The Atlantic: Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz
Uncategorized
75
Posts
51
Posters
2
Views
-
@cstross
Part of the Christofacist Revelations cosplay is "The eagle will fall"; it's a death cult, after the wars, plagues, & famine, the ultimate collapse of the USA is part of the plan.@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual. -
Really? None of that is true except the part about values. We aren't talking people with no education or even no knowledge of history. Most of them aren't even especially stupid.
They just aren't as smart as they think they are and they let their prejudices drive their conclusions. Which itself is a special kind of idiocy, I'll concede. But it isn't what you are saying.
@jackwilliambell @ariaflame @cstross There’s also a performative aspect for the conservative audience. Conspiracy theorists are looking for simplicity, solvability despite complexity, what Fox News world seems to provide.
-
@jackwilliambell @ariaflame @cstross There’s also a performative aspect for the conservative audience. Conspiracy theorists are looking for simplicity, solvability despite complexity, what Fox News world seems to provide.
@classwario @ariaflame @cstross
Also true. But the stupidest among them aren't performing…
ETA: And even the smartest lack the nous to plan an exit which doesn't invalidate their earlier performance. Instead they rely on the fact many of their supporters will uncritically believe the latest lies.
-
@cstross These guys are all fundamentally bullies, and like all bullies don't ever consider that the person they're punching might have opinions on that which matter. Or that they may be punched back.
@wordshaper @cstross Same bullies were blowing up vessels unilaterally and illegally just before they started this war. Solipsistic psychopaths
-
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual. -
@cstross
Part of the Christofacist Revelations cosplay is "The eagle will fall"; it's a death cult, after the wars, plagues, & famine, the ultimate collapse of the USA is part of the plan.@HighlandLawyer @cstross and don't forget the bit about all the Jews being gathered in Jerusalem to convert to Christianity or be killed.
-
Really? None of that is true except the part about values. We aren't talking people with no education or even no knowledge of history. Most of them aren't even especially stupid.
They just aren't as smart as they think they are and they let their prejudices drive their conclusions. Which itself is a special kind of idiocy, I'll concede. But it isn't what you are saying.
@jackwilliambell I think you're right— they're not actual uneducated. But there is a notable disdain for education and particularly knowledge. Like, they think it's not particular relevant. That they're powerful geniuses who can outwit any situation with a little bit of cunning and creativity.
As a result, they're profoundly willfully ignorant.
@ariaflame @cstross -
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual.@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross
I usually describe them as mad cultists trying to complete a spell to summon their god who will then eat the unbelievers first.
-
The level of self delusion and machismo stupidity is darkly fascinating.
https://kyivindependent.com/trump-ukraine-drone-defenses/
"No, we don't need (Ukraine's) help in drone defense," Trump said in the interview. "We know more about drones than anybody. We have the best drones in the world, actually."
@jorny @cstross the Gulf states know better and are beating a path to Ukraine's door. The Ukrainians opening a drone factory in the UK is an interesting development, perhaps they will fund their war effort by exports of their battle-tested and infinitely more cost-effective weaponry than that produced by the bloated Western Military-Industrial Complexes. Similarly, the US is buying South Korean air defense missiles, just as effective as the Patriot at 1/3 the price.
-
@HighlandLawyer @cstross and don't forget the bit about all the Jews being gathered in Jerusalem to convert to Christianity or be killed.
@fazalmajid @HighlandLawyer They can count me out of that one—ain't converting, ain't going to Israel either.
-
The Atlantic: Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz
In wartime, the enemy always gets a vote.
(These people are deeply unserious. I mean, they *must* be old enough to remember the 1980-88 tanker war and the vital role the Straits of Hormuz played back then, right?)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/hormuz-strait-iran-oil/686365/
-
The Atlantic: Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz
In wartime, the enemy always gets a vote.
(These people are deeply unserious. I mean, they *must* be old enough to remember the 1980-88 tanker war and the vital role the Straits of Hormuz played back then, right?)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/hormuz-strait-iran-oil/686365/
@cstross the article could be half the length of the headline - "because he's a dumbass" - but that doesn't seem like the Atlantic's style.
-
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual.@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross you say chrstianity-as-a-cargo-cult as if it wasn't always a cargo cult
-
The Atlantic: Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz
In wartime, the enemy always gets a vote.
(These people are deeply unserious. I mean, they *must* be old enough to remember the 1980-88 tanker war and the vital role the Straits of Hormuz played back then, right?)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/hormuz-strait-iran-oil/686365/
@cstross “Ukrainians are now working with American forces and those of some of the Gulf States, training them on how to use cheap, effective Ukrainian equipment to take down inexpensive Iranian drones”
I hope they are charging high for the service! For the irony, if nothing else!
-
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual.@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross
they cannot be kicked in the ass hard enough for this bullshit, imo.
-
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual.@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross Civil Rights and the loss of public moral supremacy broke their existing coping mechanisms and sent them overtly nihilistic; anything so depraved as to insist they not be white supremacist in public had to be destroyed.
And of course this narrative splashed everywhere; that the sinful world deserves destruction is a core part of Christian thought. (Not historical doctrine, but thought.) The novelty lies mostly in the ubiquity of craving an apocalypse.
-
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual.@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross
The weird thing is, the number of people who will go to heaven does not include all christians, and the rapture supposedly include the jews being punished for their crimes.So which group of christians do they think will go to heaven? Those who conspired with jews to commit those crimes, or those who didn't?
-
@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross you say chrstianity-as-a-cargo-cult as if it wasn't always a cargo cult
@alexmorse @HighlandLawyer @cstross not allowing themselves to even discuss the meaning of their foundational texts seems like an evolution though. It's not like the whole thing is even pretending to be immutable word-from-God level stuff, collated and fragmentary as it obliviously is. And then getting the description vs. prescription thing wrong feels like a very basic mistake. Very un-master race galaxy brain. About as bad as getting Marxism wrong, bolchevik-style, really.
-
@alexmorse @HighlandLawyer @cstross not allowing themselves to even discuss the meaning of their foundational texts seems like an evolution though. It's not like the whole thing is even pretending to be immutable word-from-God level stuff, collated and fragmentary as it obliviously is. And then getting the description vs. prescription thing wrong feels like a very basic mistake. Very un-master race galaxy brain. About as bad as getting Marxism wrong, bolchevik-style, really.
@alexmorse @HighlandLawyer @cstross (Yes, of course I'm trying to find the most insulting comparison that still works. I hope that was clear when I put them in the same bin as the most gullible of pacific islanders from a century ago.)
-
@alexmorse @HighlandLawyer @cstross (Yes, of course I'm trying to find the most insulting comparison that still works. I hope that was clear when I put them in the same bin as the most gullible of pacific islanders from a century ago.)
@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross I appreciate trying to be maximally insulting in this case
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
-
Numeri che pensano (ebook)
@libri - L'IA e le storie della matematica che le stanno dietro
-
@evan oh that's awful - I'm so sorry.
It's so important to have the soles of your shoes out on the pavement of your streets. You live among neighbours that way. And should never lose one of your community THIS way. 😩
-
-
Almost a third of 2026 Oscar-nominated films acknowledge climate change
To pass the ‘climate reality check,’ a movie must depict climate change in some way, and a character in the story must recognize it
#ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #UpheavalClimate #ClimateInstability #MassAtrocity #pollution #ecology #environment #climate
-
@staringatclouds @lowqualityfacts Geese don’t actually honk. Rather they are being constantly censored.
-
@david (Back in these days)
-
@cmconseils
This is so much funnier than it deserves to be. 😂
