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Rational Security

Rational Security: The “RatSecapella” Edition

Rational Security

The Lawfare Institute

Foreignpolicy, Nationalsecurity, News, Government, Politics, Middleeast

4.82K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2024

⏱️ 76 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Contributing Editor Eric Ciaramella to talk through the week’s big natsec stories, including:

  • “Not Done Nyet.” U.S. foreign assistance is finally on its way to Ukraine, along with additional support from European allies. But will it be enough to solidify or advance the beleaguered Ukrainian military’s position? What is the state of the conflict and how does it look set to move forward?
  • “Official Tracts.” Last week, the Supreme Court heard wide-ranging arguments in Trump v. United States, the appeal of Trump’s criminal prosecution for events related to Jan. 6 considering his far-reaching claims of presidential immunity. Several of the justices seemed quite committed to weighing in on where the lines of immunity should be drawn (even if few seemed to think they were relevant in this particular case), but there was far less consensus on the actual limits. Where is the Court headed and what will it mean for Trump’s prosecution? 
  • “Live and Let Modi.” The Washington Post has broken a major story suggesting that the United States inadvertently disrupted a plot by Indian intelligence to assassinate a Sikh dissident (and U.S. national) on U.S. territory. What will this major breach of sovereignty mean for the budding U.S.-India alliance? And how should the Biden administration manage it?

For object lessons, Alan got on the Amor Towles admiration train and endorsed both his book “A Gentleman in Moscow” and the forthcoming TV adaptation. Quinta recommended the classic 2003 journalism period piece “Shattered Glass.” Scott log-rolled for a forthcoming project by our friends at Goat Rodeo and Project Brazen: Fur and Loathing, which looks at one of the most significant chemical weapons attacks in U.S. history, which took place at a 2014 convention for furries. And Eric shared a cultural lesson his Italian friend impressed upon him about the impropriety of drinking a cappuccino after 11:00am.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

We can talk about how much more boring college was when we were college students than it appears to be now.

0:05.5

Speak for yourself, man. Were you a revolutionary?

0:08.9

No, but I hung out with them. I went to their parties.

0:14.0

I went to Wesleyan.

0:15.0

I didn't go to parties because I was a nerd.

0:18.0

But I did go to Wesleyan.

0:19.0

My best college protest story is a Scalia came to give a lecture. This would have been 2011-2012 and it was all, you know,

0:31.4

there were protesters out front but like everyone was, you know, there were protesters out front, but like everyone was very, you know, within bounds.

0:35.8

It was all good.

0:36.8

Scalia gave his little lecture and then,

0:40.3

uh, before the question and answer session, I'm laughing just saying this, a bunch of kids,

0:46.4

it was in a converted church, the hall, and a bunch of kids who were sort of up on the top level unfurled these banners that said there can be no justice

0:56.5

in the court of the conqueror, which is a line I think from McIntosh, which is an early Indian law case from the dissent which is honestly like pretty

1:08.4

hardcore except that one there were two banners and they unfreled one of them upside down.

1:13.6

This is the most Wesleyan story ever.

1:16.6

Go on.

1:18.6

Oh my God, you such nerds.

1:21.8

And Alan went to Harvard. Come on. No, I know. And even I can't top this. This is just.

1:27.0

This is the thing. At the time I was like absolutely mortified on behalf of the university. And back that was kind of an awesome protest you know what

1:36.5

Which wrote a personal apology note to justice Scalia

1:38.8

Say please sir do not neglect that I did not do that I did not do. But like I think it was a great protest. It didn't prevent him from speaking like it didn't disrupt anything. The point was relatively clear. it pointed to you know actual case law I mean it wasn't that

1:56.7

clear half of it was upside down well right and I think there's a teachable moment which is that

...

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