Open Thread 9 August 2014

While we wait to learn who will make the next move in Iraq ...

Comments

[Lord Curzon]

Really? With the Iraqi Army all but finished, the Shia militias a speed bump in the way of ISIS moving on Baghdad, who is left to defend the shrines?

[Babak Makkinejad]

Iran will not send armored columns into Iraq.

[Fred]

Chuck,

Moon of Alabama is run by "b" who comments here regularly.

[turcopolier]

fred

"Chuck, Moon of Alabama is run by "b" who comments here regularly." I am thinking that over. pl

[Tyler]

If anyone is in the Nashville area I will be there for business from the 26th to the 28th of September to promote my writing. If someone from SST wants to meet, I'll spot them a drink.

[cau xang]

look up billmon

[Castellio]

Thanks for the direction.

[turcopolier]

Cau Xang

"billmon" He has returned? pl

[Charles Dekle]

Hi Tyler,
I did not know that you are a writer. Cool. Science Fiction?
Regards,

[Fred]

Tyler,

I'll send a few potential readers your way. If I'm in town I'll let you know.

[Tyler]

Yes. To wit: Intelligent dinosaurs and humans fight aliens in the future.

[Tyler]

Please do. I'd be glad to meet you.

[Fred]

Same here. I'm actually in town for business end of August. I may be able to swing flight if work doesn't take me elsewhere.

[YT]

Col. sir,

I just hope commenting here (for so long) hasn't (already) cost yours truly "possible employment opportunities"...

[William R. Cumming]

If one had a crystal ball [I don't], and only one investment strategy for a nation-state was allowed between its military vis a vis its infrastructure including education, which strategy is more likely to see its survival to 2100?

Are we moving from a nation-state system to a city state system given the number of cities likely to have 25M or more in population even by 2050? What will governance and security look like in these mega-cities by century end?

[Charles Dekle]

Tyler,
Sounds like a major movie to me. Good luck. When you write the screen play, I would be happy to play an old engineer on the battle ship repairing the laser batteries just in time. :-)
Regards,

[different clue]

Totally different subject, but here is what claims to be a photo of Nassim Taleb's little list of sins.
https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/498919059980042240/photo/1

[Fred]

To quote Admiral Beatty " 'There is something wrong with our ships', 'And something wrong with our system'." Read the latest sad news from the USN.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/08/08/navy-deployed-skipper-retreated-to-cabin-for-weeks.html

Why is any officers on that ship above the rank of Lt. j.g. still commissioned? None of the chiefs could get a message to the squadron commander? Obama must be proud.