Do Not Go Gentle Into That ONT

Howdy folks! So, what a week, huh?

The Art Of War

The Trump Doctrine (aka the Businessman’s Way of War)

As the dust and smoke settle over Iran’s devastated nuclear weapons program, President Donald Trump’s method of waging war is coming into focus. We had hints of what I call the “Trump Doctrine” in his first term as he annihilated ISIS in Syria, but the two-decade war in Afghanistan that he had inherited initially obscured what has now become a coherent doctrine. In his second term, the freedom of navigation attacks against Yemen’s Houthis were once again a hint of Trump’s way of war, but Saturday’s attack on Iran—and the events leading up to it—tell us much about the deliberate and precise manner in which Trump seeks to conduct American wars. Similar to (but different from) the famous “Powell Doctrine” promulgated by former Secretary of State Colin Powell (more on that later), the Trump Doctrine is the doctrine of a businessman serving his stockholders. Explained another way, the Trump Doctrine is the “Businessman’s Way of War.”
To preview succinctly, the Trump Doctrine consists of a series of business-like, iterative steps for all uses of American military force, and it performs as follows:
1. Identify America’s national interest.
2. Bargain with the prospective enemy.
3. If/when negotiations fail, conceal & misdirect.
4. Strike with precision and overwhelming force.
5. Achieve submission.
6. Bargain again (from a position of complete strength) with the defeated enemy.

I agree with every bit of this article. I've long said (and often been derided for) that the only way to win a war is to make the enemy (either their leadership or enough of the population to force/change the leadership to ) believe that the cost of continuing the war outweigh the risks of continuing it. You can't negotiate peace until they tap out.

Wheels Keep A Rollin'

Wheels May Have Been Invented to Solve a Surprising Problem

Imagine you're a copper miner in southeastern Europe in the year 3900 BCE. Day after day you haul copper ore through the mine's sweltering tunnels.

You've resigned yourself to the grueling monotony of mining life. Then one afternoon, you witness a fellow worker doing something remarkable.

With an odd-looking contraption, he casually transports the equivalent of three times his body weight on a single trip. As he returns to the mine to fetch another load, it suddenly dawns on you that your chosen profession is about to get far less taxing and much more lucrative.

What you don't realize: You're witnessing something that will change the course of history – not just for your tiny mining community, but for all of humanity.

The evolution of the wheel infographic is neat:

M.A.I.L. (Medical Assistance In Living)

We’re Better Off Loved

But here’s a critical question: Could the mere availability of assisted suicide be a degree of coercion? In many cases in which it has been used, patients have reported their wish not to be a burden rather than to end their suffering from intense pain. In fact, we know pain often isn’t the issue. We have palliative care for that. Once killing by doctors becomes acceptable, it will likely happen even when it’s not explicitly requested — that’s what happens when you start erring on the side of death. The Guardian recently told the tale of a married elderly couple in Australia who chose assisted suicide for themselves. She had a degenerative spinal condition. He had, among other health issues, panic attacks. Look, I’ve had panic attacks. They are not fun. They can be, in fact, terrifying, and even debilitating, but they are also treatable, and there are plenty of aids and solutions to explore before taking such an extreme measure. Perhaps the man sought a semblance of control; to take a prescription and die with his wife. Is this supposed to be romance? Are we a few years away from the first MAiD (medical aid in dying, advocates’ preferred euphemism) rom-com? Their decision, their terms, their timing — together — is how such stories are presented. But that’s all a delusion. Not one of us will ever be fully in control of his or her life or death. Neither, after all, is our idea. We exist for reasons beyond ourselves. Everything else is a response to the fact that we are alive — and to that other inherent fact: that we will die.

Nobody gets out of this life alive. We should not go gentle into that goodnight.

Abandoned Places

No Man's Fort: An experience like no other on a Solent Forts luxury break

If you were told to design a playground for adults, and given the freedom to be as creative and far fetched as you liked, even then what you came up with may not be as utterly imaginative as this place.

No Man's Fort is one of three man-made islands off the coast of Portsmouth, built in the 1860s to help protect Britain from the rumoured arrival of Napoleon III and his French army, and also manned during the Second World War.
Now a luxury adults-only hotel, after being purchased from the MoD and opened in its current use in 2012, the fort boasts 22 bedrooms, a bar, restaurant, sauna, large seating area in the centre, plus an outdoor area complete with hot tubs.

There is also Spitbank Fort (smaller than No Man's) and Horsesand Fort, the latter of which is being preserved in its original state and is due to open as a museum in August 2016.

Trips to these historic structures are organised by Solent Forts, who promise a memorable experience to all who set sail for the forts – and I can't think of anyone who would disagree with that sales pitch.

Unfortunately, Covid killed it, and it's been abandoned for 5 years. The insides are amazing, however. Here's a video tour of the fort now

Pure Evil

After some thought, I've removed this section. It's too horrific for the ONT. Have some faux Peterson instead. - WD

ETA: Fine. Enough of you are asking so I'll white text it. If you really want to know, left click and highlight to behold the horror: A gay couple in the UK were allowed to adopt a 1 year old boy, whom they proceeded to rape to death. There. Told you you didn't want to know. Keep details outta my comments section.

The Best Jordan Peterson Impersonation I've Ever Seen

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by the GBU-57A/B MOP:

posted by WeirdDave at 09:58 PM

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