The “Wickedly Talented Adele Dazeem” Edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined for a special episode by the most glamorous of RatSec co-hosts emeritus, Shane Harris, to hand out some Academy Awards for events in national security over the past year. The nominees include: For “Best Make-Up” (i.e., what was the year’s most memorable apology?): The Biden administration’s confession that its balloon bombardment was a bust; Kevin McCarthy’s ongoing Mar-a-Lago mea culpa; Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss’s resignation over her positively wilting economic plan. For “Best Score” (i.e., who came away as the year’s most unexpected winner?): Western Europe, whose uncharacteristic balminess helped it weather the winter without Russian energy imports; The F-22, which got its first kill (of a Chinese spy balloon) even as the U.S. military debates whether to discontinue it; China, whose late role in the Saudi-Iran rapprochement allowed it to seize much of the credit. For “Best Supporting Actor” (non-state actor, that is) (i.e., which non-governmental figure had the most oversized role on the national security stage this year?): Comic book villain Elon Musk; Manic pixie jury foreperson Emily Kohrs; Tucker Carlson, the only man who has gotten less credible since he stopped wearing a bowtie. For “Best Actor” (i.e., which world leader left their mark on the world stage this past year?): Volodymyr Zelensky, the man who stayed; Vladimir Putin, who seems intent on doubling down on his failing gambit in Ukraine; Xi Jinping, who locked down his control of the Chinese Communist Party—but perhaps not the Chinese people.