https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/give-nato-s-eastern-flank-countries-and-ukraine-all-the-m1-tanks

I have some specific questions about A-10 as the aircraft losses have been disproportionately Su-25 Frogfoots, the comparable SovBloc airframe, but overall agree. We need to clean out the older stuff, including all the Bradleys too old to be upgraded (their powerplants wont support the latest sensors or active protection). Also agree with the article that it would kickstart "divest to invest" and enable the US to start with a clean(er) slate for defense planning.

https://www.threads.net/@annabower/post/CxHKFVnstA3/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

I just joined the sub - I started listening to the podcasts a couple of months ago, so hello fellow news-hounds!

One thing I wanted to add about the Federal suit against Texas’s installing crap in the Rio Grande:

You’re a border state! One of the things you get/have to do is LEGALLY protect your international border. It’s part of Texas’ lot in life. It’s part of why the averaged cost and standard of living in Texas is lower than that in most blue states. Texas is a less desirable location. Deal with it, legally and humanely. You don’t get to finagle an illegal way to make Texas a less crappy state to live in. Like everything else, crappy is big in Texas.

I just wanted to type that somewhere on the internet…

The latest episode has Roger Parloff disagreeing with the state in the sentencing for many of the Oath Keepers. In fact he states the only one he "may" have increased is Stuart Rhodes. These are men that have been convicted of seditious conspiracy to overthrow our government. To state that they may have been just "role playing" is letting them off the hook. Would we have left the Black Panthers off the hook and said they were role playing in similar situations? It is giving these guys a hell of a pass. If we don't come down on these guys hard they will do it again.

Edit: withe

Really great RatSec this week, particularly the back half of the cluster bomb discussion. I'm pro-sending DPICM, they're millions of artillery shells and rockets, which is what the Ukranians need the most of right now.

The past that stuck out most to me tho was the discussion of the Ukranians efforts to lobby America, and I really think the "too clever by half" does apply. The Ukranians (and the media incentives) fixated on F-16 or ATACMS while neglecting the DPICM, or the older Bradley Fighting Vehicles that can't be upgraded to modern sensors or active protection. I also worry about the "cheap talking points" of No Fly Zones or the state sponsor of terror designation. The Ukranians reflexively maximalist hardball positions may begin to yield diminishing returns.

Fantastic pod on the Prigozhin Putsch. Think the intersection of commerical and physical security for Prigozhin and Putin's procrastinating fully siding with either the MoD or Prigozhin made this particular outcome happen.

I'm wondering if Wagner support, or suspicions of Wagner sympathies, will be concentrated in the VDV and other higher relative quality forces.

The number one killer of the Russian Air Force remains the Russian Ground Forces.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNTE4YTUyZjY5YWE4MTVkMmRiYTQxYw/episode/NjQ5YTU5ZjgwMWI3ZjEwMDExNWZkYTE0?ep=14

Great episode today on Wagner and the war. I agree wholeheartedly that the Russian system is almost feudal, with the "oligarchs" really just being patronage from the czar in Moscow.

Also, I looked up the Bakhmut song they mentioned. Pretty great. One thing I've been thinking about with all these videos from Ukrainian and Russian forces ks the prevalence of Western operator-chic. Punisher skull patches and Oakley's seem to be proliferating.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNTE4YTUyZjY5YWE4MTVkMmRiYTQxYw/episode/NjQzZGYwZDJlM2M1OWEwMDExOTczYTVk?ep=14

Really enjoyed the episode. I got a lot out of the rich discussion between the wonderful guests, might throw an application into the portal and see what happens 🫡🇺🇲😅

As a frequent discord user, think it's a great tool. Would be willing to help with a Lawfare one if anyone is interested. There's also a Bulwark discord, if you'd rather hop in.

Great coverage tho. The Pig meme is a Ukranian meme after some Russian criticised them as fish-pigs and then the Ukranians adopted it.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNTE4YTUyZjY5YWE4MTVkMmRiYTQxYw/episode/NjQzNWU0ZmQ5ZjM3YWQwMDEwM2QyMjVh?ep=14

Great emergency indictment pod. The "step up" theory seems relatively robust. Agree on the Judge Cannon-style maneuver as well, "the last thing Trump and his lawyers want is to litigate."

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNTE4YTUyZjY5YWE4MTVkMmRiYTQxYw/episode/NjQyY2M3Zjc2M2Y5YTIwMDExZjgyMmUx?ep=14

Great pod on "Defeating the Dictators." Wholeheartedly agree with it, and it echos Michael Beckley's emphasis on domestic reforms being integral to foreign policy. We can produce effects domestically with far higher reliability and lower cost than abroad, and the democratic process does insulate us from the catastrophic strongman mistakes.

👍👍

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNTE4YTUyZjY5YWE4MTVkMmRiYTQxYw/episode/NjQxOTE1OWJjNjMzNTUwMDExNjM1YTMy?ep=14

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzL2NoYXR0ZXI/episode/NjQwOTJjYzkyM2I1MWUwMDExZTU4NjU0?ep=14

Just an incredible interview. Agree with adversarial training, but wonder how much it penetrates other warfare communities like the Navy.

Incredible to learn about the battlefield monuments. I'll have to make a point of going to more. 🫡

It was excellent, learned so much! The early deemphasizing of the money and social media chase was saddening, but the pod was excellent. Glad Quinta led it. The 1/6 committee did good work but had its own incentives and prerogatives. Wholeheartedly agree that political violence isn't in the rearview, but that the AZ militias (or potentially these power substation attacks in NC) show the threat is metastisizing

Couple minor beefs with the China pod. Good pod, but here's where I'd quibble

1. Around the 7.5 min mark the description of Chinese minimalist deterrence is true of past behavior but they are pursuing nuclear modernization along with their other military reforms.

2. The "neutrality is siding with China" sets my Delian League flashbacks off. I understand that argument, China does likely want other countries in the area to wash their hands of the issue. Just the "with us or against us" logic becomes unhelpful and counterproductive pretty quickly, especially in diplomatic logjams.

3. The economic angle later in the pod is really well covered by the guests AEI FoPo wonk peer Michael Beckley in Unrivaled, and more recently in Danger Zone. Unrivaled really does a lotta the quantitative legwork. Probably still worth reading.

Good interesting stimulating pod tho!

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNTE4YTUyZjY5YWE4MTVkMmRiYTQxYw/episode/NjNkZDdhY2IyYzIyNDQwMDExNTViNTJh?ep=14

I imagine the powers that be are being especially tight-lipped about it, but still...the silence is surprising to me.

Another piece of evidence for the Royal Ulster Constabulary analogy... Sadly.

I think it's likely that McGonigal was the guy who flanked Comey into publishing the HRC letter in 2016, threatening to leak it otherwise. Be very interested to see how this plays out.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzYwNDI3ZjlkMzRiOWEyN2Y0YjZlM2E4ZA/episode/NjNjOGM4MDE4N2Q1NjgwMDExZDEwYmNk?ep=14

I'm all in favor of Biden being direct (option 4) and inviting impeachment for it. Directly confronting the bully, and forcing the FedSoc flunkies to show their true colors, makes the choice clear. Sunlight as disinfectant. Pay the debts.

I'm glad Quinta keeps banging the drum around the J6 report.

I think the debt ceiling has come around enough that it's becoming more known, I love the credit card analogy too. Think the GOP has been playing the golden oldies a little too long.