Jonathan Cristol
@jonathancristol.bsky.social
I teach Middle East Politics, International Security, International Law, WMD (and stuff like that) at YU. Write about East Asia and Middle East. Ex-think-tanker. Occasional contractor. New to this platform. Love a good parenthetical aside. NYC based.
So it was a Christmas message? (On Hanukkah.)
December 18, 2025 at 2:21 AM
So it was a Christmas message? (On Hanukkah.)
I half expect he’s doing this to announce a totally out of left field war; and I half expect he’s about to announce that his “new units of Trump troops are about to knock on the doors of all of my— and your— enemies, and they will have a little surprise, so say your goodbyes.”
December 18, 2025 at 2:20 AM
I half expect he’s doing this to announce a totally out of left field war; and I half expect he’s about to announce that his “new units of Trump troops are about to knock on the doors of all of my— and your— enemies, and they will have a little surprise, so say your goodbyes.”
This is a terrible night for America, but it’s an amazing night for James Austen Johnson.
December 18, 2025 at 2:17 AM
This is a terrible night for America, but it’s an amazing night for James Austen Johnson.
Now, however you’re feeling about this speech— show some pity for the leadership analysis teams in every foreign intelligence service on planet Earth.
December 18, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Now, however you’re feeling about this speech— show some pity for the leadership analysis teams in every foreign intelligence service on planet Earth.
I guess he’s right when it comes to insurance companies, so let’s do single payer!
December 18, 2025 at 2:15 AM
I guess he’s right when it comes to insurance companies, so let’s do single payer!
Me: so is the compromise that we get subsidies for Obamacare but have to go to Trumprx.gov?
Oldest kid: I’m already on it.
Oldest kid: I’m already on it.
December 18, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Me: so is the compromise that we get subsidies for Obamacare but have to go to Trumprx.gov?
Oldest kid: I’m already on it.
Oldest kid: I’m already on it.
nobody understood the concept of mail? Or of Christmas bonuses? Not really sure what he is saying.
December 18, 2025 at 2:14 AM
nobody understood the concept of mail? Or of Christmas bonuses? Not really sure what he is saying.
Note to my students: no matter how many times he says it, a tariff is an import tax that importers pay to their own government.
December 18, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Note to my students: no matter how many times he says it, a tariff is an import tax that importers pay to their own government.
Sort of a weird Christmas Message, don’t you think?
December 18, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Sort of a weird Christmas Message, don’t you think?
Well he’s right that “nobody can believe what’s going on.”
December 18, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Well he’s right that “nobody can believe what’s going on.”
As if this prime time litany of lies isn’t bad enough, I’m waiting for the shoe to drop.
(Not the other shoe. The first shoe. And then the next.)
(Not the other shoe. The first shoe. And then the next.)
December 18, 2025 at 2:08 AM
As if this prime time litany of lies isn’t bad enough, I’m waiting for the shoe to drop.
(Not the other shoe. The first shoe. And then the next.)
(Not the other shoe. The first shoe. And then the next.)
Did he just say that the word “that” was not allowed under Biden?
December 18, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Did he just say that the word “that” was not allowed under Biden?
Then there’s a short section of Africa and the most abrupt ending to anything I’ve ever read. I checked a second source to make sure I didn’t just fail to download the end.
More thoughts later
More thoughts later
December 5, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Then there’s a short section of Africa and the most abrupt ending to anything I’ve ever read. I checked a second source to make sure I didn’t just fail to download the end.
More thoughts later
More thoughts later
But while it could be worse, if someone wrote this section for Middle East Politics or American Foreign Policy, and if I ignored the lack of citations (AND I WOULD NOT), it would be a C range paper with “bland platitudes” “how?” “Dated info” “you think this but do not know it” scribbled all over it.
December 5, 2025 at 2:56 PM
But while it could be worse, if someone wrote this section for Middle East Politics or American Foreign Policy, and if I ignored the lack of citations (AND I WOULD NOT), it would be a C range paper with “bland platitudes” “how?” “Dated info” “you think this but do not know it” scribbled all over it.
The Middle East section could be worse— clearly Trump thinks that the best way to crack down on radicalism is with violence.
And while I’m not a pacifist, nor am I a fan of MBS, the irony of the section is that KSA has had some success in deradicalization using education (albeit under guard).
And while I’m not a pacifist, nor am I a fan of MBS, the irony of the section is that KSA has had some success in deradicalization using education (albeit under guard).
December 5, 2025 at 2:54 PM
The Middle East section could be worse— clearly Trump thinks that the best way to crack down on radicalism is with violence.
And while I’m not a pacifist, nor am I a fan of MBS, the irony of the section is that KSA has had some success in deradicalization using education (albeit under guard).
And while I’m not a pacifist, nor am I a fan of MBS, the irony of the section is that KSA has had some success in deradicalization using education (albeit under guard).
I can’t be the only one in this field who thinks about Jerry Maguire’s manifesto on a near daily basis:
“The things we think but do not say.”
“The things we think but do not say.”
December 5, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I can’t be the only one in this field who thinks about Jerry Maguire’s manifesto on a near daily basis:
“The things we think but do not say.”
“The things we think but do not say.”
This is pretty f-ing bad.
And re: NATO. Even if you oppose NATO expansion, making opposition to NATO expansion the official policy of the US is an early Christmas gift for Putin.
And re: NATO. Even if you oppose NATO expansion, making opposition to NATO expansion the official policy of the US is an early Christmas gift for Putin.
December 5, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This is pretty f-ing bad.
And re: NATO. Even if you oppose NATO expansion, making opposition to NATO expansion the official policy of the US is an early Christmas gift for Putin.
And re: NATO. Even if you oppose NATO expansion, making opposition to NATO expansion the official policy of the US is an early Christmas gift for Putin.
Yipes.
And not just that Steven Miller probably wrote this whole thing; but “conflict between Russia and Europe” implies that the US would not be part of that conflict.
(And if you think we’d be able to stay out of a major European war, the last 120+ years says otherwise.)
And not just that Steven Miller probably wrote this whole thing; but “conflict between Russia and Europe” implies that the US would not be part of that conflict.
(And if you think we’d be able to stay out of a major European war, the last 120+ years says otherwise.)
December 5, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Yipes.
And not just that Steven Miller probably wrote this whole thing; but “conflict between Russia and Europe” implies that the US would not be part of that conflict.
(And if you think we’d be able to stay out of a major European war, the last 120+ years says otherwise.)
And not just that Steven Miller probably wrote this whole thing; but “conflict between Russia and Europe” implies that the US would not be part of that conflict.
(And if you think we’d be able to stay out of a major European war, the last 120+ years says otherwise.)
It’s a campaign speech in the guise of a strategy (or maybe the other way around, since it’s hard to call it a ‘strategy’ per se).
Having them say “the US is the most generous nation in history” following the year in which they killed US AID and countless millions of people is Orwellian in extremis.
December 5, 2025 at 2:35 PM
It’s a campaign speech in the guise of a strategy (or maybe the other way around, since it’s hard to call it a ‘strategy’ per se).
I totally agree— but you’d think something designed to be widely read wouldn’t be such a crappy piece of writing!
The new National Security Strategy is a propaganda document, designed to be widely read. It is also a performative suicide. Hard to think of another great power ever abdicating its influence so quickly and so publicly. It will be worth following the reactions around the world, not just in Europe.
Trump's national security strategy is out and some of the Europe sections are shocking. "...the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed
gives cause for great optimism."
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
gives cause for great optimism."
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
December 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
I totally agree— but you’d think something designed to be widely read wouldn’t be such a crappy piece of writing!
Sorry, here it is.
December 5, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Sorry, here it is.
Now, I’m completely in favor of the below paragraph re: China.
But if they really want to achieve the eminently reasonable goals below, maybe then kneecapping the WTO isn’t such a good idea.
But if they really want to achieve the eminently reasonable goals below, maybe then kneecapping the WTO isn’t such a good idea.
December 5, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Now, I’m completely in favor of the below paragraph re: China.
But if they really want to achieve the eminently reasonable goals below, maybe then kneecapping the WTO isn’t such a good idea.
But if they really want to achieve the eminently reasonable goals below, maybe then kneecapping the WTO isn’t such a good idea.
What’s interesting about this part is not that much of it appears to be padding designed to reach a predetermined word count, it’s that what follows is… [checks notes]… a section on Latin America, then a section on Asia…
December 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
What’s interesting about this part is not that much of it appears to be padding designed to reach a predetermined word count, it’s that what follows is… [checks notes]… a section on Latin America, then a section on Asia…
“Naval Station Norfolk and other bases susceptible to extreme weather events, like STRATCOM, do not need to take measures to mitigate the impact of climate change. Instead, fight the ‘climate ideology’ that says we need to minimize the impact of climate change!”
My words.
My words.
December 5, 2025 at 2:16 PM
“Naval Station Norfolk and other bases susceptible to extreme weather events, like STRATCOM, do not need to take measures to mitigate the impact of climate change. Instead, fight the ‘climate ideology’ that says we need to minimize the impact of climate change!”
My words.
My words.