The "Whole Damn System is Out of Order" Edition

<p>This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by their fellow&nbsp;<em>Lawfare&nbsp;</em>senior editor and Brookings Institution fellow Molly Reynolds!&nbsp;They sat down to discuss the week's national security news, including:</p><p>“Winners Use Google Slides.” The January 6 committee has revealed some of the texts and emails handed over by former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, including a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/us/politics/capitol-attack-meadows-powerpoint.html?searchResultPosition=7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">notorious powerpoint presentation</a> laying out apparent plans for a coup. What do these revelations tell us about what happened on January 6—and what our expectations should be of the committee?</p><p>“The Smog of War.” A top secret cell of elite U.S. soldiers is accused of manufacturing ambiguity on the battlefield in order to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/12/us/civilian-deaths-war-isis.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">evade legal and policy limits on the targeting of civilians</a>. What do these allegations mean for the way America fights its wars?</p><p>“8 Simple Rules for Legislating in an Age of Disorder.” Progressive Democrats have <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-12-08/democrats-weigh-overturn-parliamentarian-immigration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">urged their leadership</a> to overrule the Senate parliamentarian’s determination that bills passed through the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process can’t include certain types of immigration reforms. Do these demands threaten the operation of the Senate? Or is something entirely different at stake?</p><p>For object lessons, Quinta passed along a&nbsp;<a href="https://cucina.grandinetti.org/recipes/cookies/cooks-illustrated-brown-sugar-cookies" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fool-proof holiday cookie recipe</a>. Alan noted a list of blockbusters he was looking forward to enjoying over Chinese food this Christmas. Molly recommend