Kristol’s writing here and his Sunday live show demonstrates that there is still a policy and philosophical issue separating neocon never trumpers and everyone else who opposes trump. He seemed almost filled with glee that trump decided to “bomb bomb Iran”. I’m going with Ben Rhodes’ analysis. trump is in the process of an authoritarian take over of the US government. How he will use and misuse “wartime” powers is the question and problem we should be discussing. Not jumping for joy because beebee, another authoritarian, has escalated war in the Middle East! Kristol’s response makes me want to heave.
AF formerly meant an America isolated from the world's problems. Under Trump, it means Bully America: We are stronger than you and, if you do not do what we want, we will tariff you or bomb you or deny you services that you need. Trump's ego demands that other countries submit to his will--the more abjectly the better. He wants these fights, he needs these fights, and vis-a-vis Israel-Iran his back-and-forth statements reflect his confusion about the fallout if he does commit U.S forces. If the result of the war becomes clearer, look for him to jump in to claim a personal victory--for "America First."
Trump's favored time frame always brings to mind a quote from "O' Brother Where Art Though": Ain't this place a geographical oddity? Two weeks from everywhere!
As a person who is center to center left on many things, I’ve become a big fan of Bill and company during these odd times. He does, however, reveal his neocon roots when he takes delight in Israel’s (short term) defeats of its regional enemies and the, I believe, naive belief that we can destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities “for good”. It has been shown time and time again throughout US history that such adventuring has often (usually?) had long term results that have been either ineffective or contrary to our interests, and it is a long list.
Where I am right now with foreign policy “experts” is more tell me when they’ve been right than oh they have a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and ten years with the CIA. I long for non-Western voices: tell me how it is to live under constant threat and what your leaders say publicly. Let me parse the rest.
I want to hear MAGA's take on how we are doing on this road to greatness we're all careening down. They praise individuals actions (mostly linked to the ability to hurt the right people) but can they see far enough past their hate to note where we will be? I want to know what they see in week (two?), months, years, and decades in terms of their Great™.
Trump has engaged in at least daily incompetent, mean-spirited, grifting, and horrendous abuses to the American Constitution and many American residents!
No one in America should trust Trump to make a military decision about bombing Iran!!!!! Letting Trump declare war on anyone is the most immediate danger all of us are facing right now!
And there was Rubio, who didn't know whether we even got everything during the bombings because it was removed to other locations, and Hegseth, who doesn't know who's on his chat list and apparently didn't get all the Houthis during the ensuing strikes on Yemen. So now we have missing uranium and threatened attacks on American ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz where much of the world's oil is transported. A bigger bunch of fucking incompetents never ran this country.
The sum of thoughts of all the American 'foreign policy experts' ...
Nuclear bombs in the hands of 'good Judeo-Christians' - wonderful, excellent, incredible, mind-blowing.
Nuclear weapons in the hands of 'bad Muslims' - Bad, horrible, dangerous, life-threatening.
Israel's war on Gaza is a super success. Just like the atom bombing of Japan by the USA in WWII. The only nation which used the atom bomb now lectures the entire world nonstop and decides who can (its allies and civilised world) and who cannot (the uncivilised third world countries) have nuclear weapons. Ironic.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu suffered the most because of the war. He might have as well given the solemn interview before a bombed hospital in Gaza. IDF could have found 5-6 mutilated bodies of emancipated Palestenian children to stage behind him as props. At tis point, Kristi Noem - with her stunt in El Salvador - almost looks like an angel when compared to Netanyahu. I pray to God to give the Netanyahu family the strength to recover.
Trump has shown us time and again he is not safe to be left alone in a room with complex....or even simple, issues. He is a bleater, not a thinker. So when others have to do the heavy lifting he just waits and then takes credit. We are in a world of hurt in the near future for sure.
I'm not sure if this is necessarily a Bulwark problem or one that is pervasive among people who make their living dissecting politics but to put a fine point on it, Bill's priors from god only knows how many decades ago seem to be getting in the way of a more fulsome and balanced understanding of the Middle East. I would stipulate that Bill isn't favoring the genocide of the entire population that inhabited Gaza, but he is of a group that advocates for literally anything Israel does in it's neighborhood including feeling obliged to eradicate nearly all Palestinians. Old ladies and girls under the age of 5 might be spared by the IDF, but everyone else is a potential terrorist. It is a massive struggle to read anything Will Seilber writes if you are trying to understand the history and complexity of this region. Months and months after the Hamas attack on October 7, Sarah Longwell was still pumping her fist for more murdering in Gaza. She finally got queasy when the body count reached 40K, and the way she dealt with it was to refuse to ever talk about the Israel / Gaza war, ever again. The Bulwark is pretty fair about most issues, but this is one that leaves their 'fair minded' boast a bit wanting.
I've been following the Bulwark from nearly the beginning and have no idea about what you're talking about. Like many people, I support Israel's right to defend itself, but not to implement genocide.
I'm as guilty as the next person, that when Israel began it's operations to retaliate and ensure they weren't going to be attacked again...I was initially supportive until it became abundantly clear that they were creating a humanitarian crisis and didn't care or even consider stopping.
I don't see either Bill or Sarah being anywhere near what you're portraying them to be. It's a complex issue especially considering Israel's history.
I forwarded this to an insider at NRC to get their take. I received a loooong essay in response. Here's a short, paraphrased version:
- The ALARA take is wrong. Great strides have been made since the ADVANCE Act. Regulators ask licensees for proof their concept works and expect that proof (my comment: if you've ever been in government and had a contractor pitch you an idea, you know that 99% of what you're pitched is fake. Proof is required and not unreasonable). My insider commented that the writer of this article doesn't seem to know anything about the nuclear industry (Still love ya Bulwark!).
- The rest of the article about Trump's impact on morale is pretty much spot on. Everyone is seeking to leave and sees this administration assaulting science in general. The licensing deadline is unrealistic and risks a nuclear incident.
I’m also not an expert, but have access to one who works in advanced reactors at NRC (i.e., the very people responsible for licensing…advanced reactors). I think your take is correct from what I understand. The Yglesias take that was repeated here presumes you have nefarious regulators who just want to make things hard for honorable businesses. The reality is the opposite per my NRC contact — they are ADVOCATES, not antagonists. They have a vested interest in the promotion of SAFE nuclear energy. Unfortunately, the Trump approach is likely to result in rubber-stamp licensing of unsafe reactors.
I've worked inside of a couple of Category 2 Nuclear facilities and supported the related nuclear projects. I'm familiar with ALARA as well and found that Andrew's take was a little on the strong side. That being said...I don't consider myself to be an SME...but definitely familiar with working projects handling nuclear material.
This non-expert (me) would characterize ALARA as an attempt at empowering those planning and executing work with radioactive material, to always consider the options available to minimize human exposure to radiation. The key word is REASONABLY which always implied that common sense should be involved which, in my profession, is done by contemplating the cost and schedule impact of increased safety measures.
In my many years of supporting these projects, I always felt the entire project team approached working with the radioactive materials in a safe and reasonable manner and that being the ultimate goal of ALARA.
That's just my take but there are other jobs and sites that may have misused the ALARA principle in a maliciously compliant manner. I'm not just saying that...I could totally see that being done in environmental cleanup projects where getting more time and money is a thing.
Ultimately, we got what we didn't vote for.
Kristol’s writing here and his Sunday live show demonstrates that there is still a policy and philosophical issue separating neocon never trumpers and everyone else who opposes trump. He seemed almost filled with glee that trump decided to “bomb bomb Iran”. I’m going with Ben Rhodes’ analysis. trump is in the process of an authoritarian take over of the US government. How he will use and misuse “wartime” powers is the question and problem we should be discussing. Not jumping for joy because beebee, another authoritarian, has escalated war in the Middle East! Kristol’s response makes me want to heave.
Andrew-I was posting about a surgical biopsy several days ago. No cancer. Still recovering from the surgery, though, so no comment.
America First is not dead; it is transformed.
AF formerly meant an America isolated from the world's problems. Under Trump, it means Bully America: We are stronger than you and, if you do not do what we want, we will tariff you or bomb you or deny you services that you need. Trump's ego demands that other countries submit to his will--the more abjectly the better. He wants these fights, he needs these fights, and vis-a-vis Israel-Iran his back-and-forth statements reflect his confusion about the fallout if he does commit U.S forces. If the result of the war becomes clearer, look for him to jump in to claim a personal victory--for "America First."
Trump's favored time frame always brings to mind a quote from "O' Brother Where Art Though": Ain't this place a geographical oddity? Two weeks from everywhere!
As a person who is center to center left on many things, I’ve become a big fan of Bill and company during these odd times. He does, however, reveal his neocon roots when he takes delight in Israel’s (short term) defeats of its regional enemies and the, I believe, naive belief that we can destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities “for good”. It has been shown time and time again throughout US history that such adventuring has often (usually?) had long term results that have been either ineffective or contrary to our interests, and it is a long list.
Raise the wage cap for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Isn't nuclear power the dirtiest fuel we know of?
A war with Iran will fracture the Bulwark’s readership.
Where I am right now with foreign policy “experts” is more tell me when they’ve been right than oh they have a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and ten years with the CIA. I long for non-Western voices: tell me how it is to live under constant threat and what your leaders say publicly. Let me parse the rest.
I want to hear MAGA's take on how we are doing on this road to greatness we're all careening down. They praise individuals actions (mostly linked to the ability to hurt the right people) but can they see far enough past their hate to note where we will be? I want to know what they see in week (two?), months, years, and decades in terms of their Great™.
Trump has engaged in at least daily incompetent, mean-spirited, grifting, and horrendous abuses to the American Constitution and many American residents!
No one in America should trust Trump to make a military decision about bombing Iran!!!!! Letting Trump declare war on anyone is the most immediate danger all of us are facing right now!
And there was Rubio, who didn't know whether we even got everything during the bombings because it was removed to other locations, and Hegseth, who doesn't know who's on his chat list and apparently didn't get all the Houthis during the ensuing strikes on Yemen. So now we have missing uranium and threatened attacks on American ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz where much of the world's oil is transported. A bigger bunch of fucking incompetents never ran this country.
The sum of thoughts of all the American 'foreign policy experts' ...
Nuclear bombs in the hands of 'good Judeo-Christians' - wonderful, excellent, incredible, mind-blowing.
Nuclear weapons in the hands of 'bad Muslims' - Bad, horrible, dangerous, life-threatening.
Israel's war on Gaza is a super success. Just like the atom bombing of Japan by the USA in WWII. The only nation which used the atom bomb now lectures the entire world nonstop and decides who can (its allies and civilised world) and who cannot (the uncivilised third world countries) have nuclear weapons. Ironic.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu suffered the most because of the war. He might have as well given the solemn interview before a bombed hospital in Gaza. IDF could have found 5-6 mutilated bodies of emancipated Palestenian children to stage behind him as props. At tis point, Kristi Noem - with her stunt in El Salvador - almost looks like an angel when compared to Netanyahu. I pray to God to give the Netanyahu family the strength to recover.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/19/netanyahu-son-wedding-comments-israel-backlash
Trump has shown us time and again he is not safe to be left alone in a room with complex....or even simple, issues. He is a bleater, not a thinker. So when others have to do the heavy lifting he just waits and then takes credit. We are in a world of hurt in the near future for sure.
We are in a Kakistocracy, and that should be taught in schools. We also should think about this world of hurt that Lucian Truscott discusses.
https://open.substack.com/pub/luciantruscott/p/a-world-of-hurt?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Let us hope his intel is wrong. We shall see.
Another way we are not First anymore. Here are the 50 Best restaurants in the world. None of them is in the USA.
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/06/20/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-2025-who-takes-the-top-spot-and-how-does-europe-fare?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=culture_newsletter&utm_medium=referral&insEmail=1&insNltCmpId=255&insNltSldt=10080&insPnName=euronewsfr&insUuid=NDRhNDhlMTYtZjY5Ni00ZjBhLThjOTItMTYzY2RjZmM2ODJm&isIns=1&isInsNltCmp=1
I'm not sure if this is necessarily a Bulwark problem or one that is pervasive among people who make their living dissecting politics but to put a fine point on it, Bill's priors from god only knows how many decades ago seem to be getting in the way of a more fulsome and balanced understanding of the Middle East. I would stipulate that Bill isn't favoring the genocide of the entire population that inhabited Gaza, but he is of a group that advocates for literally anything Israel does in it's neighborhood including feeling obliged to eradicate nearly all Palestinians. Old ladies and girls under the age of 5 might be spared by the IDF, but everyone else is a potential terrorist. It is a massive struggle to read anything Will Seilber writes if you are trying to understand the history and complexity of this region. Months and months after the Hamas attack on October 7, Sarah Longwell was still pumping her fist for more murdering in Gaza. She finally got queasy when the body count reached 40K, and the way she dealt with it was to refuse to ever talk about the Israel / Gaza war, ever again. The Bulwark is pretty fair about most issues, but this is one that leaves their 'fair minded' boast a bit wanting.
I've been following the Bulwark from nearly the beginning and have no idea about what you're talking about. Like many people, I support Israel's right to defend itself, but not to implement genocide.
I'm as guilty as the next person, that when Israel began it's operations to retaliate and ensure they weren't going to be attacked again...I was initially supportive until it became abundantly clear that they were creating a humanitarian crisis and didn't care or even consider stopping.
I don't see either Bill or Sarah being anywhere near what you're portraying them to be. It's a complex issue especially considering Israel's history.
I forwarded this to an insider at NRC to get their take. I received a loooong essay in response. Here's a short, paraphrased version:
- The ALARA take is wrong. Great strides have been made since the ADVANCE Act. Regulators ask licensees for proof their concept works and expect that proof (my comment: if you've ever been in government and had a contractor pitch you an idea, you know that 99% of what you're pitched is fake. Proof is required and not unreasonable). My insider commented that the writer of this article doesn't seem to know anything about the nuclear industry (Still love ya Bulwark!).
- The rest of the article about Trump's impact on morale is pretty much spot on. Everyone is seeking to leave and sees this administration assaulting science in general. The licensing deadline is unrealistic and risks a nuclear incident.
I’m also not an expert, but have access to one who works in advanced reactors at NRC (i.e., the very people responsible for licensing…advanced reactors). I think your take is correct from what I understand. The Yglesias take that was repeated here presumes you have nefarious regulators who just want to make things hard for honorable businesses. The reality is the opposite per my NRC contact — they are ADVOCATES, not antagonists. They have a vested interest in the promotion of SAFE nuclear energy. Unfortunately, the Trump approach is likely to result in rubber-stamp licensing of unsafe reactors.
I've worked inside of a couple of Category 2 Nuclear facilities and supported the related nuclear projects. I'm familiar with ALARA as well and found that Andrew's take was a little on the strong side. That being said...I don't consider myself to be an SME...but definitely familiar with working projects handling nuclear material.
This non-expert (me) would characterize ALARA as an attempt at empowering those planning and executing work with radioactive material, to always consider the options available to minimize human exposure to radiation. The key word is REASONABLY which always implied that common sense should be involved which, in my profession, is done by contemplating the cost and schedule impact of increased safety measures.
In my many years of supporting these projects, I always felt the entire project team approached working with the radioactive materials in a safe and reasonable manner and that being the ultimate goal of ALARA.
That's just my take but there are other jobs and sites that may have misused the ALARA principle in a maliciously compliant manner. I'm not just saying that...I could totally see that being done in environmental cleanup projects where getting more time and money is a thing.
I'm sure your insider knows more about the industry than I do! Have him/her set me straight at egger@thebulwark.com !