@VXXC — is your comment before last to be taken as an anticipated ‘no’?

Everything I look at politically and geo-politically these days appears like a game of chicken. With the Syria vote it’s naked. Obama to the GoP: Block this and the country’s international credibility goes to shit (so back it, and you guys take the blame). That’s an absolutely raw ‘who blinks first’ play, isn’t it?

Kosovo in the late 1990s is a situation roughly comparable to Syria right now, but the cathedral (save for ultracathedralists, who never pass up an opportunity to be holier than the cathedral) seems to be a lot cooler on the latter than it was on the former.

I’ve read De Adminstrando Imperio, also Luttwak.

I don’t think Kaplan read De Adminstrado Imperio, or quite gets the Byzantines. They were at constant war, and while their army had peaks and troughs at the peaks their soldiers – the cataphracts – were amazing. Their tactics more so. Maurices Stratgekion is also brilliant although it’s more tactics then strategy.

The line where foreign policy is about defense of interests but also about defending human rights is telling. Human rights are exponentially expanding, I don’t think I want to defend any off our soil. And most of the recent ones on our soil.

It would be tough to come up with a more racist and cynical tract than The Administration of the Empire, although their view of Islam which of course they saw from the beginning to their own end is enlightening in a primary source way.

I seriously think De Adminstrando Imperio should be required reading for ..what is it? IR.

That and Taleb’s Anti-Fragile. Actually it’s a long list.

As far as Cathedral Huggy solidiers sandbox…someone should also remind..somebody I can’t think of who really….that they fired their fighting generals. We’re not Huggy, the problem is the Leadership is controlled by Academic means with Lawyers screaming jail as backup.

The official Cathedral vote count is not the Rump but Tiny Parliament.

Now I’ve been saying Obama Castled [Rooked] to Congress because he doesn’t want it.

Neither do Democrats or Republicans.

Rubio denounced it. Rand has refused. Boehner is one of 9 Republican Yes votes.

Kerry helpfully yesterday said the Arabs have offered to pay for it. I’m not sure if he realizes how that sounds, in particular since it’s common knowledge how it sounds is how it is…

This may be another Schelling Point.

The last one was mid – Nov 2012. Majority Atavism self-awareness.

Skynet is coming slowly on line. Give us a break. We’re working with 183 year technology that hasn’t been used in 80 years. Hasn’t even run a heartbeat maintenance routine in 50.