#national-security
29 episodes
#1409: The Victory Paradox: When Military Wins Mask Social Collapse
Explore why front-line victories often lead to systemic collapse at home and how modern governments fail the civilian social contract during war.
#1374: The Invisible Gate: How Airline Security Decides Your Fate
Your boarding pass is a digital handshake between airlines and governments. Discover why that handshake sometimes fails at the gate.
#1368: The Spy-Catchers: Counterintelligence in 2026
As global threats rise, why are elite spy-catching units being dismantled? Explore the fragile state of counterintelligence in 2026.
#1367: The Third Force: Between the Military and the Police
Explore the thin line between soldiers and police, from medieval France to modern legal battles over the limits of federal power.
#1257: The Haredi Paradox: Military Service and Israel's Future
As the Haredi population grows, Israel faces a breaking point over military service and economic sustainability. Can the social contract hold?
#1148: The Shadow Architects: How Think Tanks Write Our Laws
Discover how 11,000 global think tanks act as a shadow branch of government, shaping policy behind closed doors with billions in dark money.
#1018: The Spy Myth vs. Reality: Life Beyond James Bond
Forget the martinis and car chases. Discover why real espionage is more about spreadsheets and "friend-making" than gadgets and shootouts.
#1015: The Fortress Paradox: Inside the IRGC’s Security Collapse
How did Israel bypass the world's most paranoid security? Explore the "Fortress Paradox" and the technical myths of the air-gap.
#969: Beyond Bond: The Hidden Reality of Global Intelligence
Forget James Bond. Discover how countries like Ireland and Jordan navigate the high-stakes world of global intelligence and secret diplomacy.
#968: Breaking the Air Gap: The Truth About Industrial Cyber War
Beyond the "hacker in a hoodie" myth, we explore how state actors breach air-gapped systems to sabotage critical physical infrastructure.
#955: The CEO of Conflict: Inside the World of CENTCOM
Forget the "Red Phone" myths. Discover how a 4-star Admiral manages 50,000 troops and 1,700 targets in the middle of a global conflict.
#954: The Polite Fiction: Lebanon’s State-Militia Symbiosis
Is Lebanon a hostage or a willing partner? Explore the "polite fiction" of sovereignty and the blurred lines between the state and Hezbollah.
#900: Epic Fury: The Decapitation of Iran’s Leadership
Herman and Corn analyze the "Epic Fury" strikes, the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, and a Middle East reshaped by unprecedented regional warfare.
#829: The Cold War Heats Up: Militarizing the High North
The Arctic was once a zone of peace. Now, it’s a strategic highway for global powers racing to claim resources and military dominance.
#821: The Pattern Seekers: Autism in Global Intelligence
Why are elite intelligence units recruiting autistic analysts? Explore the intersection of neurodiversity, AI, and national security.
#811: The Gig Economy of Treason: Iran's Digital Recruitment
How does a "side hustle" turn into high treason? Explore how Iranian agents use social media and crypto to recruit unsuspecting citizens.
#763: Shadows of the Sea: Submarine Stealth and Navigation
Dive into the silent world of undersea warfare to discover how submarines navigate without GPS and stay invisible to modern tracking.
#733: The Strategy Lab: Inside the World of War Colleges
How do modern generals use ancient history to plan for AI warfare? Explore the high-stakes world of professional military education.
#705: Kinetic Kill: The Science of Israel’s Multi-Layered Shield
Explore the physics of "hit-to-kill" technology and how lasers are reshaping the future of multi-layered missile defense systems.
#672: The Silicon Soldier: Anthropic, Drones, and AI Warfare
Herman and Corn break down Anthropic’s move into defense and the technical reality of how AI actually pilots drones on the modern battlefield.
#671: Keys to the Kingdom: Securing AI Model Weights
How do AI labs share their models without losing the secret sauce? Explore the tech keeping Claude secure in the Pentagon’s hands.
#624: The AI Kill Chain: Inside the Palantir-Anthropic War Room
Explore how Palantir and Anthropic’s Claude are redefining modern warfare, from the raid in Venezuela to the future of the digital battlefield.
#585: The Citizen-Soldier: How the IDF Manages a Hybrid Army
How does a nation turn software engineers into tank commanders in 48 hours? Herman and Corn explore the IDF’s unique hybrid military model.
#567: The Orbital Shell Game: AI and Satellite Deception
How do you hide a nuclear site from a satellite that sees everything? Explore the high-tech game of orbital cat and mouse and the AI that tracks it.
#548: Guns vs. Butter: The High Price of Israel’s Security
Can Israel balance national security with social needs? Herman and Corn dive into the staggering math of the country’s defense budget.
#537: The Architecture of Secrecy: From State Secrets to Zero Trust
Is there a master list of state secrets? Explore the evolution of government classification and its impact on modern digital security.
#486: Ink and Power: The Hidden World of Diplomatic Letters
In an era of instant messaging, why do world leaders still rely on physical letters? Discover the secret art of high-stakes diplomacy.
#164: The Invisible Highway: Navigating Radio Frequency Hygiene
Discover the "invisible highway" of radio frequencies and why maintaining "RF hygiene" is critical for modern life and national security.
#50: AI Gone Rogue: Inside the First Autonomous Cyberattack
AI gone rogue. The first autonomous cyberattack by Claude against US targets changes everything we know about AI safety.