why would a country announce such a thing?
If you don’t want all-out war, it’s a good idea to announce your attacks so the other side (1) doesn’t over-react, and (2) pays attention the next time you make a threat. Usually the downside is that the other side might use this information to try to stop you. But at this point Iran has pretty much total control of the Persian Gulf, so that’s not a huge risk.
Yes, I pointed this out only because people often think that Facebook and Twitter are the biggest social media everywhere in the world.
Sorry, my bad. So these people are software funding agencies?
While this is great, aren’t wealth funds required to get a return on investment? How does that work here?
That’s normal, Mr Putin seems to be living rent-free in the heads of quite a lot of Americans and Europeans.
It looks like they are pushing back. But when you have neither nukes nor a drone fleet, there are limits to what you can say to a US company.
I am Ozymandius, King of Kings; look on my works, ye mighty, and despair …
While I agree with the overall statement, WhatsApp, Youtube and Instagram have more users, and a bigger impact on politics in India, than Facebook.
Firefox -> Reading mode gets past the paywall.
If you’re on Firefox, just enable reading mode.
The publication date would be decided by Wiley.
Money and supplies are two different issues.
True. You need money to make supplies, but you also need production facilities and supply chains. And time.
It cannot be won, because the war itself has no real goals.
When has morality mattered in war? I agree that the war is abominable, and the killing of schoolgirls and bombing of hospitals is completely unjustified. But the reason the war cannot be won is still natural advantages (Iran’s hilly geography, the chokepoint at Hormuz, and the sheer distance from the US) and technology (Iran can mass-produce missiles and drones, which are OP against warships, exposed bases and manned aircraft.). As for incompetence, I’m not so sure. Is Trump trying to win a military victory? Then yes, he is incompetent. But if his real aim is to enrich himself and his friends through market manipulation, then maybe not.
Sun Tzu did mention the importance of money, or rather, supplies:
Now the requirements of war are such that we need a thousand light chariots … and one hundred thousand armoured men; and we must send supplies to distant fields. Wherefore the cost at home and in the field … are such that in one day a thousand pieces of gold are spent.
… let the operations long continue, and the soldiers’ ardour decreases, the weapons become worn, and, if a siege be undertaken, strength disappears. Again, if the war last long, the country’s means do not suffice.
And while money sure helps, it doesn’t make up for natural advantages, poor planning or technology. How much is Iran’s military budget, compared to that of the US?
I’m not European, but I get your point about each country having a different political system. What works in one country may not work in another. But what is common among most countries is a shared economic system. Whoever your politicians are, whatever they claim to believe, the vast majority of them are the pawns of the billionaires. Now, going for the politicians might get some results. Those individual politicians might lose the next election, or get kicked from their parties. But if you want long-term change, you’ll have to target their owners. Make ‘line go down’. For that, your protests will need to hit their infrastructure. Of course, whether you want to do this, and whether the risks are worth the rewards, are for you to decide.
If you are protesting against the government, then you need to shut down all / most economic activity. Usually you do this by blocking roads, railway lines, etc., and by marching in large numbers. I get that this is difficult in the US because you’ll get shot, but dancing and partying do not hurt the politicians or their owners, and so is just a waste of time.
Also I said nothing about going on strike, where did you get that from?
But can the Gulf countries actually say no to the US? They don’t have Iran’s drone fleet or tunnel network, and are much more dependent financially on the dollar. I get the feeling that they’re caught between a rock and a hard place here. And at least some of those ‘accidents’ and ‘friendly fire’ could be them doing what they can get away with.
Sorry, but the US ‘protests’ are a joke. You don’t protest by dancing and cosplaying in front of a camera. You protest by shutting down infrastructure, in a peaceful but organised and disciplined manner, until your demands are satisfied.
I understand that there are limits to real protest in the US, and of course it would be silly to demand that anyone risk being shot. But don’t call a party a ‘protest’.
In the short-term, you are right. In the long-term, this is pretty much the end for fossil fuels. Not only is solar cheaper, it’s also more reliable now.