should) the United States go in its support?
• “The Enemy of my Frenemy is my…Enemenemy?” Former President Donald Trump’s endorsement appeared to hold significant (if not absolute) sway in several recent Republican primaries, where a number of election-denying candidates won—several with help from the DCCC, who supported them against more moderate opponents in hopes of having weaker competition in the general election. How might this strategy impact democratic norms and the rule of law?
• “Special Masters and the Don/Sub(tweet) Relationship.” As more problematic facts regarding former President Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate come forward, his lawyers have put forward a novel argument seeking a special master to oversee what happens to the records recovered—one that hinges on Trump’s ability to assert executive privilege against the Executive Branch. What should we make of this argument and what does this case seem to mean for Trump's legacy moving forward?

For object lessons, Alan stuck it to the state of Iowa with his endorsement of the Minnesota State Fair and its rightly celebrated butter sculptor. Scott took over Quinta's traditional role and endorsed a New Yorker article, specifically Adam Entous' deep dive into President Biden's family history. And Ben urged listeners to check out the forthcoming nine-part series he, Matt Gluck, and Tia Sewell have forthcoming in Lawfare, documenting all of the evidence that the Jan. 6 committee put forward regarding former President Trump's conduct.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by their fellow Lawfare senior editor Molly Reynolds to talk through a week of big national security news stories, including:

• “Regrets? I’ve had a few.” One year has passed since the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan, which triggered the collapse of the U.S.-backed government and the return to power of the Taliban. What have we learned from this experience? And how should it inform U.S. engagement with Afghanistan moving forward? 
• “Half-Truths and Reconciliation.” Democrats in Congress have scored a huge climate win in the form of the somewhat strangely named Inflation Reduction Act, which passed both chambers by the slimmest of margins through a special procedure known as reconciliation that bypasses the supermajority requirement that the Senate usually operates under thanks to the filibuster. How big a deal is this? And is it a model that other policy proposals can follow? 
• “Déclassé.” While the Justice Department weighs whether to release more documents regarding its search of Mar-a-Lago, former President Trump has offered a new explanation as to why he had so many classified documents in a storage unit there: he’d had a standing order to declassify whatever classified records he wanted to bring home with him. What is the latest in the investigation and where does it seem to be headed? 

For object lessons, Alan endorsed another audiobook he's enjoying through Libby: Erik Larson's "The Splendid and the Vile.” Quinta noted her pleasant surprise that author Mary Gaitskill appears to have started a surprisingly good substack. Scott recommended a bunch of media he has been involved in on the one-year anniversary of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, including a segment on the most recent episode of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," a recent episode of the radio and podcast series Reveal, and of course Lawfare's own audio series on the collapse of the Afghan SIV program entitled Allies. And, because it was Primary Day in Alaska, Molly took the occasion to remind us all of the secret sauce behind Lisa Murkowski's historic 2010 Senate win as a write-in candidate: some carefully calculated flyers (involving pictures of cows and skis) that instructed voters how to spell her name.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by special guest Ravi Agrawal, editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy magazine, to hash through the week's big national security news, including:

• “Canned Strategy.” The war in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan have led the Biden administration to further revise its long overdue National Security Strategy, which it now intends to release in the fall. What do we already know about Biden’s grand strategy? And how should we evaluate it?
• “Mar-a-Leggo My Federal Records.” Yesterday, the FBI executed a search of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, reportedly in search of classified documents that Trump had retained in violation of federal records laws. How serious a step is this and what does it mean for the broader universe of investigations surrounding Trump and his associates? 
• “Milley Not So Vanilli.” A shocking new report details former President Trump’s contentious relationship with his generals—including a particularly contentious relationship with his Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley that has some experts concerned about civ-mil relations. Were Milley and the other generals out of line? Is there reason to be concerned moving forward?

For object lessons, Alan gave a double-headed recommendation: for the late David McCullough, and specifically his eponymous biography of John Adams; and the lovely town of Asheville, NC. Quinta passed along Caitlin Dickerson's investigation of the Trump administration's child separation policies in The Atlantic, "The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Family-Separation Policy." Scott celebrated the discovery of the greatest food hack in history, which he acquired via Dan Souza's YouTube series, "What's Eating Dan?": putting cream of tartar on fresh tomatoes (along with salt, pepper, and sugar) to make even mediocre ones delicious. And Ravi urged listeners to check out both Foreign Policy and his podcast there, Global Reboot.

Be sure to visit our show page at www.lawfareblog.com and to follow us on Twitter at @RatlSecurity.

And Rational Security listeners can get a committed ad-free feed by becoming a Lawfare material supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alan, Quinta, Scott, and favorite guest Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett got together to discuss the week's big national security news, including:

• “Another One Bites the Dust.” This past weekend, an American drone strike successfully killed yet another major terrorist leader—this time al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri—in downtown Kabul, while apparently avoiding any civilian casualties or significant collateral damage. What does the strike tell us about the Biden administration's counterterrorism strategy and the role it plays in his broader global agenda?
• “Maybe He Just Mixed Up His St. Petersburgs.” In Florida, the Justice Department has indicted Russian agent Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov for engaging in an array of political activities on behalf of fringe political candidates and organizations, with the alleged goal of promoting political instability at the Russian government's behest. What light does this indictment shed on Russian interference in American politics?
• “The Bully Cockpit.” Over reported objections from the Biden administration, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has flown to Taiwan, making her the most senior U.S. official to visit the hotly contested island in more than two decades and raising China's ire at what many say is a sensitive moment. Is her trip helpful or foolhardy? And what does it tell us about Congress's role in U.S. foreign relations?

For object lessons, Alan urged readers check out a recent Russian propaganda video, but made clear he did not endorse it. Quinta recommended Annie Lowrey's recent Atlantic article on her difficult pregnancy experiences and what they mean in a post-Dobbs world, "American Motherhood." Scott made two very different pop culture recommendations: the intense food freak drama The Bear and the delightful surf documentary satire with penguins Surf's Up. And Natalie recommended one of her favorite cookbooks, The Immigrant Cookbook, which feature recipes and compelling stories from new and first-generation Americans.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.