Rational Security 2.0, The "Bloodless Coup" Edition

<p>On this premiere episode of Rational Security 2.0, new hosts Alan Rozenshtein, Quinta Jurecic, and Scott R. Anderson are joined by special guest Benjamin Wittes to discuss: the Taliban's <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/7/taliban-announce-acting-ministers-of-new-government" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new government</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/09/07/world/afghanistan-news" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brutal way</a> it <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/will-taliban-regime-survive" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seems to be governing</a>&nbsp;(especially <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/the-other-afghan-women" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in relation to women</a>); the Biden administration's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/world/americas/mexico-migrants-asylum-border.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">border</a> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/06/biden-remain-in-mexico-policy-509436" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">policies</a>, and why they're facing <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/courts-restore-remain-mexico-program-end-judicial-deference" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trouble in the courts</a>; and our summer from hell: are recent heat waves, wildfires, and floods now a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/09/04/climate-disaster-hurricane-ida/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">permanent part of the American experience</a>, and will this <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/climate/climate-change-congress.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">change the political calculus</a> on climate change?</p><br><p>For object lessons, Alan testified to the charms of Duluth, Minnesota; Ben talked about his efforts to shrink his carbon footprint, including by building <em>Lawfare&nbsp;</em>a new conference table; Quinta discussed an exciting new line of action figures taking to