Yep, it seems that the world is ticking along nicely since I decided to stop watching the news. Also I need to filter "dystopian violence" on SE as well.

Trump managed to fuck that up too - while I can not mourn Soleimani’s death (he was a batshit crazy warmonger himself), it’s sad he didn’t end up dead in an unattributed way a long time ago.

Instead - now he has been martyred by “The Great Satan”, in an open manner that will inflame and rally support for the Iranian regime.

heard the marines rounded up some of the other iranian military leaders as wel.

ww3 here we come!!!!!!!!!11
i kid. we're already in ww3. this is just another evidence of the soft skirmishes being fought as a part of it. Syria was another such. let's see if the russians are willing to commit forces to aid iran or if they will just cheerlead from the sidelines.

didnt trump have a call with putin a few weeks back?? 🤔🤔

Putin called Trump to thank the US for some intelligence info that led to some terrorist plot being foiled in Russia.

Iran is fighting a war of influence. Russia and Syria are nominal allies, but Putin is unlikely to go to the wall to back up the Ayatolla on this one, 'cause basically Iran miscalculated big time.

Iran #2 goes to Iraq, trashes US embasy, thinks US will just let him fly back to Iran using the commercial airport. WTF were the Iranians smoking?

The Millennium Challenge 20 link is pretty interesting... kind of like the ewoks taking down the empire. And I think Lucas' naming things is cringe-making.