Mantergeistmann
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User ID: 323
Mantergeistmann
7hr ago
I remember, oh, a decade ago, a ton of articles were coming out about how Firefly was "geekwashing the Confederacy". My hunch is that the majority of authors of said articles mostly just wanted an attack vector at nerds, with the added bonus of a sideswipe at a different form of male-dominated media (Westerns).
Mantergeistmann
15hr ago
In real life, SAM ranges aren't little circles on a map that let you just delete anything in that range.
I think former CNO Richardson put it best:
the term “denial,” as in “anti-access/area denial” is too often taken as a fait accompli, when it is, more accurately, an aspiration. Often, I get into A2AD discussions accompanied by maps with red arcs extending off the coastlines of countries like China or Iran. The images imply that any military force that enters the red area faces certain defeat – it’s a “no-go” zone! But the reality is much more complex. Achieving a successful engagement requires completion of a complex chain of events, each link of which is vulnerable and can be interrupted. Those arcs represent danger, to be sure, and the Navy is going to be very thoughtful and well prepared as we address them, but the threats are not insurmountable.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
I'm far from the only person to be annoyed that Slytherin is supposedly just for "ambition", and yet it winds up being the hyper-evil house. I get it, it's a simplistic young adult boarding school adventure book, but the later books seem to try to get deeper/more mature.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the prequels were (mostly) fine as movies, particularly The Phantom Menace. They weren't fine as Star Wars movies.
I think my take is best summed up by the midichlorian scene. In a different setting, this is a fine scene! Sure, you can measure the space magic capabilities of someone with a blood test. That's fine! If it was in Star Trek, sure, or if it was measuring for bionic strength in Mass Effect, for instance. It is, however, completely wrong for Star Wars and The Force.
Mantergeistmann
1d ago
then Hamas kills about 1.2k, then Israel kills 71k. [...] Certainly Hamas reduced no Israeli cities to rubble.
Shockingly, it's far better for the local population to not be on have a war being fought in their territory. It would be insanity to say "Italians killed no American civilians, yet the Americans then went on to kill thousands of Italian civilians and reduced their cities to rubble*!" as a condemnation of America.
*Yes, yes, Monte Cassino. Mistakes are made in warfare, some absolutely awful, and sometimes even deliberately. It does not change the nature of the campaign as a whole.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
America destroys its major opponent for projecting power in the Gulf, which strengthens the American military’s position as the basis of global order
It would also allow for an eventual drawdown of American forces in the region, similar to how America doesn't really feel a need to keep significant forces on standby in the Med or Caribbean
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
I'm reminded of how many articles will estimate the "cost of deployment", but they almost never include what the equivalent cost would still be for the ships just hanging out travelling between ports and working on quals.
Mantergeistmann
2d ago
The manga makes it even more explicit, I believe, that a large part of why the monsters are so riled up is that they know if they don't stop you, they all vanish.
Mantergeistmann
3d ago
From Iran, we're going to see a pivot from "Death to Amerikka!" to "Halp! Call the UN, we're being genocided!"
The one reason they might not is that I think Iran has a bit more national pride, rather than being built on being oppressed.
Mantergeistmann
3d 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
3d 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
3d 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
3d 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
3d 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
3d 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
3d 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
4d 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
4d 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
4d 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
4d 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
4d 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
4d 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
4d 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
5d 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.
Me, I loved the excruciatingly bad examples. It's what I was there for. But yes, a lot of the problems were very obvious, but I figured it was written more for the "so you're just now trying to write and have written your first book" crowd, rather than the "experienced writer looking to hone their craft".
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