Eetan
9hr ago
I don't think America has failed the most basic functions of a nation state
Country can be extremely internally violent and still be able to maintain state of the art air, space and nuclear forces and face other great power in open warfare.
Eetan
9hr ago
Was Venezuela not exactly this fast operation? Were their troops not cowards who would lift a single MANPAD to resist our might?
We (for value of "we"=military history nerds) will know in decades, if ever, what exactly happened this fateful night, what, if any, subterfuges and backstage deals were involved.
But, according to reports that came through, Venezuelans and Cubans stood against science fictional death ray and died, something as far from cowardice as there could be.
Anyway, lessons from Venezuela for potential confrontation between US and European countries are limited (unless you believe them to be equally rotting and decrepit shitholes).
hordes of Islamists
As relevant to potential US-EU war scenario as American mass shootings and constant gang violence, this is not at all. For example, India and Pakistan are both full of internal unrest, and it does not stop them from warring with each other in the utmost seriousness.
but you will fight and die
This is decision for European leaders and their armed forces. Will the leader give orders to resist the invasion? Will the soldiers obey? Will they do so effectively enough to cause significant US casualties?
Look, I don't know or even care really why Trump wants Greenland.
Do not ask any questions, just trust the Great Leader. Nothing can be more American in spirit.
Eetan
11hr ago
Uphold article five? With whom? With what? Didn't a poll just show that two thirds of Germans would "probably not" fight for Germany? What fraction of the remainder would fight for Greenland?
"This will be easy special operation, three days at most. They are cowards, they will not dare to resist our might."
Such words were said many times in history. Sometimes they were right, sometimes they were not. Now, if it turns not to be the case, what is your plan B? How many casualties will US accept to secure the sacred snow and ice of Greenland?
how cucked would you have to be to buy fighter jets from a country that's threatening to annex you?
How cucked (or blinded by greed) you have to be to sell weapons to country you intend to forcibly annex? Do you recall Russia selling armaments to Ukraine (after 2014)?
Eetan
11hr ago
The simplest explanation is that Trump just wants Greenland, probably to strip mine it. Whether that makes economic sense, I am not sure.
The simplest explanation is that Trump just wants it, because it looks big on the map. 666D chess theory disproven again, Great Man theory proven again.
our submarines
So, after everything that happened, you still see Russian war machine as "yours". Well, you can take man out of great power, but you cannot take great power out of man.
Now, they aren't going out and committing mass shootings but they seem to have an open bloodthirst that seems very uncharacteristic. Anyone have any theories what is happening here?
Retvrn to ancient tradition of Germanic Screeching Women.
As another commenter pointed out, I'm not sure you really want a large portion of your population to be Haredim or Mennonites, given that they typically have extremely low productivity.
And, more importantly, they do not care about the state and regime, and are loyal only to their own community. Having such large and growing population is in no way a "win".
Eetan
5d ago
This minimizes deaths of Iranian people.
Rather big assumption that protecting lives and well being of Iranian (or any other) people is what it is all about.
Falsely telling the Iranian people that he'd help so they risk their lives and die only for Trump to later back out and allow the regime to continue would be an abject moral failure.
Well, this was US empire SOP at least since 1956 Hungarian revolt.
Real abject failure is when any literate person with basic awareness of 20/21st century history trusts US promises (and then faces another rugpull and backstab with sad Pikachu face).
Eetan
7d ago
Why are advertisements for so bad?
Because people who make them know nothing about X, and their measure of success is pleasing and impressing their bosses who know ever less about X.
Even at best scenario, it is very difficult to judge what, if any effect does marketing/advertising has. Are our burgers selling because or despite our brilliant campaign?
And, with political/regime propaganda, these problems compound. This is why people wonder "This is so lame and cringe! Why would anyone commission such crap?" The answer is: To you, disilusioned zoomer/millenial/Xer it looks cringe, to boomer boss on the other side of the world who ordered it, it looks cool, based and revolutionary.
Eetan
1mo ago
Imagine it is mid 2026 and you wake up to a final victory by one side or the other, say in the top 90% percentile plus of favourability, however you wish to define it.
Total Ukraine Victory or Total Russian Victory?
As you said, both options are unlikely, but one (TUV) is by several magnitudes more unlikely than the other. Realistic end of war, that could be predicted when the three day special operation failed (and was predicted by sharp observers), is permanent cease fire and permanent DMZ around the current front line.
Best solution for Earth, imagine 1500-2000 km long and 20-50 km wide ruined and abandoned zone that will revert to nature and becomes wildlife paradise.
Now, back to your question: TRV or TUV, what one should we prefer?
It depends how you feel about Global American Empire of Rules Based Order.
In TRV world, GAERBO is defeated and thoroughly humiliated. In TUV world, GAERBO is strenghtened and emboldened to do whatever it wants.
Whatever was the war about in the beginning, it is now whether GAERBO is still the biggest, strongest and sharpest shooting cowboy on the corral.
Eetan
1mo ago
In the end, it is turning into a debacle for Piers Morgan. As the dust settles, he comes across as the evil defender of a decrepit regime going after some dude’s dad. He was forced to pretend to not understand basic statistics, causing him to appear either stupid or malicious, depending on your gullibility. In many ways, he was the perfect heel employing dirty tactics to get an edge.
Yea, imagine some Soviet apparatchik in late stage of really existing socialism defending the system in open, unscripted debate with dissident, even crazy one (or just ordinary disgruntled citizen).
For long time, failures of the system were masked by fact that Western world was legitimately the only game on the planet, the best place to be despite all faults. If USSR liberated the workers of the whole world and imposed its system everywhere, it could also easily swat away any criticism "What are you complaining about? You live far better than medieval serfs!".
Not any more.
Now you can ask: "Why in Dubai or Shanghai people have the same wealth and comfort as in Western cities, and in addition complete safety, where they can walk the streets at any time unmolested and being stabbed or shot by deranged drug addict is as thinkable as being eaten by tiger. Why can't we have it too?" And the system has no answer than "But we have democracy and human rights!" (not much talk about "freedom" these days)
Eetan
1mo ago
And ancient grudge against Russia. The Great Game is over, fear the the bear will waltz down through the Khybert pass towards India is gone, but the grudge remains.
Eetan
1mo ago
But the proles are not upset about celeb pay.
And there is no evidence that "warehouse workers" are exceptionally upset about Bonnie Blue either, OP who started this discussion is probably not a warehouse worker (and if so, he is rather non representative one), and premise of this whole thread is faulty from the beginning (not that this could and should stop interesting debate from developing).
Eetan
1mo ago
We agree about reading, but disagree on the content.
Not really. The bible was extremely extremist and revolutionary book when it was written, and still is. Historically, when disgruntled people were massively reading this book, it was sign that the world is going to be set aflame.
If Early Iron Age Bible writers saw modern society, especially modern UK society, they would be as revolted and horrified as is humanly possible, and Bonnie Blue and her antics would not be even in top 20 reasons for this disgust.
Eetan
1mo ago
We’re also aware that this is a lie but modern feminism benefits well-off middle-class women so we’re not prepared to just jettison it for this reason.
I am afraid that blaming sex work on feminism is rather big misunderstanding. Sex-positive feminism as far as it had any influence, had been thoroughly defeated.
Modern feminists tell little girls to aspire to become presidents, CEOs, soldiers, cops, prison guards etc, not OnlyFans super stars.
Eetan
1mo ago
"Taylor Swift is just singing and dancing, LeBron James is just jumping and throwing a ball, Cristiano Ronaldo is just running and kicking a ball, and they are billionaires, wtf is going on?"
Well, if you are badly paid warehouse worker and see celebrities as people responsible for your misery, your proletarian consciousness is rather undeveloped. Instead of watching TV or tiktok, reading some theory is in order.
Eetan
1mo ago
This would be, if serious, a literal declaration of war under international law.
No such thing as "declaration of war" under modern international law. No wars either, only police actions and special anti-terrorist operations.
Last time US officially declared war was in 1942 against Bulgaria.
Why the difference between 2003 and today, why Iraq war had to be prepared by two years diplomatic and propaganda offensive, while now the orange man points with his mighty finger on map, says "bomb this" and everyone is fine with it?
Iraq back then was still seen as serious enemy, and significant US casualties were expected. No one takes Venezuela seriously at all.
Eetan
1mo ago
Eetan
1mo ago
Add to it that "winning" a fight might well send you to prison. We all live in civilization with cops, prosecutors and judges, and we all know that they salivate at the chance to drop a book on law abiding white person defending himself from criminals (especially law abiding person who is busy online on extremely extreme extremist forum).
This is why serious trainers will tell you: "I am not going to teach you how to "win" fights, I am going to teach you how to get out of fight."
Eetan
1mo ago
As I understand the chaotic fall of Kabul, there was very little "vetting", the evacuated were just lucky people who barged into the planes first. Is my understanding correct?
Eetan
1mo ago
The military used to value Scouting because a boy who'd spent 12 years LARPing as special forces in the Boer War presumably had a certain independent-mindedness and a bevy of practical skills that might come in handy in a tight spot.
Of course, this is double edged weapon. Someone with outdoors survival and evasion training who does not want to be in the army, has much better chance of getting out of tight spot than usual hapless conscript dragged from the streets. If you are not 100% certain about patriotic spirit and dedication of your population, better not disseminate widely these skills among them.
Eetan
1mo ago
Mission: You are undercover behind enemy lines. Eliminate as many uniformed enemy personnel as you can. Your life is expendable, your mission is not.
Starting equipment: One handgun and 15 rounds. Anything else you have to acquire on your own.
The good news is that perpetrator's level of human capital was, as usual, not very high. Not to overtly fed post (or @KulakRevolt post), but given such task, average mottizen even with no military training would be able to rack considerably higher score.
Of course, in current annals of ineffective terrorism/resistance nothing beats this episode.
Officials describe a coordinated plot in which about 12 individuals in black clothing and body armor allegedly used fireworks and vandalism to draw out officers and ambush them with rifles. One Alvarado police officer was shot in the neck and released from the hospital a short time later.
Local reporting and court documents identify ten individuals arrested shortly after; an alleged shooter was arrested on July 15 after a manhunt, and several alleged associates were also arrested.
I am near certain that feds inside this group provided them with blank ammo, the alternative is just too ghastly to contemplate.
Eetan
1mo ago
I honestly don't understand what you mean by this. There are creeds from more than a thousand years ago that Christians today still hold to - those are what have traditionally been used to gatekeep Christianity, and churches today still hold to them.
It is not hard to understand. "Modal Christians" of pre modern trad age were not theologians, but illiterate peasants who never heard about any "creeds" and practiced their faith mixed with various village traditions and superstitions (often extremely unchristian).
Unless you are descended from unbroken line of scholars (it there ever was such thing in the West), your ancestors were not studying works of Saint Thomas, your ancestors were doing rituals to protect themselves from elves, goblins and leprechauns and were venerating saintly dog to help their sick children.
This is how real trad life looked like, and it is irretrievably lost.
(it was more tenacious you would expect. Cult of Saint Guinefort outlived French kingdom, two empires and three republics, all efforts of church and school failed to uproot it, and succumbed only to electric power, radio and television).
Yes, reality is unrealistic.
AGENT: Tone it down. Really, tone it all down. You are writing near future gritty cyberpunk story, not slapstick comedy!
The mega billionaire character is so over the top it is not even funny, starting with this goofy name ... ELON? And the president, Dump or what is his name... this is not even parody, this is pure hallucinatory nonsense.
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