This week, Quinta and Scott rang in the New Year with co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes by discussing some listener-submitted topics, including:

• What does the AUKUS deal mean for the Five Eyes intelligence relationship?
• How can courts enforce a gag order against former President Trump?
• What would a President Nikki Haley mean for the Republican Party’s foreign policy?
• Which is better, wizards or fighters?
• Could anything stop former President Trump from appointing a cabinet of loyalists if elected back into the White House?
• How is misinformation impacting public understandings of the Gaza conflict?
• What advice would you give to folks beginning law school—and those married to them?
• Could we just do away with hard printouts of classified information altogether?
• How will China’s economic and demographic challenges impact its decision-making on Taiwan?
• What does Prighozin’s death mean for Wagner in Africa?
• What was your most (or least) favorite media of the year?

As for object lessons, they shared several sent in by listeners, including:

• The video game Pentiment, a murder mystery set in Renaissance Bavaria;
• The book “Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of Middle East Conflict” by Oren Kessler;
• The “anti-reactionary conservative news site” The Dispatch, including its podcasts Advisory Opinions, The Remnant, and The Dispatch Podcast;
• The book “Three Dangerous Men” by Seth Jones, examining military leaders in China, Iran, and Russia;
• The book “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann (but not the movie);
• The podcast “The Prince” about the rise of Xi Jinping (along with The Economist’s other phenomenal podcast work);
• The book “Listen Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People” by Thomas Frank;
• The new book “For the People, For the Country” by John Ragosta, a political biography of Patrick Henry;
• And LinkedIn as the hot new social networking site!

Thank you to everyone for listening to Rational Security and supporting Lawfare throughout the year. We hope you enjoy a Happy New Year, and we will be back in your feeds in 2024!

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