I seem to recall seeing that back in the Obama era we lost a Reaper or Predator drone to the Iranians. I assume they were able to reverse engineer their drone industry from it.
Mostly I agree with the analysis. However, as Russia has unwittingly proven, a third (or fourth) rate military with nuclear weapons and expensive, "old school" delivery systems remains a first rate power when it comes to deterrence and the ability bully the world. As I believe JVL has pointed out previously, the Russia / Ukraine war will lead to worrisome nuclear proliferation in which drones are much less significant. Had Ukraine not relinquished its Soviet era nuclear weapons, Crimea probably wouldn't have been invaded, much less the current quagmire. Drones will likely dominate conventional warfare until cost effective counter measures are developed, but high tech delivery of nuclear weapons will remain the most important weapons systems for a very, very long time. But what do I know, I'm just a psychologist and lack any real expertise in this realm. I really mean that.
Iran: We don’t like even *thinking* about balls, let alone thinking about *touching* them, but if you launch a decapitation strike against us, we will grab the world’s economy by the balls and squeeze, hard, for as long as necessary.
I am reminded of certain movie scenes, with Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption and Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning.
How did our military miss this so badly? Was the purge that massive? Was their arrogance so great? Is there NOBODY paying attention to the largest land war in the world since WWII (Ukraine) and taking fucking notes? WTF?
China is also eating our lunch on renewables - They have already severely cut into fossil production, and with the EV advancements, I anticipate they will be off oil (except for extreme specialty/hobby needs) in the next twenty years or so.
This will make them the super power of the next 100 years, and meantime - oh yeah, we ended all renewable projects with Trump's second term.
And we weren't even trying to compete anyway - we were already behind the mark, and Trump broke our legs by ending what projects we had pushed through.
I have said this before, and I will keep saying it again and again until people realize that the giant budget we spend on the military needs to be redirected into renewable research. Energy is a NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN!!!!!!
If democrats win, I have doubts that they will, so to speak, see the light, but we can hope. Thanks JVL!
BTW, I have had to let my subscription lapse a couple of times for financial reasons - it would be cool if you put how long people had been a member from thier first subscription ;)
Re: Mr. Hegseth's decision to eliminate programs that send US military officers to "elite" universities for advanced training, he said: “Harvard is woke; The War Department is not.”
What he meant is, "Harvard is woke; The War Department is comatose."
When Isaac Chotiner said in the Atlantic interview that "The fundamental question I keep returning to is: Did the Iranians not realize how much control they had over the global economy before the U.S. and Israel attacked them? Or had they always known this and were they just waiting to wield that power?" he left out a third possibility; that not every nation on Earth commits a war crime just because they have the ability to do so. Why doesn't Mr. Chotiner consider the possibility that over many years the Iranians were simply not committing a war crime--because it would have been a war crime? Just because we and Israel no longer seem able to pass up an opportunity to break the law doesn't mean that our enemies are criminals as well. If a guy up the street whom you hate owns a gun has he not yet shot you because he hasn't thought of it yet or because the opportunity hasn't come along? Or maybe he's just not the kind of guy who shoots everyone who hates him.
Thanks, JVL, for including the 2020 vid with DJT’s comments about injecting bleach and shining light inside the body as quick fixes for COVID. One can forget how suddenly DJT’s malignant narcissism can take him into psychotic breaks with reality. I’m sure that his staff is putting a lot of work into hiding this constant of his adult life from us, along with his dementia.
It's wrong to say that "all non-drone militaries are obsolete". They're only obsolete as long as a shred of morality remains in those militaries. At some point, nuclear weapons could make all those drone factories disappear.
Of course, a new Stone Age is not desirable, but revenge fantasies and dementia-inspired failure to foresee consequences combined with pure narcissism and a "yes man" culture......
I seem to recall seeing that back in the Obama era we lost a Reaper or Predator drone to the Iranians. I assume they were able to reverse engineer their drone industry from it.
This is what happens when half the country thinks reality tv is “real”.
Mostly I agree with the analysis. However, as Russia has unwittingly proven, a third (or fourth) rate military with nuclear weapons and expensive, "old school" delivery systems remains a first rate power when it comes to deterrence and the ability bully the world. As I believe JVL has pointed out previously, the Russia / Ukraine war will lead to worrisome nuclear proliferation in which drones are much less significant. Had Ukraine not relinquished its Soviet era nuclear weapons, Crimea probably wouldn't have been invaded, much less the current quagmire. Drones will likely dominate conventional warfare until cost effective counter measures are developed, but high tech delivery of nuclear weapons will remain the most important weapons systems for a very, very long time. But what do I know, I'm just a psychologist and lack any real expertise in this realm. I really mean that.
Iran: We don’t like even *thinking* about balls, let alone thinking about *touching* them, but if you launch a decapitation strike against us, we will grab the world’s economy by the balls and squeeze, hard, for as long as necessary.
I am reminded of certain movie scenes, with Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption and Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning.
How did our military miss this so badly? Was the purge that massive? Was their arrogance so great? Is there NOBODY paying attention to the largest land war in the world since WWII (Ukraine) and taking fucking notes? WTF?
The Iran war is the real 'Emperor has no clothes' moment.
China is also eating our lunch on renewables - They have already severely cut into fossil production, and with the EV advancements, I anticipate they will be off oil (except for extreme specialty/hobby needs) in the next twenty years or so.
This will make them the super power of the next 100 years, and meantime - oh yeah, we ended all renewable projects with Trump's second term.
And we weren't even trying to compete anyway - we were already behind the mark, and Trump broke our legs by ending what projects we had pushed through.
I have said this before, and I will keep saying it again and again until people realize that the giant budget we spend on the military needs to be redirected into renewable research. Energy is a NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN!!!!!!
If democrats win, I have doubts that they will, so to speak, see the light, but we can hope. Thanks JVL!
BTW, I have had to let my subscription lapse a couple of times for financial reasons - it would be cool if you put how long people had been a member from thier first subscription ;)
Great read and very elucidating. Thanks, JVL!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE hire an editor to correct misspellings like, "Bob notes that one of the lynchpins of the American-led order."
A linchpin is not a lYnching device. It is L I N C H.
Re: Mr. Hegseth's decision to eliminate programs that send US military officers to "elite" universities for advanced training, he said: “Harvard is woke; The War Department is not.”
What he meant is, "Harvard is woke; The War Department is comatose."
When Isaac Chotiner said in the Atlantic interview that "The fundamental question I keep returning to is: Did the Iranians not realize how much control they had over the global economy before the U.S. and Israel attacked them? Or had they always known this and were they just waiting to wield that power?" he left out a third possibility; that not every nation on Earth commits a war crime just because they have the ability to do so. Why doesn't Mr. Chotiner consider the possibility that over many years the Iranians were simply not committing a war crime--because it would have been a war crime? Just because we and Israel no longer seem able to pass up an opportunity to break the law doesn't mean that our enemies are criminals as well. If a guy up the street whom you hate owns a gun has he not yet shot you because he hasn't thought of it yet or because the opportunity hasn't come along? Or maybe he's just not the kind of guy who shoots everyone who hates him.
a friend sent me this link. I welcome your observations. Thank you for all that you read, all that you write…..
https://mikebrock.substack.com/p/the-conspiracy-is-the-cover-story?r=6yahz&utm_medium=ios
Thanks, JVL, for including the 2020 vid with DJT’s comments about injecting bleach and shining light inside the body as quick fixes for COVID. One can forget how suddenly DJT’s malignant narcissism can take him into psychotic breaks with reality. I’m sure that his staff is putting a lot of work into hiding this constant of his adult life from us, along with his dementia.
Would it be fair to say that a militarily weaker but organized and committed country is much more likely to make consequential changes to warfare?
Someone just needs to take away this moron's access to Turner Classic Movies, so we can all get on with our lives in this century.
It's wrong to say that "all non-drone militaries are obsolete". They're only obsolete as long as a shred of morality remains in those militaries. At some point, nuclear weapons could make all those drone factories disappear.
Of course, a new Stone Age is not desirable, but revenge fantasies and dementia-inspired failure to foresee consequences combined with pure narcissism and a "yes man" culture......