Level 1 of Almost Troopin': I thought about joining up after 9/11

Level 2 of Almost Troopin': I do the Navy SEALs workout from Men's Health

Level 5 of Almost Troopin': I'm too alpha for drill sergeants

Level 100 of Almost Troopin': My relatives fought in the Revolutionary War

This could be both a dangerous and an effective way to promote someone's pet issue.

Really enjoyed this long conversation about the NSC, Washington, and more with ⁦Jordan Schneider⁩. Please take a listen/read. chinatalk.media/p/is-the-nsc-u…

ICYMI: Great interview with John Gans on the deep personnel problems facing the NSC and US foreign policy. ⬇️🌐🇺🇸

Just heard a member of Congress on NPR explaining that we need to hit Iran hard because “in that part of the world they respect strength,” in case you’re wondering if our foreign policy debates have gotten any less dumb in the last twenty years.

'Book Deal Bolton' deserves a chef's kiss. 10/10 nickname.

What say you, Graeme Wood?

Axios: 'First look: John Bolton's predictions for a second Trump term'
axios.com/2024/01/30/tru…

There is no better encapsulation of the present state of our politics than a presidential candidate exiting the race by paraphrasing an old Budweiser ad, and misattributing it to Winston Churchill:

That the American most adept at wielding political power in the last 80 years also happens to be the worst American alive is some historic bad luck.

Daniel Ellsberg was a real one

from John Gans 's phd thesis

The Senate acquitting Trump for January 6 continued the long American tradition goes back to Andrew Johnson pardoning ex-confederates to Ford pardoning, a lack of accountability for Iran-Contra and Quantanamo to McConnell voting to acquit Trump.

This is *insane.*

No good reason for this to be kept from reporters and the public

They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. via @NYTimes nytimes.com/2023/12/08/bus…

We have jumped the shark.

At #COP28 , we must find a path forward to mobilize more of the $3.8 trillion in investments needed to prevent #climate catastrophe. In this piece for Foreign Policy, I outline 3 key paths to advancing human progress while slowing down #climate change. foreignpolicy.com/2023/12/01/cop…

Thinking of Mort Halperin and the many others Henry Kissinger tried to run over in the pursuit of power.

👇

Fair

Such an important story from the @NYTimes. Even in the most successful US military initiative of the last 20 years, service members came home in just terrible shape. nytimes.com/2023/11/05/us/…

Smart look by ⁦Hugh Tomlinson⁩ at the stress on the busiest person in Washington Jake Sullivan. Glad to add some historical perspective. “Will wars overwhelm Joe Biden’s biggest brain?” thetimes.co.uk/article/will-w…

The problem with revenge is that it’s the opposite of strategic. It’s a reaction determined by the adversary’s initiative, rather than an initiative determined by one’s own objectives. As I said yesterday, wanting revenge is understandable. Seeking it is a mistake.