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Bomb Throwing Like a Liberator

Episode length: 58m

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For decades, war game experts have produced dire predictions for American-Iranian war scenarios. While it's still early days, the circumstances are much more favorable than strategists had supposed. Noah Rothman returns to break down what's going right in Iran, what remains worrisome and uncertain, what the public ought to anticipate, and what the administration ought to tell them. (Noah also gives us a quick preview of his upcoming book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America.)

The fellas wrap the interview with theme-appropriate drapings: Brits are removing their greatest citizens from the nation's banknotes, reminding us of waning resolve from Western allies, and a thwarted terrorist plot in New York has the media and politicians twisting into knots to conceal the truth.

(This episode was recorded on Thursday, March 12th, to accommodate our hosts' travel schedules.)

Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Guest:
NRNoah Rothman

Discussion (7)

  • John H.@JohnH

    I actually listened pretty far into this thing. The ad about something about AIDS at about 9 minutes in really surprised me. And then it came at 23 minutes again. “Healthy sex practices” indeed.

    Up near the beginning, the talk of currency and its images reminded me of Brazilian money, which the last I looked had either famous Brazilian people or – after they ran out of those - nameless faux-classical images. No capybaras though. Ever, I am pretty sure. Brazilians do not romanticize capybaras the way Guatemalans romanticize quetzales.

    Anyway, I lost interest when Kurds were mentioned about 30 minutes in. This is magical-thinking territory. Been a long long time since a Kurd won anything anywhere.

  • Samuel Block@SamuelBlock
    ReplyingtoAndrew Troutman

    Andrew Troutman (View Comment):

    Volume is super low for me, compared to any other podcasts….or am I just nuts?

    You're definitely not nuts. I haven't had any issues hearing on my devices, but this problem has been mentioned a lot lately. I was in touch with the hosting site to fix the blaring ads problem — which...has been better? I hope so — and they may have capped output volume to address that. (The gain on the original file is cranked up, but lower here.)

    Thanks for the heads up. I'll stay on it.

  • RufusRJones@RufusRJones
    ReplyingtoSamuel Block

    Andrew Troutman (View Comment):

    Volume is super low for me, compared to any other podcasts….or am I just nuts?

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    You’re definitely not nuts. I haven’t had any issues hearing on my devices, but this problem has been mentioned a lot lately. I was in touch with the hosting site to fix the blaring ads problem — which…has been better? I hope so — and they may have capped output volume to address that. (The gain on the original file is cranked up, but lower here.)

    Thanks for the heads up. I’ll stay on it.

    I never have a problem with the ads being too loud. To be honest the targeting is pretty good. I actually listen to quite a bit of them and I don't do that with other podcasts.

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