I once read a cracking piece of fanfiction, which had the the young Lieutenant Tolkien encountering Maglor (the surviving son of Feanor) in the trenches, who told him about the history of Middle Eart… (View Post)

And yet, French and German casualties in WWI were much worse. Our commanders had at least learned, thanks to the Anglo-Boer War, that defensive rifle fire was deadly. German and French commanders too… (View Post)

Can Iran defeat the rest of the world? That seems unlikely. Trying to blockade the Red Sea, Suez Canal, and permanently closing the Straits means they’re bringing Egypt and Saudi Arabia into the war … (View Post)

The question then becomes whether the mid-ranking officers and officials see it as being in their interests to take on not just the USA and Israel, but every major power who will be hurt by that. (View Post)

It makes sense to offer authoritarian rulers the option of a comfortable retirement. (View Post)