Rational Security 2.0: The 'Thanks for Nothing, Volodya' Edition

Jen Patja, Alan Z. Rozenshtein, Quinta Jurecic, Scott R. Anderson
Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 12:00 PM

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott sat down sans guest to work through some of the week's big national security news, including:

  • “Like Stalin Without the ‘Stache.” The unpopularity of Russia’s war in Ukraine has led President Vladimir Putin to dramatically constrain what little free media and space for public dissent Russia had left. How will Russia be changed? 
  • “The No-No-Fly-Zone.” The United States and Europe are finding themselves at loggerheads with the beleaguered government of Ukraine over the latter’s request for a No-Fly-Zone and other forms of support that they are so far unwilling to extend. What support should the United States and its allies provide to the Ukrainian government? And where is the line they shouldn’t cross?
  • “The Crime-Fraud Perception.” A new filing by the Jan. 6 committee points out that it sure looks like President Trump might have committed some crimes in the aftermath of the 2020 election. What does this mean for the future of a possible Justice Department investigation?

For object lessons, Alan expressed his horniness for the annual antler shed hunt that takes place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming each year. Quinta recommended a New Yorker piece on the possibility that former congressman and Trump chief-of-staff Mark Meadows engaged in a bit of voter fraud. And Scott shared his new favorite way to drink amaro: all shook up


Jen Patja is the editor and producer of The Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and has been a freelance editor for over 20 years.
Alan Z. Rozenshtein is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School, a senior editor at Lawfare, and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, he served as an Attorney Advisor with the Office of Law and Policy in the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.
Quinta Jurecic is a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and a senior editor at Lawfare. She previously served as Lawfare's managing editor and as an editorial writer for the Washington Post.
Scott R. Anderson is a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow in the National Security Law Program at Columbia Law School. He previously served as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and as the legal advisor for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

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