Unf*cking The Republic Trump and Hegseth (Professor Dunning & Corporal Kruger).
Apr 9, 2026
A sharp critique of leadership and military decision making in the run-up to war. Discussion of how political incentives, media and defense profits shape conflict. Examination of degraded intelligence, hollowed military readiness, and flawed war planning. Analysis of economic fragility that limits wartime policy options and risks severe domestic fallout.
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Presidential Hubris Fuels Repeated Quagmires
- U.S. presidents repeatedly fall into foreign entanglements despite domestic focus.
- Max traces examples from Truman through Kennedy and LBJ to show a pattern of hubris leading to overseas quagmires.
Hedges Interview With Col Larry Wilkerson
- Chris Hedges interviewed Col. Larry Wilkerson to get a pragmatic view of a potential Trump war with Iran.
- Wilkerson draws on his Chief of Staff experience under Colin Powell and Hedges' seven years as a Middle East correspondent.
Pentagon War Games Predicted Failure With Iran
- Pentagon war games in 2002 repeatedly showed the U.S. would lose a war with Iran unless it deployed massive resources.
- Wilkerson recalls rerunning simulations and concluding a plan might require two million men and five years.