Mantergeistmann
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User ID: 323
Mantergeistmann
19hr ago
Wasn't Gaza Egyptian at one point, though? But I don't recall anyone declaring Egypt controlling it as having been an act of war.
Mantergeistmann
19hr ago
I mean, George of the Jungle doesn't involve golf, but the villain is very clearly a country club WASP, but I wouldn't say George is coded as being Jewish.
Mantergeistmann
20hr ago
I looked around for some reactions to it, and I don't think it has traveled very far yet. Or, perhaps everyone's just burned out on the subject.
Presumably, the people who don't think GamerGate was about harrassment think it has any new information; and those who do will either not watch it, not believe it, or not share/discuss something critical of their stance unless it can be debunked/used for internet points.
Mantergeistmann
20hr ago
JFK conspiracy theorists- a group which includes a majority of Americans- pretty much believe that LBJ/Israel/the KGB/ancient Egyptian deities/the mafia/the KKK killed him.
Does that group include a majority of Americans?
Mantergeistmann
23hr ago
Similar to how Germany and France/England were engaged in "war" for a decent period of time after the fall of Poland (the Phony War, or Sitzkrieg) prior to the successful German invasion of France?
Mantergeistmann
23hr ago
Yes - "how dare you restrict metal pipes for water!" becomes a lot less impactful when the terrorists release propaganda videos of themselves turning the water pipes into rockets to be fired indiscriminately at civilians.
Mantergeistmann
23hr ago
"Conservatives are ballast, progressives are the sails" is a phrase I've seen a few times, with a number of variations (brakes vs. engine on a car, for instance)
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
Honestly, that would have been my preference, especially in hindsight. Go in, deliver a punitive expedition, leave after having sent the message. The nation-building and "you break it, you bought it" ideology was well-intentioned, but overly idealistic.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
I wish I could find the after-action analysis -- one thing I remember is that whenever people did like western-style institutions (hospitals, for instance) the Taliban would manage to take the credit.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
Do you have any recommendations for gas station/convenience store/hospital cafeteria food that might be less bad? I try to meal prep and pack ahead, but it's not something I can do all the time.
Might depend on region, but sandwiches could be your best bet (if you're in Wawa territory, hoagies are the way to go)? Meat, bread, vegetables; or tuna salad? Try and go for light on the mayo/sauce? Or maybe some of the superfood smoothies as a grab & go?
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
It's a very obvious motte/bailey, isn't it? I've seen people argue Monty Python or WWI/II British crosssdressing humour is the same thing as all modern drag shows, and if people were fine with the former, they're hypocrites to not be fine with the latter.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
For one thing, the flaming robot arms also kept smashing into things.
Why are there flaming robot arms to begin with? That seems like an... interesting decision to have in a literal ammunition factory.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
There could be some role for tube artillery as anti-ship, but I'm not familiar with options there.
It'd be incredibly useful for Taiwan during the defense, but as you said, if it drags on long enough for production and resupply, it'd be because the war has taken on a different shape wherein tube artillery is useless.
One way of looking at it: I believe the Marines are no longer interested in tanks, but are very interested in being able to get missile batteries set up on islands/launch them from the amphib assault decks. Should tell you the sort of ranges/capabilities they expect to deal with.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
That's very much my point. The US (and, indeed, any outsidde power) should have aimed to put in place a local style government with local style institutions and a local style military, but thought that all you needed to do was say "hey presto, democracy!" and everything else would fall into place. Too much idealism, not enough cynicism. Of course, the latter wouldn't have played well domestically.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
Recently I think they also had a large deck drone carrier? But yeah, other than that, I think they topped out at frigate. And not even a Kriegsmarine frigate.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
The better question: is this a new development? Presumably American industrial base has always functioned this way (and, of course, nationalized industries themselves are hardly immune to graft and incompetence...)
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
I'm not sure how or why we failed there.
The short version is, "we tried to build their military, institutions, and infrastructure to be like what works for America, but without actually changing any of the foundational stuff locally to make what works for America work."
Mantergeistmann
3d ago
I don't remember hearing about Iran having warships worth mentioning before the war.
The 2017 ONI report is a bit out of date, but still reasonably useful. The regular Navy, IRIN (NEDAJA) is responsible for everything outside the Gulf and shares responsibility over the Strait. This is where you find the traditional vessels, this is where you find the power projection capability, this is where you find the deep water capability, and this has by its nature been pretty much completely destroyed.
There's also the IRGCN, or NEDSA. As the name implies, this is the IRGC's version of the regular Navy, and it's a bunch of whatever-the-hell. Small boats, fast boats, a few other things. Primarily used to harass/board ships and lay mines. No idea how they're doing these days, but if they'd been given a bit more time to observe and react to the Russo-Ukrainian War, I'm sure they'd have added an absolute ton of MAGUROs and similar. Seems very in line with their philosophy of small & fast swarms.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
I'm reminded of a joke about college football refs and fixing games: "If you want us to believe that they're not fixing the games, pay them enough money that it's not plausible!"
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
This does seem to be the market the SMR folks were expecting. I hope it works out for them.
As do I, but if there's one thing the green types hate more than AI data centers, it's nuclear power.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
This appears to be an appeal to formal rule-based systems.
"So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!"
"Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?"
"Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!"
"Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!"
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
How about Fellowship? Power metal with upbeat lyrics and themes.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
It's AI hate. In my experience, the anti-DC crowd try to weasel out of their position when you ask about (say) streaming video data centers, those somehow being different and fine.
The one reason they might not is that I think Iran has a bit more national pride, rather than being built on being oppressed.
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