Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by garbon - Today at 11:42:10 AM

I'm sorry you feel that way--it isn't a decision I have made lightly.

Something JR mentioned alludes to a core of my issue--the campaign against apartheid South Africa. That is really the playbook the Hamastans want us to run against Israel.

As I have observed the pro-Palestinians in America switch to full bore antisemitism, pro-Hamas, pro-genocide rhetoric, and as I see very concerning polling about huge percentages of young Democrats support Hamas, don't believe Israel has a right to exist etc, I feel like we're at a dangerous breaking point for Israel. If American support for Israel falls, it will truly have no protector against attempts to "formally delegitimize it." Think widespread sanctions, divestment, as bad as was used against South Africa. The difference of course is the South African apartheid government deserved it--Israel doesn't. There is no apartheid in Israel, there is a little bit of land that Arabs lost in a war they started, they have everything they could ever need in terms of land, they just don't want Jews living anywhere in the Middle East.

Unfortunately when Joe caved to the Hamastan left (and note by the way, you can still find interviews where they say they aren't voting for Joe, his caving accomplished nothing but making pro-Israel voters like myself turn their back on him), he told me he wasn't willing to stand up for Israel and prevent the outcome I laid out. Only a return to Republican rule can set things right. The far left must be punished.

Israel is the most important issue facing America? Or at least enough so that it should be the deciding factor for the presidency?

#2

Gaming HQ / Re: PSA: Game Discounts

Last post by celedhring - Today at 11:24:17 AM

New Vegas is definitely the best. It helps that they keep all the Enclave/BoS nonsense to a reasonable minimum.

#3

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by OttoVonBismarck - Today at 11:20:24 AM

I'm sorry you feel that way--it isn't a decision I have made lightly.

Something JR mentioned alludes to a core of my issue--the campaign against apartheid South Africa. That is really the playbook the Hamastans want us to run against Israel.

As I have observed the pro-Palestinians in America switch to full bore antisemitism, pro-Hamas, pro-genocide rhetoric, and as I see very concerning polling about huge percentages of young Democrats support Hamas, don't believe Israel has a right to exist etc, I feel like we're at a dangerous breaking point for Israel. If American support for Israel falls, it will truly have no protector against attempts to "formally delegitimize it." Think widespread sanctions, divestment, as bad as was used against South Africa. The difference of course is the South African apartheid government deserved it--Israel doesn't. There is no apartheid in Israel, there is a little bit of land that Arabs lost in a war they started, they have everything they could ever need in terms of land, they just don't want Jews living anywhere in the Middle East.

Unfortunately when Joe caved to the Hamastan left (and note by the way, you can still find interviews where they say they aren't voting for Joe, his caving accomplished nothing but making pro-Israel voters like myself turn their back on him), he told me he wasn't willing to stand up for Israel and prevent the outcome I laid out. Only a return to Republican rule can set things right. The far left must be punished.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by dane - Today at 11:15:55 AM

Otto, seeing your changing stance on Trump has been one of the most unsettling things that I have personally witnessed since he left office. The fact that someone as knowledgeable, well-reasoning and thoughtful as you can suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere start supporting Trump really makes me fear for the future of this country.   

#5

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by OttoVonBismarck - Today at 10:51:01 AM

Trump in his long Time Magazine interview a couple days ago makes it official he no longer supports a two-state solution:

Transactional isolationism may be the main strain of Trump's foreign policy, but there are limits. Trump says he would join Israel's side in a confrontation with Iran. "If they attack Israel, yes, we would be there," he tells me. He says he has come around to the now widespread belief in Israel that a Palestinian state existing side by side in peace is increasingly unlikely. "There was a time when I thought two-state could work," he says. "Now I think two-state is going to be very, very tough."

Listen, I hate Trump on many levels--but this is the right policy here, and one Biden and the Jihadi Dems will never see the light on.

#6

Gaming HQ / Re: PSA: Game Discounts

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 09:14:39 AM

I have not played any of them, is there one that stands the test of time

New Vegas.  Most atmosphere and by far the best quests.

 

#7

Gaming HQ / Re: New Paradox Tinto Game - "...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 08:55:47 AM

My understanding is that idea is that production and distribution mostly run themselves, but the player can step in and try to grab lucrative trade opportunities.  E.g. assuming the spice trade goes into Alexandira, Venetian merchants would try to control those trades from Alexandria-Venice and then Venice to other European markets.  Similar to how it worked in prior EU games except that instead of a more abstracted system where trade centers are assigned an overall value and resources are expended to get a power percentage in the center, you send merchants to make specific trades in specific goods. I.e. something you would probably automate if you were playing a larger power where trade income is not a big proportion of total income but would micro if you are playing a city-state or trading republic.

#8

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 08:23:06 AM

Yeah.  I mean letting yourself be arrested for riding at the front of the bus while black is great political theatre, same as chaining yourself to an old growth tree you're trying to prevent being logged - there's a clear connection between what you're doing and your cause, even if it might be against the law.

It's hard to come up with compelling theater for a protest aimed at another country's foreign policy.  Israel's government certainly is not going to influenced by what a handful of students at Columbia University are doing.  The Vietnam era protests were different in that respect - everyone in the 18-22 age group had a direct personal stake in the prosecution of the war and there were on campus connections like ROTC.

Presumably the model is the South African divestment campaign but that was a longer, more patient effort that didn't (as I recall) involve physical occupation of buildings.  And while the ANC had a militant wing, it didn't carry out anything like Oct 7.

#9

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Tamas - Today at 07:32:28 AM

I haven't been following these protests at all, but was it really that impossible to just let them sit there and get bored? Were they preventing access to buildings?

#10

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Tamas - Today at 07:31:05 AM

Unrelated to local elections but saw this yesterday and got me thinking on the topic of phasing out gas boilers  a lot.

I have heard of some experiments locally in the area...but it is mystifying we aren't doing this more as it sounds so tried and tested. Why are we putting so much into air source heat pumps when we've so many disused mines we can be using in many parts of the country- as the guy here says, heavily parts that could really use cheaper energy and are more likely to be susceptible to anti-green populist nonsense.

Never would go past fear of earthquakes. Just build nuclear.