Rational Security
Review by: Jonathan Selling
The short
A weekly podcast focusing on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the legal and intelligence side of these issues. Hosted by Susan Hennessey, Tamara Cofman Wittes, Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institute, and Shane Harris of the Washington Post, the show is put out by the Lawfare institute and is released weekly on Wednesday or Thursday.
The long
As a product of the Lawfare Institute, legal issues are a frequent conversation points. The only main drawback to this podcast is that it can focus on the minutia of national security law, which can be difficult to parse for an uninitiated listener. The show approaches issues from an explicit American point of view with the various agencies in the US government and their positions mentioned. While this limits the approaches that the podcast can take, it gives an excellent demonstration at how American foreign policy works and the different perspectives of various agencies. The varied backgrounds of the hosts from intelligence to journalism allows for different angles to be demonstrated by the podcast, a boon compared to many other podcasts which have hosts of similar backgrounds. The MENA region is a frequent topic as a result of its important to US foreign policy and the hosts’ areas of expertise
To listen or not to listen?
Rational Security may be the best international relations focused podcast on the air right now. This podcast is easily worth a listen. The hosts are experts and their analysis is erudite and well reasoned. The host’s diverse resumes ensure that a wide range of American foreign policy related institutions are represented in the show.