A good Tuesday to you reader(s) of Stroock's Books.
The leader of this blog's Confederate Contingent disagrees with our portrayal of Andrew Jackson. Indian Removal Act, Second Bank Battle (you need a bank, guys), Spoils System, Specie Circular...the man was a disaster. Take him off the $20 and replace him with Reagan. If one must support a Tennessee president, might one support James Polk?
The US and Iran are talking right now, they say, while the Pentagon amasses more firepower in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Israel is hitting Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Iran is talking big. Iran is talking tough. The Iranians sound like Arabs. Don't make us say it....don't make us say it. The tough talk is a shield protecting Iran's weakness.*
The Iranians are doing more than talking, though, including closing the Straits of Hormuz today for military exercises. What else might the mullahs do? Small boat attacks on the US fleet. We're dubious that these could do any damage. Missile attacks on US bases in the ME, these could do damage, or at least make a point. Missile attacks on the Gulf Arabs themselves to extract a price for supporting the US.
If war comes, the Iranians will bombard Israel of course. But how else could they hit the Israelis? Were we the Iranians we'd attack an Israeli embassy (why not Berlin, for symbolism's sake). Also we'd attack a large synagogue in the United States. We'd kidnap Gal Gadot. Exit question: of what are we not thinking? Post in comments.
Death notices....
We heard the great Robert Duvall died yesterday. Everyone thinks his best line in Apocalypse Now is, 'I love the smell of Napalm in the Morning.' But really it's, 'Some day this war's gonna end.'
The Reverend Jackson has passed. While we have thoughts we'll hold them in check, we're not a leftist ghoul. The man had largely faded from public life this century. The last time we recall seeing Jackson on TV was election night 2008. But Jackson was a fixture of the 70's, 80's and 90's political landscape.
Mark Steyn reminds us that Rush Limbaugh died five years ago today. We'll not see his kind again.
DOGE Report.
The World War 1990: Ireland readthrough is 3/4 done. The proofer will get her copy in the mail to us today.
We spent half of yesterday working on World War 1990: Thatcher's War. The first third is fine. We see many a problem in the second third.
We spent the second half of yesterday working on World War 1990: The Managua Campaign. The 32,000 words are more or less done. We had a revelation while researching. The Contras open the attack northeast of the main axis of advance. We should have them use jungle infiltration tactics in this phase. In fact, this phase should be called Operation Chindit, IYKYK.
*What are the unknown unknowns?
Stopped the Civil War from happening earlier than it did paid off the national debt and the the Indian removal act stopped a even greater massacre from happening because whites were going to take Indian land one way ofr another and no we didn't need a national bank
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