Trump's "Project Freedom" Was Scrapped in 24 Hours (w/ Arash Azizi & Jodi Kantor) | Bulwark Podcast

Both the US and Iran are reluctant to escalate to full-scale war, despite skirmishes. Iran's 'Project Freedom' was paused quickly, and both sides are exchanging serious messages for a deal. The contours of a potential agreement involve suspension of uranium enrichment, sanctions relief for Iran, and opening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's leverage stems from its ability to disrupt global energy markets and its belief that the US is wary of an unpopular war.

Trump's 'Project Freedom' lasted about 24 hours. Iranian officials described Trump's post as 'riddled with falsehoods' and 'Project Freedom' failed completely. Pakistan indicated both sides are closer to negotiation. Axius reported a potential one-page agreement on naval restrictions, sanctions relief, and uranium enrichment freeze. Arash states, 'both sides are quite reluctant to return to full war' and 'they do want a deal.'

Despite severe sanctions and significant job losses, the Iranian economy is not on the verge of collapse. The regime is resourceful and can sustain itself for years, not just months. Internally, while there is infighting, the main bodies of the regime, including the IRGC, are largely cohesive and pragmatic, often sidelining hardliners who hold unrealistic positions. This cohesion allows for more effective negotiation.

Arash states, 'Iranian economy is terribly hurt now... but that doesn't mean economy will collapse.' He adds, 'Iran is a country of 90 million... it will be able to keep something going on for nine years not just nine months.' He also notes that 'the regime's main bodies are actually pretty cohesive' and 'hardliners are a minority' because their positions are 'ridiculously unrealistic.'

The US Supreme Court has increasingly used the 'shadow docket' – issuing orders without full legal reasoning or public debate – to make significant, fast-tracked decisions. Private correspondence reveals Chief Justice Roberts, despite his public image as a cautious institutionalist, aggressively pushed for the court to halt President Obama's climate initiative in 2016, marking a pivotal moment in this procedural shift.

Jodi Kantor and Adam Liptac obtained 16 pages of justices' private correspondence from a 2016 case where 'the court halted President Obama's signature climate initiative.' Kantor notes, 'the chief justice... is pushing really hard for the court to do something really fast to go to a place it's never gone before.'

Justice Amy Coney Barrett has proven to be a more complex and independent judicial figure than caricatured by either the progressive left or the MAGA right. She has shown a willingness to vote with liberals on smaller cases and appears to be striving for a reputation as a trusted and independent jurist, rather than a purely ideological one.

Kantor states, 'she is a much more complex figure than anybody gave her credit for and that kind of both the right and the left got her a little bit wrong.' She adds, 'she feels like the most independent of the Republican appointed justices... she has shown some willingness to vote with the liberals, not on the big cases, generally on the smaller ones.'

Reports of the Me Too movement's demise are 'premature.' Despite political backlash and politicization, women continue to come forward with allegations across various sectors and political affiliations. The movement revealed that abusive behavior is pervasive across 'every society, every political persuasion, every economic strata, every culture, every sport, every religion, every country,' indicating a fundamental, ongoing social change.

Kantor asserts, 'those obits for the Me Too movement were premature.' She highlights ongoing allegations against figures like Caesar Chavez and in Congress (one Republican, one Democrat), concluding that 'this behavior exists everywhere.'

The contemporary job market, particularly for young people, is characterized by loneliness and dehumanization due to digitized hiring processes and AI-mediated interviews. This lack of human interaction and feedback makes the job search anxiety-provoking and discouraging, leading to widespread cynicism among young professionals.

Kantor describes the hiring process as 'digitized' and 'very lonely,' with AI interviews where 'you are interviewed by AI and not by a human being.' She notes, 'these tools are very efficient... but the young people I've talked to find them dehumanizing and discouraging.'