Weekly Roundup: MAGA Masculinity, the Iran War, and the DOGE Files: What Happens When Power Rejects Expertise

42 snips

Mar 14, 2026

A sharp take on how a culture of macho action and disdain for expertise shaped risky Iran policy and strategic blind spots around the Strait of Hormuz. A closer look at young operatives cutting federal grants based on references to feminism, LGBTQ people, or race. Questions about how domineering governance and anti-knowledge politics harm institutions and could reshape political coalitions.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Experts Were Removed Before Iran Decisions

The administration sidelined experienced Iran experts and fired officers who offered inconvenient intelligence.
Dan Miller and Brad point to firings of generals and FBI counterintelligence staff as evidence expertise was purged from decision-making.

INSIGHT

Bombing A Girl's School Shows Costs Of Rushed Militarism

A U.S. strike mistakenly hit an Iranian girls' school, illustrating costs of rushed militarism.
Brad links the bombing to a leadership style that prefers punching first and refuses accountable restraint.

ADVICE

Choose Help Over Domination

Ask how you can help rather than assert control; prioritize relationships and protection beyond displays of force.
Brad recommends expansive protection: emotional, relational, and long-term investment instead of macho posturing.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

On this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller dive headfirst into the Trump administration’s approach to Iran—and the deeper worldview shaping it. They examine the escalating conflict, the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, and the administration’s apparent failure to anticipate Iran’s most obvious leverage point. But beyond the geopolitics, Brad and Dan argue that something larger is at play: a model of “MAGA masculinity” that prizes action over thought, rejects expertise, and treats diplomacy and long-term relationships as weakness. From Pete Hegseth’s press conferences to the firing of intelligence experts and counter-terrorism staff, they trace how a culture that glorifies brute force and disdain for knowledge can produce catastrophic decision-making—with real human costs.

In the second half of the show, the conversation turns to newly released depositions from former DOGE officials tasked with slashing federal grants. The clips reveal young operatives with little expertise making sweeping cuts based largely on whether projects referenced feminism, LGBTQ people, or racial minorities—raising serious questions about the real meaning behind the administration’s war on “DEI.” Brad and Dan connect these revelations back to their broader theme: a governing philosophy rooted in domination, resentment, and the rejection of intellectual or moral accountability. They close by asking whether the Iran conflict could fracture the MAGA coalition ahead of the midterms—and by reflecting on what healthier forms of masculinity, leadership, and public responsibility might look like in contrast.

Subscribe for $3.65: ⁠https://axismundi.supercast.com/⁠

Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠

Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠

Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices