Thanks as ever. Always great. On Ukraine, I'm aware that I'm far too emotionally invested to be able to make predictions, which would be a major problem if it weren't for the more significant issue that I know almost nothing about a) Ukraine, b) Russia, c) the armed forces of the aforementioned countries, d) military strategy and tactics in general, and e) anything not covered by a) to d) above that might be of any relevance.
But people who at least make a good fist on Twitter of appearing to be across a) to e) seem to think that the realistic (if not yet probable) path to Ukrainian victory is the Russian army just falling apart. Which would seem impossible, but then everyone who knew what they were talking about was clear that it was impossible for Russia not to win a conventional war against Ukraine in short order, and yet here we are.
Thanks Nick! I suppose I can’t discount that. I didn’t expect the Ukrainians to resist this hard, long and well so I could be surprised again. I worry about how Putin would respond to such a circumstance though!
It's terrifying. With climate change looking more and more like a major but not civilisation-ending problem, focus has to be far more on the threat of nuclear annihilation - but for some reason hardly anyone cares, and where people do seem to care they campaign for things that are pointless or actively harmful (unilateral nuclear disarmament for democracies, closing nuclear power stations, etc.). Not sure if there's a way for Musk/Bezos/Gates to spend a billion dollars a year so that in twenty years things have changed, or whether it's somehow baked into human nature.
Love all this! What a service for old lazybones like me! Thanks again Ben. My fave was Hitchens. Thinner on paper 😀
Thanks as ever. Always great. On Ukraine, I'm aware that I'm far too emotionally invested to be able to make predictions, which would be a major problem if it weren't for the more significant issue that I know almost nothing about a) Ukraine, b) Russia, c) the armed forces of the aforementioned countries, d) military strategy and tactics in general, and e) anything not covered by a) to d) above that might be of any relevance.
But people who at least make a good fist on Twitter of appearing to be across a) to e) seem to think that the realistic (if not yet probable) path to Ukrainian victory is the Russian army just falling apart. Which would seem impossible, but then everyone who knew what they were talking about was clear that it was impossible for Russia not to win a conventional war against Ukraine in short order, and yet here we are.
Thanks Nick! I suppose I can’t discount that. I didn’t expect the Ukrainians to resist this hard, long and well so I could be surprised again. I worry about how Putin would respond to such a circumstance though!
It's terrifying. With climate change looking more and more like a major but not civilisation-ending problem, focus has to be far more on the threat of nuclear annihilation - but for some reason hardly anyone cares, and where people do seem to care they campaign for things that are pointless or actively harmful (unilateral nuclear disarmament for democracies, closing nuclear power stations, etc.). Not sure if there's a way for Musk/Bezos/Gates to spend a billion dollars a year so that in twenty years things have changed, or whether it's somehow baked into human nature.
What a great selection this Monday, thanks Ben! Have a great week!
Thanks Anna! You too!