Mantergeistmann
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User ID: 323
Mantergeistmann
6hr ago
Apparently he also grabbed a 14th century weapon?
behind closed doors at the Pentagon [...] one U.S. official reached for a fourteenth-century weapon and invoked the Avignon Papacy
Seriously, 14th century is awful specific for a weapon's time period, unless it was one of the Swiss Guard's halberds, which, ballsy move there to try to threaten the Pope's envoy with one of his own guardsmen's weapons. Although even then, I think that'd have been 16th century...
Mantergeistmann
6hr ago
it seems concerning that our under secretaries are apparently going around and threatening our allies and no one above in the chain of command knew about it/cared until it became public
How would they have known? It's not like he's going up to them after the meeting and saying "Oh, by the way JD, just so you know I told the Pope's ambassador we'd go Avignon on his ass, you cool with that?"
Mantergeistmann
10hr ago
This could help explain why Pope Leo has felt so emboldened to speak up against Trump's war efforts in Iran, cause the administration officials have been warmongering against them behind the scenes.
It's the pope. How many times in recent years has the pope not spoken up against war efforts?
The chance that the admin actually pulls the trigger and attacks the Vatican is obviously low, but that they keep threatening many of our allies both publically and privately seems quite concerning to me. It also opens up a new thing to consider, how many other allies are they threatening behind closed doors too?
I mean, usually when the administration responds that they're going to look into a situation, that means that the message that's been reported is not what the administration approves of. At least publicly. So this would have to be something where they told Colby to threaten the Vatican, but unlike Canada and Greenland, wanted it kept on the down low? Seems implausible, but I've been wrong before.
Mantergeistmann
16hr ago
The aircraft carriers are indeed hiding, but that might also be an abundance of caution. Are they effective from where they are currently anchored? If so, it is probably clever to keep them out of harm's way, if not, that would indeed showcase the (presumed) effectiveness of Iranian anti-ship missiles.
According to Wikipedia, combat range for an F-18 is around 500 miles, and over 700 for a F-35. Note that that's without refueling, which the US has access to via local bases.
Would being closer be better? Well, yeah, you can reach more places, take heavier payloads, spend more time over target. Would it be better enough that there's any point risking even having to maneuver against a missile? Haha no.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
Would a ceasefire reset the presidential "police action" clock as far as amount of time forces are allowed to be deployed before Congress has to be asked?
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
They had broken down Mr. Netanyahu’s presentation into four parts. First was decapitation — killing the ayatollah. Second was crippling Iran’s capacity to project power and threaten its neighbors. Third was a popular uprising inside Iran. And fourth was regime change, with a secular leader installed to govern the country.
The U.S. officials assessed that the first two objectives were achievable with American intelligence and military power.
I mean, 1 & 2 sound like the important ones from a US perspective, specifically item 2, so... what's the problem?
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
I have not seen any evidence at all that American bombers can operate over Iran without resorting to standoff ammunition (or well, getting shut down).
Then you're not looking in the right places
The B-52s began the war by mounting attacks with stand-off munitions but have recently been seen by aircraft spotters and captured in official imagery carrying JDAMs as Iran’s air defense has weakened.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
FDR
Beautiful shitposting there.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
Given that even the French Navy has been putting out MLG-360-noscope-style videos of drone tests and ship interdictions... which then get posted to Naval News and Maritime Executive, some of the drier news sites in existence... we certainly live in a unique era of history.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
I can understand a lot of the chants for the death of their enemies, too - if America blew up a primary school in my country I'd start chanting Death to the Great Satan as well.
Timeline is kind of backwards there, no? Unless you're talking about America blowing up a school several decades ago...
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
The funnier part is the cope, either by the regime claiming they totally shot down those planes, no for reals, or by the shills claiming that this means that it was at best a pyhrric victory for the US, and wow look at all the equipment they lost what a bunch of losers losing two planes and a bunch of helicopters for one guy!
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
I rememeber when he was first running for office, the amount of analysis that the proper way to think of him was as a pro wrestling commentator.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
I bet this judge is very sensible, very normal, a fine dinner guest. He's also a massive wrecker of society, squandering billions of dollars pointlessly. There are many similar stories in the US and around the world.
I'm reminded of a few lines from Boswell's Life of Johnson, emphasis mine because it's a fantastic line:
The genteelest characters are often the most immoral. Does not Lord Chesterfield give precepts for uniting wickedness and the graces? A man, indeed, is not genteel when he gets drunk; but most vices may be committed very genteelly: a man may debauch his friend's wife genteely: he may cheat at cards genteelly. [...] it may not be like a gentleman, but it may be genteel.
One means exteriour grace; the other honour. It is certain that a man may be very immoral with exteriour grace. Lovelace, in Clarissa, is a very genteel and a very wicked character. Tom Hervey, who died t'other day, though a vicious man, was one of the genteelest men that ever lived.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
I consider myself fortunate that my dad taught me "always contribute at least enough to get the company match; it's free money" and my first company automatically picked a target date fund as the default. Meant I was in a good spot by the time I finally did become a bit more financially literate.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
if you can get enough work
That's the part that absolutely terrifies me when contracting otherwise sounds attractive. I don't know how people find business. Is it networking? I'm awful at that!
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
Ah, a spinoff of the comic "Peanuts", was it?
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
I just sort of laugh at retirement advice simply because if you have enough money to be able to invest a substantial sum of money, you already have enough experience with money to do okay.
There are some pretty depressing statistics on "people who just leave money in their corporate 401k as cash", even amongst smart people. A lot of people really do need that advice.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
there are several areas (such as submarines and orbital launch capability) where the US is ahead of China (both in quality and in scale
Submarines is an interesting one. The US is currently producing what, 1.3 Virginias/year, and they're trying (and currently failing) to get that up to 2.5 to support their own needs plus AUKUS? But then there's also the new Boomer class entering production.
I believe China is producing more subs/year, but that might also include diesels. Which are useful for them to protect their own backyard, but are not the sort of thing that would be in any way useful for America to make.
Quality-wise, though, I believe you're dead-on, that nobody can currently match US nuclear submarines, although China is narrowing the gap.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
There was another great quote about "When something happens, and a leader tells you they are 'not responsible', believe them. That is to say, they are correctly claiming to be irresponsible".
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
It takes money to make money, as they say.
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
I had no idea there were two Buffets in the investing business, so yes, apparently I was!
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
Jimmy Buffet
I don't think he made his money from stock picking so much as guitar picking...
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
whenever I see those sorts of "after action" reports I can't help but read between the lines and suspect that over-emphasis on $LATEST_SHINY_THINGS as the underlying culprit to these sorts of things, which is to say that when there are too many priorities, then nothing is a priority.
Too many Shiny Things, and too much "distributed responsibility". After all, "safety is everyone's responsibility", right? But to paraphrase Incredibles, when everyone is responsible for something, nobody is. And to return to a different subsection of the Navy...
"Responsibility is a unique concept; it may only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. Even if you do not recognize it or admit its presence, you cannot escape it. If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, ignorance, or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible."
Mantergeistmann
4d ago
That's basically never going to exist in any conflict. For any side. Especially involving ships at sea. I suppose "I don't know what's really happened, and neither can you" is a valid philosophical position to hold, but it does put a bit of a damper on discussions of current events.
I mean, don't get me wrong, he had some great points, but I don't think he was benching 450 as a "muscular authoritarian type". At least not the image most people have of him...
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