Rational Security: The “Going Once, Going Twice” Edition

Apr 7, 2024

Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett joins Alan and Quinta to discuss the week's national security news, from Trump's attacks triggering expanded gag orders to Israel's chaotic events, including strikes in Syria and Gaza. They dive into disinformation challenges and the Middle East's increasing turmoil.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Navigating Gag Orders and Legal Boundaries in the Podcast Episode

02:09 • 26min

Israeli Offensive: Political Challenges and Societal Implications

27:41 • 8min

Post-Hamas Scenario and Conflict Resolution Challenges

35:47 • 2min

Financial Optimization with Rocket Money and Reflections on Gaza Conflict

38:08 • 7min

Strikes, Escalation, and Disinformation

44:45 • 18min

Recommendations: The Three Body Problem on Netflix and a New Yorker Article on Tory Rule in the UK

01:02:39 • 3min

Exploring the Complex Realities of Guantanamo

01:05:56 • 4min

This week on Rational Security, Alan and Quinta were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to talk through the week's big national security news, including:

“A Gag Order Prevents Me From Telling You What This Segment Is Called.” After former President Donald Trump attacked the daughter of Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing his New York hush-money trial, Justice Merchan expanded the gag order he had previously imposed to prohibit Trump from attacking his family. This is only the latest in what has become a pattern of Trump testing gag orders in his many legal cases. Why have gag orders become such an important part of the Trump cases and how far should they reach?
“The Global Importance of the Middle East Is That It Keeps the Far East and the Near East From Encroaching on Each Other.” Even by the standards of the last few months, it’s been a particular busy week in Israel. In just 48 hours, an Israeli strike in Syria killed high-level Iranian military officials, another strike in Gaza killed several aid workers in a World Central Kitchen convoy, and a controversy around conscripting ultra-Orthodox men into the IDF is threatening Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. What comes next and is the crisis in the Middle East entering an even more chaotic period?
“Disinformation Peking Turducken.” An amazing thread on X involving Alex Jones, Russian lies about the CIA sending Nazis to fight in Ukraine, and a Chinese MAGA disinformation campaign is a preview of just how messy the 2024 electoral season is going to be. Is this just 2016 all over again, and what, if anything, can be done to safeguard the U.S. information space against foreign actors?

For object lessons, Alan suggested the new Netflix adaptation of the "3 Body Problem", Quinta shared a New Yorker article about the United Kingdom's recent decline, and Natalie recommended the Serial podcast's new season on Guantánamo Bay.

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