BruceVC

Yeah, that makes sense But you also could argue he is resigning because as a real right-winger\Nazi the idea of the US being manipulated or convinced to fight a war by Israel\Jews is unacceptable to him. Obviously he wont acknowledge this is the reason. But this is a big part of the anger towards this war from the right-wing extremist groups within MAGA Thats why I ignore all the possible motives and rather focus on what he is saying which is more or less true The entire US strategy on Iran was initially a reasonable one, stop Iran getting nukes through negotiations and then military action if this fails Then suddenly the US and Israel attacks Iran and the objectives are nebulous and unreasonable Trump was clearly influenced by what Israel wanted

I didnt think Kent was taken seriously by much of the media because of his links and associations to right-wing groups like the Proud Boys. He seems to be getting lots of positive news reporting now? Saying all that he is right of course. Trump was very much influenced by Israel around deciding to attack Iran and as we have discussed the US and Israeli objectives are different which makes the objective of a US " win " confusing and difficult to define

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/us/politics/marines-iran-war.html The US is sending another ship to the region and it has the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit They could be used to secure the Straits and protect international shipping. The Iranian attacks on the Straits has become the biggest headache for the global economy and this is an important strategy if its true "The unit, officially known as the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to two U.S. defense officials, will be in an unusual position given the problem vexing the Pentagon: the Iranian military’s ability to mine the strait, a narrow waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes. U.S. airstrikes have forced the Iranians to forego their larger naval vessels and deploy fast boats carrying mines that can evade aircraft. These boats would likely launch from an archipelago of islands closer to the strait. With the arrival of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit from the Indo-Pacific region in the coming days, the Pentagon will be able to quickly launch raids onto the islands with infantry Marines who will have logistics and air support, said a retired senior defense official with knowledge of the unit’s capabilities."

You often hear on AJ guests who support the Iranian state and they very anti-US and anti-Israel Thats why its relevant to watch AJ because they have interviews with people that are not typically included on CNN or BBC They have there own biases and agendas but thats the same as most political commentators. But you still get to hear from people who are pro the Iranian state and the state obviously has support The real question which we will never know is how much support if Iran had a free and fair election, I would guess 35-45%?

Yes that also complicates domestic regime change in Iran but you could argue in Syria it was similar. You had different ideological groups with a common objective of ending Assad's regime But in Syria's case they were armed and had resources. In Irans case having a common objective is moot if you cant actually overthrow the state militarily Its amazing how NATO suddenly becomes relevant to Trump when he wants there help. Thats why I always I ignore his selective criticism of NATO and his threats of leaving NATO The US also benefits from NATO when it can like it benefits from the UN. No single country is greater overall than these institutions But its easy to generalize and find fault but you still better to be part of them for the US

I have watched several gameplay videos on this game and it looks excellent, almost too good to be true but its real

There is a real and active large segment of Iranians that would love to see a new type of government Tens of thousands of them protest in every large protest we have seen over the last 20 years and thousands of them get killed by the state You wont find domestic regime change in Iran because the state has complete control of its security forces like all similar autocracies and they will crush any protests using maximum force. Also the protesters have limited access to weapons so they dont represent a real opposing force like we witnessed in Syria. That was domestic regime change because the groups opposing leadership had the resources to fight Assad So as much as it would be preferable its almost impossible to see the current leadership being overthrown by an internal uprising

Can they be used on civilian ships or is it only for military use?

Yes, I looked it up and one of its purposes is destroying drone swarms So that would be effective at stopping drones attacking ships but not missiles or mines in the Straits? I imagine its not widely used because most of these ships are private sector and or ships that belong to countries outside the US So there would be cost involved and someone qualified needs to operate it Its definitely a good idea, it just requires an additional level of resources that these shipping companies would have to absorb

Is this a real weapon, where are they used outside of potentially protecting ships?

Every international news agency has a dedicated webpage page to the war in Iran and hourly updates on what is happening Its also almost all they talk about on the likes of CNN and Al-Jazeera but its confirmed news Im not sure where you get your information from but this war is been heavily discussed and reported on from the mainstream media and this includes daily attacks on Iran Al JazeeraSirens blare across Israel; Trump says US not ready for a...US President Donald Trump says allies who rely on Gulf oil must help keep the Strait of Hormuz open.US-Israel war with Iran | Latest News and Updates | BBC NewsFollow the latest news about the US-Israel war with Iran. Get expert analysis, reports from the ground, maps and verified videos from BBC journalists around the world

That looks good, a Jaws theme integrated into a massive flood disaster 🦈

Yeah, no Oil companies will make great windfall profits but for everyone else cost of living and inflation goes up with sustained high oil prices

One of the best things about being a gamer is looking at your list of unplayed Steam and GOG games and deciding what to play next Another best thing is finding a game on a sales special that you have always wanted to play I am finally playing Red Dead Redemption 1, I have waited 14 years to play this game on PC I spent close to 300 hours on RDR2 and Im looking forward RDR1 🤠

I can't imagine an outcome where the US and Israel stop attacking Iran and then Iran continues there attacks or continues to block Hormuz Anything is possible but it seems very unlikely?

I completed Atomfall after about 50 hours I really enjoyed it and I hope they make an Atomfall 2 and because the game exceeded sales expectations this is possible I ended up choosing the Dr Holder ending, I wont go into details because of spoilers but I was happy with the end result I have already mentioned what I liked about the game, the shortfalls dont detract from all the positive aspects of it So in summary its a well done open-world game lots of different quests and several different endings that motivate exploration Quests tips and updates are provided by notes you find and its a good way to progress without making objectives too easy clever mechanics like the barter system, skills advancement and metal collector as a way to find resources a good survival balance of having to find resources and how you find those resources. Its challenging but not frustrating Combat is fun and different skills and weapons matter A good and realistic fast travel system, you can use a rapid travel network which is basically an underground train that only takes you to a single location on each map. So it saves time but you still need to walk to specific locations on each map I decided to play the DLC Red Strain in the middle of the main narrative. You have to play the DLC like this because the game ends once you choose a final option. Red Strain is a worthwhile DLC with new weapons and a whole new map that ties into the main narrative around Oberon Defintely recommend this game and it scores a 70/100 on the highly respected " BruceVC game rating system "

Trump will want to end this latest conflict where he can claim a win which is why he isnt committed to regime change because that is unrealistic and would require massive US ground resources So a " win " to him I predict will be in 5-6 weeks where he can say they have destroyed\degraded much of Irans military infrastructure Iran will obviously accept any ceasefire because they fighting a defensive battle What it will mean in the long-term is Iran will be able to rearm and rebuild because the current regime is still in place with the same fundamentalist views Thats why these latest US objectives have always been nebulous and unconvincing, you can achieve an objective of ending Iran's nuclear objectives because the IAEA can monitor this agreement but how do achieve " Iran wont be a threat to the region " or other similar rhetoric And this confusion exists because the US has allowed itself to be influenced by the Israeli objectives

https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/crude-oil The oil price is back in the 80's range. This is to be expected because the oil price volatility is only because of risk sentiment , speculation and supply chain issues because of Irans actions to try to deliberately cause economic chaos because they have no other effective military strategy against the US or Israel Its cowardly but also predictable The main point Im highlighting is the oil price will return to levels before this latest conflict because the fundamentals of global oil supply and demand haven't changed As I mentioned before I think we will see the US ending its military campaign in 5-6 weeks so this type of better oil price is good news while we wait " WTI crude futures held below $85 per barrel on Wednesday, holding a sharp decline from the previous session after reports that the International Energy Agency proposed the largest release of oil reserves in its history, surpassing the 182 million barrels the group released in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Oil markets remained volatile amid mounting uncertainty surrounding the Iran war and shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz. After Trump said that the conflict could end soon, US officials indicated that military operations were intensifying and the chances for diplomatic talks remained slim. Energy Secretary Chris Wright also mistakenly posted a message claiming that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the narrow waterway near Iran, before the White House later clarified that no such operation had taken place. Major Middle Eastern producers have collectively reduced output by more than 6 million barrels a day as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut. "

That also happened to me, Woljif left my party and I never found him again Its a known bug that some people experience

Every war in the ME and event that causes instability causes a temporary increase in the oil price and then once the war is over the oil prices stabilizes and drops This happens every single time because of risk sentiment, speculation and supply chain issues like Iran closing the Straits of Hormuz The oil price doubled during the First Gulf War Here is a link that highlights the most significant events in the ME that create this oil price increase. This will only benefit Russia temporarily because the current oil price levels will drop back to levels before this latest conflict because the fundamentals of oil supply and demand havent changed InvestopediaHistory of Oil PricesA history of the major moves in oil prices including the Arab oil embargo, First Gulf War, 2008 financial crisis, and 2020 crisis. " First Gulf War In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, sending the price of oil soaring from about $65 per barrel to over $90 by the next month. After a U.S.-led military coalition succeeded in removing Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces from Kuwait in early 1991, the price fell to about $44.94 Macrotrends. "Crude Oil Prices - 70 Year Historical Chart."

The one game that I have played that truly provides an evil path is the Czech RPG Inquisitor You can decide to align with the demonic forces, end up fighting the Archangel Gabriel as the end boss and plunging the entire world into eternal darkness Of course I didnt follow that path but there are various dialogue options that align with the evil path you can follow That game had the darkest narrative of any game I have ever played. Its really worth playing, you just need to accept the terrible combat mechanics

Thats always my problem, I just cant make the evil choices. I always feel guilty So I generally stick to my favorite RPG archetype, a Conan personality Never say no to a damsel in distress, chase money and wealth but I have a sense of honor and a moral code of things I wont do

Im about 15 hours into Atomfall and its time for my first review Its a great game, really fun with some excellent design mechanics It doesn't have the vast narrative choices, game world size or factions of Fallout or the horror and survival excitement of STALKER or METRO but it delivers in other ways. It obviously had a limited budget so the developers worked with what they could which is fine The best part of the game is the exploration mechanics, you find notes and general advice around quests and then you have to explore which I love I have avoided using almost any gaming guides or tips because the maps are not that vast where you cant put the effort in So for example one quest was about finding a missing soldier and you end up tracking his notes between 3 maps and you find him because they mention a location, like " he was heading to this Manor X" The combat is simple but fun, you cant block or dodge in melee but you can kick to stun enemies Guns are well done and the physics work, you cant just blast every enemy because ammunition is scarce . So I have ended up using a bow and cricket bat as much as possible. There are only a few enemy types but its fine because combat is always strategic and engaging so you never get bored by "quick wins " I have fought 2 robots and it requires a specific strategy to defeat them which is never easy And then they have implemented a very good skill system, you need to find books\manuals to learn skills and to advance skills so you always motivated to explore or you can buy certain skills but they very expensive The barter system is also clever and unusual, you dont have money but you trade goods and the merchant has a scale so you can see when they will accept your offer. So again you have to explore and find things if you want to trade You also have limited space in your inventory so Im constantly aware of what I need to keep, drop or trade. You cant hoard items Overall, a really positive experience and the game definitely delivers on no quest hand holding and open world design. You can go anywhere on any map you want I will do another review after 30 hours or so

Yes, thats my point Israel knows that killing leaders of these groups wont change the ideological views of these groups Thats not why they do it So I doubt they would now think killing the Iranian leadership is going to suddenly change things in Iran like in Venezuela

You could be right but it wouldn't be a very good assessment of Iran and Israel is typically aware of how these things unfold Irans anti-US sentiment is decades long, the hardliners have created an entire culture and ideology that is deeply influenced by resistance to " US imperialism", And they dislike Israel even more By killing the Iranian leadership it doesnt seem likely they would now end up like Venezuela by immediately starting to reverse Maduros failed policies The ME and its various fundamentalist and extremist groups don't generally operate or think like that. How many times has Israel killed Hamas or Hezbollah top leaders and they still have the same views? So if the US and Israel did believe that it doesn't support the reality and history