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At the Water's Edge

At the Water's Edge

By: WRKdefined Podcast Network
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 The At the Water’s Edge Podcast explores national security and geopolitics from an insider’s perspective, looking at how national power, industrial policy, diplomacy, and military might shape our world and America’s place in it.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Protests, Resistance Units, and the Future of the Iranian Regime

    Protests, Resistance Units, and the Future of the Iranian Regime
    Feb 17 2026
    In this episode of At the Water’s Edge, Scott sits down with Zolal Habibi, an activist affiliated with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), to examine the structure, strategy, and claims of Iran’s organized opposition movement. The conversation explores recent protest activity, internet shutdowns, disputed casualty figures, and the role of so-called “resistance units” operating inside Iran. Scott presses on difficult questions: When do protests evolve into insurgency? How durable is the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus? What would political transition actually look like? And how realistic are competing visions — from secular republic to monarchy restoration? Topics include: The significance of Tehran’s bazaar strikes Nationwide protest dynamics and generational shifts Internet blackouts and information verification challenges Claims of organized “resistance units” operating inside Iran Casualty reporting and the difficulty of independent confirmation The historical designation and delisting of the MEK Armed resistance and the “right to resist” debate Competing opposition visions: republic vs. monarchy Kurdish autonomy and territorial integrity U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic What a post-regime transition plan might entail This episode presents the perspective of an organized Iranian opposition figure. Claims regarding casualties, arrests, and internal dynamics are contested and difficult to independently verify under blackout conditions. The purpose of this discussion is analytical: to examine how resistance movements conceptualize escalation, legitimacy, and political transition. This discussion does not advocate for any particular faction. Instead, it examines how one organized resistance constituency conceptualizes escalation, legitimacy, and regime change — and where those assumptions warrant scrutiny. Future episodes will examine regime durability, fragmentation risks, and competing analytical perspectives.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • America Can Fight for a Week with Jahara "Franky" Matisek (PhD)

    America Can Fight for a Week with Jahara "Franky" Matisek (PhD)
    Feb 10 2026
    Episode: Jahara “Franky” Matisek (USAF Lt Col) — Fixing America’s Broken Arsenal Guest: Lt Col Jahara “Franky” Matisek, U.S. Air Force | PhD Political Science | prolific writer on strategy, security assistance, and the defense industrial base What this episode is about America’s military can execute at breathtaking speed—but sustaining a long war is a different game. In this conversation, Lt Col Jahara “Franky” Matisek breaks down why the U.S. defense industrial base struggles to surge production, why supply chains are more opaque than most policymakers admit, and why “resilience” can’t be wished into existence with slogans and PowerPoint. Key topics Why the U.S. can be “tactically awesome” for a short fight—then hit limits in missiles, munitions, and sustainment The “black box” problem: the government often lacks visibility into tier-2 and tier-3 suppliers Why throwing money at production doesn’t automatically remove chokepoints (casings, propellant, and other bottlenecks) The mine-to-missile reality: minerals, refining, machining, certification, and how China shows up at multiple points in the chain The tradeoff between efficiency (markets) and resilience (surge capacity)—and why the market won’t fund resilience “as a charity” Continuing resolutions, short funding cycles, and how uncertainty drives small suppliers out of the defense ecosystem The workforce constraint: skilled trades, machinists, and why you “can’t Zoom-call the bolts into a submarine” Strategic infrastructure beyond the obvious: power grids, pipelines, and data centers as a bedrock of modern command-and-control Why “digital warfighting” runs into practical limits: electricity, cooling, transformers, copper, and long lead times Notable quotes “We can do great war stuff for about a week. Anything longer than that gets really hard.” “Resilience isn’t something the market provides out of charity.” “You can’t Zoom-call the nuts and bolts of making a submarine.” “The defense industrial base is a black box—and that’s terrifying in a crisis.” Referenced reading Foreign Policy: “How to Fix America’s Broken Arsenal” (Matisek and co-authors) Additional related work discussed: resilience and industrial base commentary (FPRI) Follow / connect Scott Kelly — Host, At the Water’s Edge Lt Col Jahara “Franky” Matisek — USAF, scholar-practitioner on strategy and the defense industrial base Call to action If this episode made you rethink “deterrence,” share it with one person in defense tech, infrastructure, or policy—and drop a comment with the single chokepoint you think would break first in a major-power conflict.
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    59 mins
  • Earned, Not Given: A PhD in the Human Condition with MG (ret) Matt Smith

    Earned, Not Given: A PhD in the Human Condition with MG (ret) Matt Smith
    Feb 4 2026
    Retired Major General Matt Smith joins Scott to unpack why veteran transition isn’t just a “feel-good” topic—it’s a long-term national security issue tied directly to readiness and recruiting. They discuss Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Master of Business for Veterans (MBV) Program, the importance of community during transition, and how veterans can translate military leadership into the “language of business.” This is a tactical conversation for leaders leaving uniform—and for employers who want to actually harness veteran talent. Key Takeaways Why how we treat the GWOT generation directly impacts future recruiting and readiness. What the MBV is (and isn’t): “half an MBA,” built to give senior leaders the core business foundation. The underrated value of grad school for vets: time, perspective, and exposure to “what’s possible.” Why in-person cohort/community can be a force multiplier during the 1–2 year transition window. How veterans should think about GI Bill ROI (and why everyone wants your benefits dollars). The veteran “secret sauce” businesses miss: disciplined initiative + relentless after-action review mindset. Why the chain of command often gives well-intentioned but wrong transition advice—and how to recalibrate. “A PhD in the human condition”: the leadership dataset vets carry into any organization. Quotes “Transition is a process, not an event… it takes about two years.” “Graduate business education exposes you to what’s in the realm of possible—and what you don’t want to do.” “If you’re spending other people’s money, they won’t give it to you unless you know how to run a business.” “Veterans bring disciplined initiative—the secret sauce of the American military.” “You have a PhD in the human condition.” Chapters 00:00 Why veteran transition is a national security issue 03:16 MG Matt Smith’s background + what the MBV is 06:58 Classroom dynamics: experience, discipline, and veteran accountability 13:12 2001 vs now: how academia’s view of veterans has changed 15:43 The “three buckets” of MBA value (skills, translation, time) + what’s missing 19:52 Timing grad school with retirement + the power of an in-person support system 24:28 “It’s okay not to know”—transition goals and changing plans 29:41 GI Bill ROI, reality checks, and why location/industry matters 31:03 “Business as a language course” + the PMP as translation 34:13 Doing anything you want (and failing fast) after service 39:49 “PhD in the human condition” and why vets don’t see their own value 44:15 Advice to employers: how to actually utilize veteran talent 47:14 MG Smith’s personal transition at the one-year mark 49:29 What Emory could do next + why society needs vets at places like Emory 54:22 Closing thoughts: GWOT ended quietly; transition didn’t—plus gratitude to Vietnam vets
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    57 mins
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