this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 20 hours ago

I got the second Punic war, but I think that's just a freebie. I also spent a lot learning about the Falkland's war just to annoy Argentinians online.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

I'm glad I missed this.

btw, did you know that the Australian government killed almost 1000 Emus in the Great Emu War and still lost?

The military used over 10,000 rounds of ammunition. that would mean they used around 10 rounds per Emu.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

They also used actual military tactics to fight the Emus, like mapping their routes and setting up ambushes. In one of these, they managed to get close to a flock of about a thousand emus and attacked them with machine guns only allowing the escape of... lemme check... about a thousand emus.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago

I typically have a 60% accuracy in Helldivers 2 and I'm fighting swarms of giant bugs. I think I'll forgive the Australians for 10 rounds per bird, especially since winging an emu probably doesn't stop it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago

Compared to the amount of bullets expended per casualty in any modern war that is actually very good. The US probably fired thousands of bullets for each insurgent killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i got the soviet-afghan war and wow did that recontextualize a lot of things about the modern world

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

bear in mind i was 10 during 9/11 so a lot of it was just upending things i had taken for granted. but like, how the US was pretty much allied with the taliban throughout the 80s, giving them training and weapons to fight against the soviet-friendly progressive, secular government of afghanistan.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

The Soviet-friendly Afghan government wasn't a) progressive and b) wasn't secular. The government is explicitly Marxist-Leninist who oppressed and forced people to drop their religion as part of state atheism.

The progressivism and secularism you refer to was during the kingdom era before being overthrown by the communist Afghan military. The more liberal attitude is only contained in a bubble in the capital city of Kabul. The rest of 80% of Afghans are still religious conservatives living rural and in poverty. An Afghan female former politician lamented not seeing this because she grew up in liberal Kabul.

Also more importantly, it's a misconception that the US helped the Taliban. The mujahideen was composed of various factions, some are secular, some are conservative, while some are more Islamists. But, the ultraconservative elements only came later in more definite form under the Taliban, which defeated both the secular and conservative forces.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

forced people to drop their religion as part of state atheism.

Sounds like

progressivism and secularism

To me

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Forcing someone to change their beliefs is considered progressivism and secularism? I did not get the memo that progressives are authoritarians. What were the Afghans resisting the Soviets for then?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours ago

Charlie Wilson's War is a pretty great movie about that, starring Tom Hanks, directed by Mike Nichols and written by Aaron Sorkin, although it's more of a political satire and plays it fast and loose with the historical details.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The best class I took in college was an intercession course about the Vietnam War. We had to read an entire book pretty much every day, which was great prep for grad school.

I basically learned that the entire war was completely unjustified, it was horrific and brutal on both sides in ways that aren’t talked about, but that ultimately the United States had absolutely no business interfering. Vietnam had spent years under French colonial control, which they overthrew under their own power. They had already asserted a desire to rule themselves.

Tonkin was also a genuine false flag, which just isn’t acknowledged? We manufactured the cause for an extremely unpopular war. So many young man died or were disabled because of something that was pointless.

That class was first that really got me to question the patriotic narrative I was taught about American history in high school.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago

Of course we can't acknowledge it, because then we can't make the same "mistake" again and people will start questioning real causus belli like saddams WMDs which we'll find any day now.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Vietnam got a rough fucking deal in the 1900s. Shortly after the US left, the Cambodians under Pol Pot invaded, and they were brutal

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And Vietnam ended up kicking Pol Pot off which is impossible to argue as anything but a win for humanity.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

Yeah they deserve some sort of award for that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Twice, the buggers

[–] [email protected] 1 points 16 hours ago

Oliver's army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 206 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I've got class war, which is a real doozy.

[–] [email protected] 59 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Yooo same. Why the fuck don't these people just fuck off and relax? I can't imagine having that much money and still feeling like I have to go to work.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago

Old and busted: class war

New hotness: culture war

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Hey, the Falklands is the one I'm obsessed with and it's actually really interesting. Only "modern" war between near peers before ukraine.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Iran Iraq war also known as first gulf war?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

I'm sure you've come across it but David Hart Dyke's book on the loss of HMS Coventry is one of the more vivid depictions of grief I've read.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'm the War on Christmas guy, and I'm getting my ass handed to me every single year.

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[–] ICastFist 5 points 1 day ago

My case was Paraguay War a few weeks ago and I learned so damn much that school completely glossed over. What surprised me the most was just how much of a madman Solano Lopez, the Paraguayan dictator, was. You dare bring bad news to him? You bet your ass you'll be flogged. You failed to follow one of his suicidal orders? Off to forced labor camp. You didn't put him above God and Christ? Say your prayers, you'll be ~~shot~~ bayoneted in order to save bullets.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But it's the Disney sequel trilogy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 day ago

Hell yeah, I got the Dominion War. Time for another DS9 rewatch.

[–] [email protected] 62 points 2 days ago (3 children)

My sheet says "rome"

Uh oh

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 day ago (13 children)

WWIII nut here.

Get yourself a Red Cross emergency kit, a lot of water jugs, and ramen. You're underestimating your chances of survival and how much you'll want to.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I participated in the war on drugs...

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 day ago (3 children)

On the winning side, I imagine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I think so, it's all a haze.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

the century of war between Berwick-upon-tweed and Russia

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