2rafa
12hr ago
Most regulars are relatively open about what they support and what their broad tribal identity is, I don’t think this is a big issue here.
2rafa
12hr ago
The discussion has been fine so far. What you are noticing is that the war is contentious compared to most discussion here because while the sub has been broadly right-leaning and probably honestly strongly right wing since (at least) 2017, there is a lot of disagreement about this war. That’s not a bad thing, although it does create more work for the moderators.
The transnational thursday thread is pointless. There is essentially a separation between ‘issue’ discussion and ‘community’ discussion on the board. Issue discussion (encompassing news, politics, diplomacy, the economy, culture as it relates to the above obviously) goes on the culture war thread, community (encompassing casual social discussion, media recommendation, slice of life updates, advice, humor) goes into the various other threads.
There is only one overlap thread (Sunday) which kind of works since it’s the last thread of the week and the CW thread is quieter. Other threads are the occasional essay and links to blogs.
2rafa
14hr ago
Indeed. And if you look at California, there was this huge outburst of public anger, they passed the law, SCOTUS overturned it, and then it just faded away. People gave up, demographics changed, now it’s over. Why won’t that happen everywhere else?
2rafa
17hr ago
Iran has a very low tfr compared to Afghanistan or even Iraq at the time of the US invasion. Broadly I agree with you but the incoming supply of young men is proportionately lower.
2rafa
17hr ago
That said, in this analogy arrakis produces only a small fraction of the world’s spice.
2rafa
20hr ago
Because the Gulf states have weak armies and fat populations with no strong ideological loyalty (whether they are Sunni or Shia) to their ruling monarchies. Their armies are well-equipped but have very low risk tolerance and are often staffed by essentially mercenaries and or low competence locals unable to get more lucrative employment elsewhere as an employer of last resort. Iran can keep the Hormuz closed indefinitely, and can build low-cost shaheds (essentially model planes that can be put together in an outhouse) infinitely that can make oil production and transport effectively impossible, destroying their economies which are reliant on welfare spending funding by oil sales (with one exception, Dubai, which is funded by international business and tourism - oh well!).
The Gulf countries mostly dislike the Islamic Republic. The GCC was arguably formed in hostility to Iran. Leading Iranian revolutionaries preached Islamic revolution in the Gulf. But faced with destitution and collapse as a result of asymmetric and low cost IRGC pot-shotting, and lacking any ability to invade or occupy Iran themselves, they may have no choice but to agree to a deal.
I don’t think moderation has become much more lax. Regulars were always held to lower standards (justified in many ways) and now the board is pretty much all regulars, so the spectacular flameouts of the Reddit days are few and far between (the last was what, Hlynka?).
More options
Context Copy link