Rational Security 2.0: The 'Dirty Little Secrets' Edition

Jen Patja
Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 12:01 PM

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest, Lawfare associate editor Rohini Kurup! They sat down to discuss:

  • “I’ll Keep You, My Dirty Little Secret”: The Supreme Court has heard oral argument in not one but two cases relating to the controversial state secrets doctrine this term. Will the doctrine survive Supreme Court scrutiny in its current form?
  • “Coming Home to Roost”: Last week, a Guantanamo Bay detainee’s unprecedented testimony regarding his torture at American hands led members of a military jury to recommend he receive clemency. Will this be a turning point for the military commissions?
  • “Bark v. Bite”: A judge recently criticized the Department of Justice for describing the January 6 insurrection as an unprecedented criminal act while bringing only minor charges against many defendants involved in it. What do we know of the Department’s prosecutorial strategy thus far—and does it make any sense?

For object lessons, Quinta shouted out a former obsession of hers, Neopets. Alan endorsed a number of Twitter accounts committed to things cute and fuzzy, including @dog_rates, @timelinecats, and @otteritarian. Scott proselytized for his favorite bean cult, Rancho Gordo Bean Club. And Rohini celebrated the anniversary of the Four Seasons Total Landscaping fiasco with a new documentary on the topic.


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.

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