The War on WAR

30 Thursday Jan 2020

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Vox Day covered this a while back, but I thought it was worth mentioning again. Ethan Arsht calculated the “win above replacement” scores for generals throughout history.

The Results
Among all generals, Napoleon had the highest WAR (16.679) by a large margin. In fact, the next highest performer, Julius Caesar (7.445 WAR), had less than half the WAR accumulated by Napoleon across his battles. Napoleon benefited from the large number of battles in which he led forces. Among his 43 listed battles, he won 38 and lost only 5. Napoleon overcame difficult odds in 17 of his victories, and commanded at a disadvantage in all 5 of his losses. No other general came close to Napoleon in total battles. While Napoleon commanded forces in 43 battles, the next most prolific general was Robert E. Lee, with 27 battles (the average battle count was 1.5). Napoleon’s large battle count allowed him more opportunities to demonstrate his tactical prowess. Alexander the Great, despite winning all 9 of his battles, accumulated fewer WAR largely because of his shorter and less prolific career.

An impressive dataset and methodology, wherein the author admits to various flaws. Still, the peanut gallery had plenty to say – “What? Lee wasn’t that great?!” “You cite bad sources, sir!” – without offering a better model let alone building one. All very interesting.

What Lies Will Come Out of This?

27 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in News and Notes

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empire's over, government, Iraq, lies, War

Assuming this latest embassy story isn’t a lie too.

Three rockets slammed into the US embassy in Iraq’s capital on Sunday in the first direct hit reported after months of close calls, as thousands kept up anti-government sit-ins across the country.

The attack marked a dangerous escalation in the spree of rocket attacks in recent months that have targeted the embassy or Iraqi military bases where American troops are deployed.

None of the attacks has been claimed but Washington has repeatedly blamed Iran-backed military factions in Iraq.

On Sunday, one rocket hit an embassy cafeteria at dinner time while two others landed nearby, a security source told AFP.

A senior Iraqi official told AFP at least one person was wounded, but it was not immediately clear how serious the injuries were and whether the person was an American national or an Iraqi staff member working at the mission.

The US embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Yeah, I’d imagine not. Probably crafting the first of several tall tales while being admonished that the drones still haven’t been replaced and can be easily hit again (along with the embassy and the carriers). The empire’s over folks. Time to come home.

The Idiots’ Empire

26 Sunday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns

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collapse, Empire, evil, War

Gary Barnett on the declining, soon-to-fall, immoral US Empire:

Yes, the American Empire will fall, but it won’t be due to outside threats. It will be due to the abandonment of falsely espoused values, of internal strife and divisiveness, of mass corruption, of political upheaval, of monetary suicide, and of collective immorality. Collectivism breeds empire and allows it to flourish, and because of the loss of individual thought, it becomes the internal disease that leads to the extermination of that empire. This is the real America, not the land of the free and home of the brave, but a collective mob of ignorant sheep awaiting the slaughter due to their own weakness and stupidity.

That’s them, alright. Put that in your constitution and smoke it.

Then Don’t go to War with Them

19 Sunday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns

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losers, Trump, War

The Trump railed against the professional military that hasn’t won a war (without massive Soviet assistance) in over 100 years – despite constant chances.

Trump is then said to have complained about President Barack Obama’s Iranian nuclear deal, and the length of the war in Afghanistan. Each time, his generals reportedly tried to gently explain why his view of these complex geopolitical issues might not be entirely accurate. It was reportedly during a conversation about Afghanistan that Trump blew his top.

The president reportedly called Afghanistan a “loser war,” and told his military leaders: “You’re all losers… You don’t know how to win anymore… I want to win… We don’t win any wars anymore… We spend $7 trillion, everybody else got the oil and we’re not winning anymore.” It’s reported that Trump was so angry at this point that he wasn’t breathing properly.

In his most incendiary comment, Trump—a man who, remember, managed to get out of military duty in Vietnam due to a supposed bone-spur problem—is said to have told the assembled forces, “I wouldn’t go to war with you people… You’re a bunch of dopes and babies.”

Don’t let them make you do things like instigating a war with Iran, Mr. Trump. I recommend what I call Operation O-6. Fire the admirals and generals and promote the junior officers. Task them with dismantling the empire. If they turn into dopes, then fire them too. Fire more brass, fewer missiles.

Traumatic Brain Injury: Believe Nothing from DC

18 Saturday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

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Iran, Iraq, lies, military, War

Putting aside the semantics of “American” v. “US” troops, we have yet another ~~lie~~ alteration to the ever-shifting narrative out of Iraq, in re the Iranian missile strike.

Nearly a dozen American troops were injured in the Iranian missile attack on two bases in Iraq last week, Defense Department officials said, after initially stating that there were no casualties in the strikes.

Eleven individuals are being screened for traumatic brain injuries following the attacks on two bases in Iraq that house American troops. Iran fired a dozen rockets total at Erbil in northern Iraq and the sprawling Al Asad air base in the west in retaliation for the American killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani days before. Pentagon officials at the time said there were no casualties.

How should the U.S. respond, if at all, to American soldiers being injured after an Iranian attack? Join the conversation below.

But late Thursday, U.S. Central Command acknowledged that there were injuries and the 11 service members suffered concussions during the attack.

“While no U.S. service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack on Al Asad Air base, several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed,” according to Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla. “As a standard procedure, all personnel in the vicinity of a blast are screened for traumatic brain injury, and if deemed appropriate, are transported to a higher level of care.”

They have a lot of traumatic brain injuries in DC. A LOT. This had to be expected. So why hide it for a week? The Fateh-110’s carry 1,400-pound high explosive warheads. That means a hefty concussive blast, especially when multiple rounds hit in close proximity (and with much greater precision than the rated 3 meters).

Any bets on what the next change shall be?

Napolitano on Soleimani

16 Thursday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

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Andrew Napolitano, Iran, law, Soleimani, Trump, War

The Judge has come back around. Not that he ever left; he and I just had a difference of opinion about some matters Ukranian. But, he’s spot on with the story of the murder of Gen. Soleimani.

The general’s assassination was odd, out of place, untimely and unlawful. Odd, because the general’s folks had worked with our intelligence folks in Iraq against ISIS. Out of place, because the Iranian general was welcomed by the Iraqi government and was not engaged in any violence or war crimes at the time he was killed. Untimely, because whatever he may have been planning to do was not an imminent attack on the U.S. or on Americans. We know this because Trump administration officials revealed that the president gave the kill order seven months ago, in June 2019. How imminent could an attack have been in June if it had not occurred by January?

And unlawful, because we are not at war with Iran, and political assassinations have been prohibited by still valid executive orders signed by Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan. The U.S. Constitution limits the federal government’s lawful power to kill to foreign troops in wartime and after due process, neither of which abides here. Moreover, international treaties to which the U.S. is party, as well as the laws of war to which the U.S. subscribes, prohibit preemptive killings except when the target is just about — “certainty” is the standard — to strike.

Now, back to the shifting sands of justification.

I imagine those have shifted yet again, not that anyone is watching. More of the same.

Under the Omnibus – from TPC

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes, Other Columns

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Etc., evil, Iran, lies, taxes, TPC, War

Under the Omnibus

Your insane President, when he’s not murdering known diplomats, enjoys signing garbage legislation from the criminal Congress. Last month, at the urging of Bitch McConnell and the other reprobates, The Trump cheerfully signed into law a poorly-cobbled amalgamation of a spending bill. The Empire doesn’t do full budgets anymore, so it’s only $1.37 Trillion at a sad time – generally once per quarter. But the embarrassing expense of evil comes with other costs. The new law also raised the age for purchasing cigars and other tobacco products to 21. And, thank God! Now, I can finally enjoy a smoke without all those damned pesky toddlers roaming around the lounge crying and exchanging germs (sorry, Bess, what they do). The ban, as you may know, is plainly authorized by the Zeroth Amendment of the US Cornsternation.

Tweeted The Trump: “Our beautiful, beautiful children. So much smoke. IRAN WILL NEVER ROLL A CIGAR. My watch. SO SAD. Obama did it too. Yuuge. MIGA.” Ketchup on a well-done steak.

My tobacconist buddy’s new warning sign. Humorous dissent is, for now, still legal.

Building on this trend of creeping incrementalism, a sarcastic state senator in Vermont, John Rodgers, whom I’d kind of like to meet, introduced a bill to ban “children” under the age of 21 from owning or using cellular mind control and tracking devices. Rodgers noted that he wouldn’t even vote for the change himself, stating that he introduced it to make a point. “The kids” can’t buy smokes or beer. Why let them dull their minds and risk their lives sexting and driving? I might suggest a rider to raise the driving age as well.

Mr. Rodgers: please keep this one in your neighborhood. Should Trump, Pelosi, and the other shits get wind of it, they may well try to federalize the concept. I’m sure the CIA-OPA could quickly conjure up a convincing B-movie-like video showing some paid actors trashing an embassy or something because Iran wants to cellularize our youth. My only hope is that they would still allow 5G to proceed apace; in addition to the wonderful biological benefits you’ll soon experience from the well-tested super-duper-micro-hyper waves, you just wouldn’t believe what else they will enable. But, you will.

Anyway, all this got me thinking. Some few of you from time to time murmur that you oppose big government. Yet and still, later this year, you’ll rush right out and cast your votes to keep it around. So be it. I’m here to help, really. The other week, for the first time in my life, I proposed a tax – for the children! Now, I have another idea.

…

READ THE WHOLE THING HERE

Lie, after Lie, after Lie, after…

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

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Iran, lies, Trump, War, war crimes

It doesn’t really matter?

US President Donald Trump has lashed out against the “fake news media” and their “Democrat partners” over criticism of his administration’s decision to assassinate Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

The president claimed in tweets marred with misspellings that it does not matter if Soleimani presented an imminent threat to the US, something he had said previously to defend the assassination, because of the general’s “horrible past.”

Trump also accused the media of trying to portray “terrorist Soleimani” as a “wonderful guy.”

Though the president has claimed the January 3 assassination of Soleimani was due to the general planning attacks against US forces and embassies, his own defense secretary admitted on Sunday that he “didn’t see” any specific evidence to suggest those attacks were imminent.

I’m sure they have just as much evidence about the horrible past as they did about the imminent attacks.

AND, what if the following had any truth to it?

The Russian military website refers to an independent investigation that concluded the US is “at least partial US responsibility” in the January 8 tragedy:

“According to experts, the US military had deliberately changed the information on the Ukrainian Boeing 737 flight, making it a real target for the Iranian air defense systems.”

According to data from Pentagon-related sources, several U.S. military planes were observed in the sky in the vicinity of Iran’s airspace, just at the time of the Boeing’s flight departure.

Anomalies were observed on Iran’s radar system, probably due to a cyber attack.

The civilian plane was therefore confused with a fighter plane heading directly for a military target.

“Since the pilot made a U-turn, it is very likely that the US cyber attack had also focused on the navigation system of the Ukrainian Boeing. This is not the first time that Americans have done this type of action, ” said Avia.pro.

What? Nothing, of course. We don’t do the truth anymore in this dead nation. Let nothing interfere with the football and the drugs. Yes, long-time readers, I was on this aviation remote threat five years ago. Good to see the warning was heeded.

Perspective on the Cornsternation and War

13 Monday Jan 2020

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Constitution, fraud, United States, War

It’s been said before, but Gary Barnett says it again very well:

Any conversation about American liberty should begin and end with the false notion that the United States Constitution was written for the purpose of protecting that liberty. The opposite of course is true. This was a document in the form of a contract written by powerful men in secret, in the dark of night, and behind closed and locked doors. It was never signed by any others than those drafting this tyrannical set of rules, and was never agreed to by anyone. It was politically motivated, and used to set up a federal system with extreme centralized power, which had little restriction by any state or individual. This is a worthless document that is revered by many due to what seems to be a brainwashing technique that causes a limitation of intellect.

He even gets the war angle right: “In fact, no war in the history of the U.S. has been warranted, with the possible exception of the beginning of the Revolutionary War, and the South’s defense of its independence.”

Crap! Should I have entitled this one with “Holy” Cornsternation?? Don’t drone me, bro.

Way Past Time for the US to Exit the Middle East

10 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

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Iran, lies, Soleimani, Trump, War

I wrote this week’s TPC column two days before the US Empire almost got what it deserved from Iran; the warheads reigned down about the same time that my article was published. Very few people, especially in the US Empire know or care about the truth in these matters (or any others). In response to the TPC bit, a comment was left (by a good guy, generally in favor of truth) which repeated some of the same propaganda that I pointed out in the column. Here, knowing more, I will [address] it:

What? This murderous thug was in Baghdad as a diplomat? [Trump was not in Baghdad; Soleimani was, in fact, there and as a diplomat, requested by the SOVEREIGN government of Iraq and apparently with Trump’s tactic approval]. The guy was in Baghdad planning the next mischief of the Iranian-backed militia after they had attacked the American embassy the day before following the attack the previous week in which several Americans were killed. [There was no attack on the US Imperial ~~Green Zone fortress~~ embassy. With the other “attacks,” we play ultra-loose with the definition of “American,” no?]. He was not home in Iran having breakfast with his family. [Most fortunate for his family, less so for associated IRAQI government officials that he was with]. He was behind enemy lines in a war zone. [He was requested and welcomed there by the “enemy.” The war zone was created and maintained by the US Empire]. If he was in civilian clothes he deserved to be treated as a spy and subject to being hanged. [Whatever his attire, he was there at the express diplomatic request of the SOVEREIGN Iraqi government to serve as a mediator].

Tom Ironsides had a similar, if fictional exchange, recently. He, of course, knew more then than we do now. Like Tom said in the story (but in real life), everything you hear from the US Imperial government and the mainstream propaganda agents is a lie, more fictional than any of my stories. The truth about Soleimani’s DIPLOMATIC mission and subsequent murder:

Desperate to justify the US drone assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted that Washington had made an “intelligence-based assessment” that Soleimani was “actively planning in the region” to attack American interests before he was killed.

President Donald Trump justified his fateful decision to kill the Iranian general in even more explicit language, declaring that Soleimani was planning “imminent attacks” on US diplomatic facilities and personnel across the Middle East.

“We took action last night to stop a war,” Trump claimed. “We did not take action to start a war.”

Trump’s dubious rationale for an indisputably criminal assassination has been repeated widely across corporate media networks, and often without any skepticism or debate.

At a January 3 State Department briefing, where reporters finally got the chance to demand evidence for the claim of an “imminent” threat, one US official erupted in anger.

“Jesus, do we have to explain why we do these things?” he barked at the press.

Two days later, when Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi addressed his country’s parliament, Trump’s justification for killing Soleimani was exposed as a cynical lie.

According to Abdul-Mahdi, he had planned to meet Soleimani on the morning the general was killed to discuss a diplomatic rapproachment that Iraq was brokering between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Abdul-Mahdi said that Trump personally thanked him for the efforts, even as he was planning the hit on Soleimani – thus creating the impression that the Iranian general was safe to travel to Baghdad.

There is much more – the deeper story:

The assassination of Soleimani is the U.S. lashing out at its steady loss of influence in the region. The Iraqi attempt to mediate a lasting peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been scuppered by the U.S. and Israel’s determination to prevent peace in the region and instead increase chaos and instability.

Washington has not achieved its hegemonic status through a preference for diplomacy and calm dialogue, and Trump has no intention of departing from this approach.

Washington’s friends and enemies alike must acknowledge this reality and implement the countermeasures necessary to contain the madness.

Action, reaction. There are many reasons why the Iraqi parliament voted to expel the US Imperial military from their (not our) country. The same reasons why the Iranian parliament voted to designate the entire Imperial military a terrorist organization (not much has changed since 1861 in this regard). Time to get out. Past time. Things might be different if these two nations were located between Nevada and Tennessee, but they are not. Leave well enough or ill enough alone.