The topic has come up in the past few days....since Trump mentioned 'cultural sites' are on some target list, for Iran. So what are cultural sites?
Well, it's a loosely defined term. For a target specialist....you break things down into a couple of categories, and cultural sites are usually (99.99-percent of the time) on a forbidden list.
Examples? Religious, historical (castles, and famous landmarks for examples), and educational sites (university campus areas).
Do you really need to even consider cultural sites? In terms of value? There usually rate as a very low priority with nothing to be gained....even if they were a target. It'd be like aiming at the Chancellor building on some US campus, or some statue item (like the Jefferson Memorial).
Normally, you'd look for petroleum sites, bridges, military installations, TV/Radio stations, airport runways, port facilities, and radar sites.
So all of this Trump-chatter is mostly BS? Yep.
Lets be honest as well....in the whole of Iran, there's probably over 500 target-rich points that you could be on some list and make life pretty miserable for folks (like targeting an electrical generator site, or some railway depot, or some airport runway).
Tuesday, 7 January 2020
Iran and Funerals
From what the news folks say....there's a minimum of 32 Iranians dead, and wounded folks going up to around 200. Whether you can regard the information as correct or not....is another story. Maybe it's true....maybe it's double that. But here's the thing about funerals of key-players in Iran. You can go back to 5 June 1989 and the funeral of the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and note the trouble they had at that funeral, and you'd think here with this Suleimani funeral, and they'd apply 'lessons learned'.
So to retell the first attempted funeral on 5 June 1989.....you have to put youself in the middle of Tehran, and the utter shock that the Gran Ayatollah was dead. He died on the evening of the 3rd, and they spent the whole day on the 4th preparing the funeral business.
What occurred on the 5th....is that the funeral parade had been drafted up and what they weren't prepared for....were the two-plus million local folks who came out. Eventually, the procession through the streets idea....was given up. They brought in a US-made Huey, and loaded the coffin on it, and took off to the graveyard.
The Revolutionary Guard folks were supposed to provide a secure fence area this area, and miserably failed.
The Huey? Somehow, the pilot found an area to land and cut the motor.....with the Revolutionary Guards supposed to come over and pick up the coffin, to do a walk around the graveyard....as part of some ceremony.
All 'hell' broke loose, and thousands poured into the area surrounding the coffin-team, and then.....a couple slipped, and the coffin fell....tossing the Grand Ayatollah (in a wrap) out on the ground.
Crowds rushed up and started trying to 'touch' the dead guy. Yes, as weird as it sounds.....thousands made the rush over.
The Revolutionary Guards were in a mess, and somehow, a couple of them were able to push folks back, and get the body back into the box. Someone in charge realized the mess, and ordered a path to the chopper to be accomplished, and the rotors began to turn. Yep, they threw the coffin back on and left for a secure area.
The funeral? Halted for that day. Starting early on next day....a disinformation episode occurred, telling the public one thing, when they were going to do it drastically different.
This time, they'd loaded the guy on a airline shipping container (all steel) and with reinforcements....were able to bury him.
How many died from day one and two? Unknown. No one ever demanded accountability over the business. It might have been hundreds....or perhaps just dozens.
Lessons learned? No....it appears that the same idiots who planned the one episode....were around to plan the second episode.
So to retell the first attempted funeral on 5 June 1989.....you have to put youself in the middle of Tehran, and the utter shock that the Gran Ayatollah was dead. He died on the evening of the 3rd, and they spent the whole day on the 4th preparing the funeral business.
What occurred on the 5th....is that the funeral parade had been drafted up and what they weren't prepared for....were the two-plus million local folks who came out. Eventually, the procession through the streets idea....was given up. They brought in a US-made Huey, and loaded the coffin on it, and took off to the graveyard.
The Revolutionary Guard folks were supposed to provide a secure fence area this area, and miserably failed.
The Huey? Somehow, the pilot found an area to land and cut the motor.....with the Revolutionary Guards supposed to come over and pick up the coffin, to do a walk around the graveyard....as part of some ceremony.
All 'hell' broke loose, and thousands poured into the area surrounding the coffin-team, and then.....a couple slipped, and the coffin fell....tossing the Grand Ayatollah (in a wrap) out on the ground.
Crowds rushed up and started trying to 'touch' the dead guy. Yes, as weird as it sounds.....thousands made the rush over.
The Revolutionary Guards were in a mess, and somehow, a couple of them were able to push folks back, and get the body back into the box. Someone in charge realized the mess, and ordered a path to the chopper to be accomplished, and the rotors began to turn. Yep, they threw the coffin back on and left for a secure area.
The funeral? Halted for that day. Starting early on next day....a disinformation episode occurred, telling the public one thing, when they were going to do it drastically different.
This time, they'd loaded the guy on a airline shipping container (all steel) and with reinforcements....were able to bury him.
How many died from day one and two? Unknown. No one ever demanded accountability over the business. It might have been hundreds....or perhaps just dozens.
Lessons learned? No....it appears that the same idiots who planned the one episode....were around to plan the second episode.
Monday, 6 January 2020
Ricky May Have a Point
Having watched bits and pieces of the Golden Globes show and the amount of jabs that Ricky Gervais dished out.....I come to this topic that pops into my head about every two weeks....getting lectured by some dimwit.
I think up until age 30....around the early 1990s....I reached the point where lectures were worthless. Maybe one out of ten lectures had some value, and occasionally (that one out of forty)....was a five-star lecture worth listening to.
Over the past decade, I just can't think of many lectures that stand out. I've even gotten use to using the mute-button and ensuring that some CNN dimwit, or some intellectual with a lost sense of 'worth' don't get my attention.
I kinda agreed with Ricky....I really don't need some Hollywood actor, or some stage-theater gal to give me their lecture on things. It's the same way with ministers trying to tell me bad thoughts about SUVs.....anti-capitalists telling me about better lifestyles if I oppose capitalism....or politicians telling about the necessity to pay more taxes so they can gift the money back to me later (maybe).
I think up until age 30....around the early 1990s....I reached the point where lectures were worthless. Maybe one out of ten lectures had some value, and occasionally (that one out of forty)....was a five-star lecture worth listening to.
Over the past decade, I just can't think of many lectures that stand out. I've even gotten use to using the mute-button and ensuring that some CNN dimwit, or some intellectual with a lost sense of 'worth' don't get my attention.
I kinda agreed with Ricky....I really don't need some Hollywood actor, or some stage-theater gal to give me their lecture on things. It's the same way with ministers trying to tell me bad thoughts about SUVs.....anti-capitalists telling me about better lifestyles if I oppose capitalism....or politicians telling about the necessity to pay more taxes so they can gift the money back to me later (maybe).
Sunday, 5 January 2020
Once the US Leaves Iraq (Not If)
With the Iraqi congressional system passing the vote to show the door to the American military.....my humble guess is that it'll be done rather quickly (maybe in less than two weeks).
The collapse of the Iraqi government? Well, I would anticipate that various pro-Iran groups will come calling and a complete shutdown of the current government will happen within three months of the Americans (and everyone else) being gone. Mass chaos, civil conflict, pro-Iran versus anti-Iran religious groups.
The potential split of Iraq? It goes to three key groups: Shiite (the southern-eastern zone...maybe 25-percent of the nation), Kurdish (the northeastern 10-percent of the country bordering Turkey and Iran), and the northwestern 20-percent belonging to Sunni Muslims. The remaining 40-percent? Mostly desert, bordering Saudi Arabia with oil wells. None of the three groups really play into this region.
It is conceivable that Saudi Arabia would care about this one-third southern district bordering them, and would try to create a military force to cordon off the area.
Oil access? The chief tanker point is down in the south, next to Kuwait. That operation would rapidly shut down.
Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia having worries? Well, here's the thing....Iran and Iraq have never really recovered from the war period of the 1970s. The US might have provided a significant number of SUVs and APCs, but there is no offensive capability in Iraq, and if you divided things up among three groups....it makes them more or less.....a zero threat player.
Iran? They'd take the situation and quickly pump up the Shiite folks (their friends) and try to cause unstable conditions for the Kurds (who used to like the Americans until we left Syria), and the Sunnis (pro-Saudi Arabia).
By mid-2020.....I would suggest that Iraq is mostly finished off and three different nations will come to exist. For the Kurds....it'll provide this doorway for a nation to finally exist. Sunni-land being a US protected area? Maybe.
All of this leading back to the silly Iran-Iraq War of 1980, the lack of resources for Saddam's crew after the war, the threat of invasion to get the neighbors in the Middle East to rebuild Saddam's Army? Yep....all leading back to that era. Toss in the idea of conquering Kuwait as a stupid move, the US-Iraq War, and the eventual second war (where Saddam was taken down).
If Saddam were around today? Virtually everyone connected to the pro-Iran lobby group would be put on notice and if they failed to grasp the threat....would disappear overnight.
The odds of some targets being struck by the US as Iran attempts one or two stupid 'pay-back' situations? It's more than likely and Iran will go and beg off of Russia to get the latest in defense toys....with what little cash that they have left.
The collapse of the Iraqi government? Well, I would anticipate that various pro-Iran groups will come calling and a complete shutdown of the current government will happen within three months of the Americans (and everyone else) being gone. Mass chaos, civil conflict, pro-Iran versus anti-Iran religious groups.
The potential split of Iraq? It goes to three key groups: Shiite (the southern-eastern zone...maybe 25-percent of the nation), Kurdish (the northeastern 10-percent of the country bordering Turkey and Iran), and the northwestern 20-percent belonging to Sunni Muslims. The remaining 40-percent? Mostly desert, bordering Saudi Arabia with oil wells. None of the three groups really play into this region.
It is conceivable that Saudi Arabia would care about this one-third southern district bordering them, and would try to create a military force to cordon off the area.
Oil access? The chief tanker point is down in the south, next to Kuwait. That operation would rapidly shut down.
Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia having worries? Well, here's the thing....Iran and Iraq have never really recovered from the war period of the 1970s. The US might have provided a significant number of SUVs and APCs, but there is no offensive capability in Iraq, and if you divided things up among three groups....it makes them more or less.....a zero threat player.
Iran? They'd take the situation and quickly pump up the Shiite folks (their friends) and try to cause unstable conditions for the Kurds (who used to like the Americans until we left Syria), and the Sunnis (pro-Saudi Arabia).
By mid-2020.....I would suggest that Iraq is mostly finished off and three different nations will come to exist. For the Kurds....it'll provide this doorway for a nation to finally exist. Sunni-land being a US protected area? Maybe.
All of this leading back to the silly Iran-Iraq War of 1980, the lack of resources for Saddam's crew after the war, the threat of invasion to get the neighbors in the Middle East to rebuild Saddam's Army? Yep....all leading back to that era. Toss in the idea of conquering Kuwait as a stupid move, the US-Iraq War, and the eventual second war (where Saddam was taken down).
If Saddam were around today? Virtually everyone connected to the pro-Iran lobby group would be put on notice and if they failed to grasp the threat....would disappear overnight.
The odds of some targets being struck by the US as Iran attempts one or two stupid 'pay-back' situations? It's more than likely and Iran will go and beg off of Russia to get the latest in defense toys....with what little cash that they have left.
Saturday, 4 January 2020
MCGA (Make California Great Again) Strategy
For the past month, I've watched a number of video pieces by people who confirmed that they are packing and leaving California. Some did it in 2017....some in 2018....some last year, and some are discussing their 2020 plan for leaving. Their most favored spot? If they were retirement age.....most left for Arizona or Nevada. The rest were aiming for Texas or southern states. If you use the data for the past decade.....five-million California folks have packed and left the state.
So I think it's time to play the political strategy and do a Trump theme for 2020's election. Yes, Make California Great Again (MCGA).
I would lead off with two introductions to California:
1. Have a 60-second advertisement with video clips of the 1960s California image and what brought so many people to come into the state.
2. Have a 60-second advertisement piece with people in their 60s who remember the old California and their heartfelt love of the state.
Then I would run twenty advertisements, one coming out every two weeks, and showing the 2020 image of the state. I'd bring Kanye West, various Latino Republicans, and show the aspirations of people to help the state recover.
Yes, I know....it's crazy. But you don't have to pay TV stations any longer to run these commercials. You run your own video service, and let people find it via Facebook or Twitter.
So I think it's time to play the political strategy and do a Trump theme for 2020's election. Yes, Make California Great Again (MCGA).
I would lead off with two introductions to California:
1. Have a 60-second advertisement with video clips of the 1960s California image and what brought so many people to come into the state.
2. Have a 60-second advertisement piece with people in their 60s who remember the old California and their heartfelt love of the state.
Then I would run twenty advertisements, one coming out every two weeks, and showing the 2020 image of the state. I'd bring Kanye West, various Latino Republicans, and show the aspirations of people to help the state recover.
Yes, I know....it's crazy. But you don't have to pay TV stations any longer to run these commercials. You run your own video service, and let people find it via Facebook or Twitter.
Friday, 3 January 2020
The Funny Thing Over the Iranian Dead General
Iranian General Qassem Soleimani had zero reasons to travel beyond the border of Iran. He could have arranged for various meetings within Iran, or chatted with people via phone or even Skype. So this necessity to be in Baghdad? It really didn't exist.
In his mind, he had absolute run of the system, and didn't have a single worry about anyone.....not a single Iraqi, or American GI....was going to be a threat to his safety.
So you go down this list of bad-guys who were in this SUV convey, and it's a whose-who of dead or capture VIP bad-guy players in the region.
This being some type of meeting with Soleimani and his 'team'? That's really the only reason to have done this....but it's a meeting that you could have accomplished in Iran. Why bother making this a open failure?
How to play this out if you were Iraq? You'd ask the question of who ordered the general to come into Iraq....name the Mullah.
In his mind, he had absolute run of the system, and didn't have a single worry about anyone.....not a single Iraqi, or American GI....was going to be a threat to his safety.
So you go down this list of bad-guys who were in this SUV convey, and it's a whose-who of dead or capture VIP bad-guy players in the region.
This being some type of meeting with Soleimani and his 'team'? That's really the only reason to have done this....but it's a meeting that you could have accomplished in Iran. Why bother making this a open failure?
How to play this out if you were Iraq? You'd ask the question of who ordered the general to come into Iraq....name the Mullah.
Wednesday, 1 January 2020
Fifteen Things About Trump's Economy
1. Since day one of the Trump administration, seven million jobs have been added to the economy. To put that into prospective.....it would mean that every single person in the state of Tennessee (including the aged, the kids, the mentally insane, and folks in prisons).....have been hired-up. Note, since Tennessee has only 6.8-million.
2. Back in 2016 (November), the total number of unemployed were around 7.4-million across the US. If you use that number....we've basically taken more 95-percent of the unemployed of 2016, and put them to work.....whether they liked that idea or not.
3. The rate of unemployed women? Nationally, since 1954.....it's the lowest number of women unemployed. Think about that.
4. If you were a disability, but wanted to work? The unemployment rate is the lowest for your category, since the 1950s.
5. If you had no high school diploma? The unemployment rate is the lowest for your category, since the 1950s.
6. If you were a vet? Your unemployment rate is currently lowest since the 1950s.
7. Wage growth? Since 2010.....it's at the fastest pace of any year in that decade. But if you looked at actual numbers....3-percent a year is now the norm.
8. Wage-levels for low-income people? It's now (2019) rated as the fastest rising number....over all over groups.
9. Between two and three million Americans are now lifted out of poverty status since this Administration arrived. If you were black or Latino in 2016 on poverty status.....your level is now in 2020 at the lowest level since they started collecting statistical data in the 1950s.
10. Approximately seven million Americans that were on food stamps in 2016.....are no longer qualified for them.....because they are making a decent wage.
11. With measurements on business optimism....there's a 35-year old record which was broken in 2018.....as owners and businessmen were at a massive 'high'.
12. Roughly 500,000 manufacturing jobs have been created out of thin air since November 2016. Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama all said in strong words that these jobs were permanently lost and would never come back. Well....they were wrong.
13. ONE trillion dollars flowed back into the US from overseas, as the President and Congress delivered the tax break deal.
14. Almost 9,000 communities in the US have been designated as 'opportunity zones'. The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council has taken on 175 actions to promote growth and investment into these zones.
15. Within the tax reforms, the child tax credit has been doubled. That means over $2k for families.
2. Back in 2016 (November), the total number of unemployed were around 7.4-million across the US. If you use that number....we've basically taken more 95-percent of the unemployed of 2016, and put them to work.....whether they liked that idea or not.
3. The rate of unemployed women? Nationally, since 1954.....it's the lowest number of women unemployed. Think about that.
4. If you were a disability, but wanted to work? The unemployment rate is the lowest for your category, since the 1950s.
5. If you had no high school diploma? The unemployment rate is the lowest for your category, since the 1950s.
6. If you were a vet? Your unemployment rate is currently lowest since the 1950s.
7. Wage growth? Since 2010.....it's at the fastest pace of any year in that decade. But if you looked at actual numbers....3-percent a year is now the norm.
8. Wage-levels for low-income people? It's now (2019) rated as the fastest rising number....over all over groups.
9. Between two and three million Americans are now lifted out of poverty status since this Administration arrived. If you were black or Latino in 2016 on poverty status.....your level is now in 2020 at the lowest level since they started collecting statistical data in the 1950s.
10. Approximately seven million Americans that were on food stamps in 2016.....are no longer qualified for them.....because they are making a decent wage.
11. With measurements on business optimism....there's a 35-year old record which was broken in 2018.....as owners and businessmen were at a massive 'high'.
12. Roughly 500,000 manufacturing jobs have been created out of thin air since November 2016. Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama all said in strong words that these jobs were permanently lost and would never come back. Well....they were wrong.
13. ONE trillion dollars flowed back into the US from overseas, as the President and Congress delivered the tax break deal.
14. Almost 9,000 communities in the US have been designated as 'opportunity zones'. The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council has taken on 175 actions to promote growth and investment into these zones.
15. Within the tax reforms, the child tax credit has been doubled. That means over $2k for families.
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