The pound sank into the mud of the Somme and never recovered. By the end of WWI, Britain was deeply in debt. It had to give up India in 1947. And then, in 1956, it was unable to control the Suez Canal
Peter the Boom, this guy treats war like it’s a personality trait. “We negotiate with bombs.” Yeah, and I negotiate with my landlord by setting my couch on fire. Let’s see how that goes.
This dude’s entire strategy sounds like it was scribbled on the back of a protein shake label. “Destroy the enemy as viciously as possible from moment one.” Moment one? Buddy, you don’t even understand moment two. That’s where consequences live. That’s where history walks in, looks around, and goes: “Oh wow, you did this again?” But everybody loves it! Of course they do. Everybody loves a strongman with the intellectual depth of a turd in a parking lot, and now he’s running the biggest economic demolition company on Earth. Congratulations, Pete! You turned global trade into a game of Jenga, and your first move was a sledgehammer.
It Seems a little inefficient, but what do I know, call me old-fashioned, usually when I want someone to cooperate, I don’t start by removing their infrastructure, and now the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, which is very interesting, because that’s where the oil goes. And the oil, well…that’s kind of important. So now the US is standing there like a guy who cut his own brake lines and is surprised the car won’t stop. But Peter of Boom “Well, we’ll just send more bombers.” Yeah… that’ll help, let’s fix a broken clock by throwing another clock at it. I mean, eventually you just have..two broken clocks, and a very confused sense of time.
President Trump finally solved the problem of complex decision-making, he removed the complexity and the decision-making. Trump’s grand doctrine is simple: if reality disagrees with you, bomb reality until it apologizes. They think nuance is a type of weakness and foresight is a rumor started by cowards. “Negotiate with bombs”? Detonate the conversation! These guys are not playing chess, they’re flipping the board, eating the pieces, and calling it a win because nobody else can play anymore. Newsflash: if your entire plan fits on a bumper sticker, it’s not a doctrine, it’s a warning label.
You know, if bombs are how you negotiate, then what happens when the other guy negotiates back?
Do you compare explosions?
Is there a scoreboard?
Because it seems like eventually you just run outta things to negotiate with, and then you’re left standing there, in a very quiet place, surrounded by the results of a very loud argument, wondering why nobody wants to talk anymore.
But I guess that’s the plan.
Less talking, more silence, so buy more gold, because…..
Well to be sure your writing style is very sophisticated, fun, interesting with great analogies and even better metaphors. However, the content is right up there with parking lot turd you mentioned in your missive.
Mr. Bonner, since you have all the answers, why don’t YOU go use words and negotiate with Iran. Go show us how it’s done. Secure peace in our time with words. Should work like a champ with the “Death to America” ayatollahs, mullahs, and assorted imams.
Put your money where your mouth is. I double-dog dare you.
If the US maintains that "negotiating" strategy, they may soon find themselves without people to negotiate with. So they will "gain" in terms of being able to force a submission of sorts, but will ensure rage from those they oppress.
If there was an embodiment of the Hegseth war style, I think of "King" Kong from Dr Strangelove.
Perhaps the only way to parry Iran's conversion of the Hormuz Strait and other nearby choke points subject to Houthi interdiction of passage into toll booths where tolls (tariffs) are collected in yuan or gold dinars is to accelerate the conversion of US power generation to nuclear using latest models of generating plant design that can't melt down like Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. That and continuing progress on battery technology could push hydrocarbons into more useful channels like making plastics, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Let Africa and the Eurasian polities continue to run on hydrocarbons, and choke on the fumes while the Americas go nuclear-driven electric and develop Lunar and Lunar orbit industries and prepare the bases for reaching and terraforming Mars and mining the asteroids. Perhaps an asteroid or two will be found to match the silver mountain at Potosi? Or even gold? Revisit the relevant Twilight Zone episode.
Well we could say the Iran situation rhymes with historical events for the British, but I hope not. Yes I know, hope is not a strategy but at this point in this conflict, I expect it will require taking out key infrastructure to break Iran's hold on the straights. That probably means "boot on the ground". 61 years ago I participated in an activity not fully backed by the political class and we all know how that turned out. I pray God will impart some sense into the heads of those calling the shots today.
"Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please." So said Machiavelli. Does anyone in the State Department read him nowadays?
Peter the Boom, this guy treats war like it’s a personality trait. “We negotiate with bombs.” Yeah, and I negotiate with my landlord by setting my couch on fire. Let’s see how that goes.
This dude’s entire strategy sounds like it was scribbled on the back of a protein shake label. “Destroy the enemy as viciously as possible from moment one.” Moment one? Buddy, you don’t even understand moment two. That’s where consequences live. That’s where history walks in, looks around, and goes: “Oh wow, you did this again?” But everybody loves it! Of course they do. Everybody loves a strongman with the intellectual depth of a turd in a parking lot, and now he’s running the biggest economic demolition company on Earth. Congratulations, Pete! You turned global trade into a game of Jenga, and your first move was a sledgehammer.
It Seems a little inefficient, but what do I know, call me old-fashioned, usually when I want someone to cooperate, I don’t start by removing their infrastructure, and now the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, which is very interesting, because that’s where the oil goes. And the oil, well…that’s kind of important. So now the US is standing there like a guy who cut his own brake lines and is surprised the car won’t stop. But Peter of Boom “Well, we’ll just send more bombers.” Yeah… that’ll help, let’s fix a broken clock by throwing another clock at it. I mean, eventually you just have..two broken clocks, and a very confused sense of time.
President Trump finally solved the problem of complex decision-making, he removed the complexity and the decision-making. Trump’s grand doctrine is simple: if reality disagrees with you, bomb reality until it apologizes. They think nuance is a type of weakness and foresight is a rumor started by cowards. “Negotiate with bombs”? Detonate the conversation! These guys are not playing chess, they’re flipping the board, eating the pieces, and calling it a win because nobody else can play anymore. Newsflash: if your entire plan fits on a bumper sticker, it’s not a doctrine, it’s a warning label.
You know, if bombs are how you negotiate, then what happens when the other guy negotiates back?
Do you compare explosions?
Is there a scoreboard?
Because it seems like eventually you just run outta things to negotiate with, and then you’re left standing there, in a very quiet place, surrounded by the results of a very loud argument, wondering why nobody wants to talk anymore.
But I guess that’s the plan.
Less talking, more silence, so buy more gold, because…..
Silence is golden
But my eyes still see
Silence is golden, golden
But my eyes still see (Tremeloes 1967)
Well to be sure your writing style is very sophisticated, fun, interesting with great analogies and even better metaphors. However, the content is right up there with parking lot turd you mentioned in your missive.
Mr. Bonner, since you have all the answers, why don’t YOU go use words and negotiate with Iran. Go show us how it’s done. Secure peace in our time with words. Should work like a champ with the “Death to America” ayatollahs, mullahs, and assorted imams.
Put your money where your mouth is. I double-dog dare you.
If the US maintains that "negotiating" strategy, they may soon find themselves without people to negotiate with. So they will "gain" in terms of being able to force a submission of sorts, but will ensure rage from those they oppress.
If there was an embodiment of the Hegseth war style, I think of "King" Kong from Dr Strangelove.
Perhaps the only way to parry Iran's conversion of the Hormuz Strait and other nearby choke points subject to Houthi interdiction of passage into toll booths where tolls (tariffs) are collected in yuan or gold dinars is to accelerate the conversion of US power generation to nuclear using latest models of generating plant design that can't melt down like Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. That and continuing progress on battery technology could push hydrocarbons into more useful channels like making plastics, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Let Africa and the Eurasian polities continue to run on hydrocarbons, and choke on the fumes while the Americas go nuclear-driven electric and develop Lunar and Lunar orbit industries and prepare the bases for reaching and terraforming Mars and mining the asteroids. Perhaps an asteroid or two will be found to match the silver mountain at Potosi? Or even gold? Revisit the relevant Twilight Zone episode.
What???
Well we could say the Iran situation rhymes with historical events for the British, but I hope not. Yes I know, hope is not a strategy but at this point in this conflict, I expect it will require taking out key infrastructure to break Iran's hold on the straights. That probably means "boot on the ground". 61 years ago I participated in an activity not fully backed by the political class and we all know how that turned out. I pray God will impart some sense into the heads of those calling the shots today.
Jim Marshall