Limits of Tactical Gains

Matt and Katherine debate whether naval and missile damage justify the broader costs and knock-on effects.

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Episode notes

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the collapse of ceasefire talks with Iran and President Donald Trump's decision to order a U.S. military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. They examine Trump's insistence that the conflict is a win for America, what the United States has actually gained, and the mounting costs of escalation. The panel also discusses why voices such as former national security adviser John Bolton still push for escalation and why their foreign policy arguments continue to fail.

Next, the editors turn to Europe after Viktor Orbán's defeat in Hungary and what it says about the limits of nationalist populism, economic performance, and Vice President J.D. Vance's endorsement of the longtime Hungarian leader. They also discuss Kamala Harris hinting at another presidential run and Eric Swalwell's exit from California's governor race amid sexual assault allegations. The editors then examine Anthropic's decision not to release its powerful new Claude Mythos Preview model because of its hacking capabilities. Finally, a listener asks whether Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." can still be embraced as a patriotic song.

0:00—Has the U.S. won anything from the war with Iran?

14:49—Orbán loses reelection

27:41—Democrats have a candidate quality issue

33:45—Listener question on patriotic content

39:05—Anthropic's Claude Mythos

50:04—Weekly cultural recommendations