Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 10h

Look it’s not our fault we’re better at playing the game than everyone else…..

Reposted by David Alman

Asher Hellbein @asherelbein.bsky.social · 18h

The thing about this that's worth recalling is that it *wouldn't* even offend most Americans: just the group of reactionary grifters who make money by being professionally offended online.

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 22h

Assassin's Creed pulls planned game about the Civil War, apparently because having a black protagonist fighting the KKK would offend too many Americans

www.polygon.com/assassins-cr...

The canceled Assassin's Creed Civil War game was a powder keg waiting to explode

Ubisoft was reportedly working on a game set after the Civil War era, but canceled it due to politics and Assassins Creed Shadows backlash.

www.polygon.com

4 210 940

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

AI significant others hate this one task

1

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

We have met the enemy and he is us

9

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Worth every penny for good bed and good sheets

1 5

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah just difficult to think through it all ex ante, and there is the additional difficulty of needing to get people to update their priors that were based on your original analysis

We should still try, but such a wicked problem

2

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Better to study it than not, because there may be things that they actually *won’t do* regardless, but probably a bit of analysis that demands constant updating?

1

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s truly a tractable problem? The passion / violence invoked by war kind of negates the prewar thinking to a large degree?

“Will the Americans risk half their carrier force in April of 1942 for a propaganda raid?”

3 12

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Michael Howard would appreciate this whole line of thinking.

“It makes military sense to abandon Paris and withdraw behind the Seine” in 1870

“Yeah cool but that’s not an option for them”

1 1 20

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

#bragging

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

That perma free breakfast is the dream

1 2

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

It’s super cool in person, wild how much quieter it’s gun is than the Abrams

It’s like a cough, then the Abrams punches you in the chest

6

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Hmm, and I guess aircrew get level c so maybe we’re deemed good either way?

1 2

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Oh yeah, 100% sarcasm with my statement lol

3

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

I’m less concerned about that - unless it’s some macro issue with national will / disinformation (welp…) then I think most units perform about the same? 10% heroes, 10% cowards, 80% just there to do the job

1

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Not only that, but you also have to find a new church AND home school your 3 kids!

1 3

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

I definitely did not do that lmao

1 3

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

More on this - I do not think American policymakers are ready for the USAF / USN / USMC to come back day 2 of a real shooting war and say “well we accomplished your objective, but we lost X jets, worth about Y billion dollars and Z aircrew”

American airpower has been omnipotent for so long

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

American airpower is too good. Policymakers see the most tenuous of connections, develop the most insane plans, and then think America’s aerial might will make it so.

Pape is the king of the strawman, and nobody in the Air Force with a brain thinks like he thinks they think.

Secretary of Defense Rock @sodrock.bsky.social · 1d

1 2 21

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

“Can you launch across the globe to penetrate an advanced IADS and deliver bombs on target with minimal collateral damage?”

“I mean we can but what’s the objecti——“

“Yeah dude shut up I make policy because I have a JD from Yale, you just launch the fleet”

1 10

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

It’s a tell

2

Reposted by David Alman

Secretary of Defense Rock @sodrock.bsky.social · 1d

9 29 230

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

American airpower is too good. Policymakers see the most tenuous of connections, develop the most insane plans, and then think America’s aerial might will make it so.

Pape is the king of the strawman, and nobody in the Air Force with a brain thinks like he thinks they think.

Secretary of Defense Rock @sodrock.bsky.social · 1d

1 2 34

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

The resort guests and models tend to prefer more upscale brands; we all have our duties to perform!

1 7

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

Lol Clinton and Blinken really doing a lot for the Democratic Party with this appearance.……….

1 15

David Alman @davidalman.bsky.social · 1d

We had a dude bring a bottle of this as a joke for a fighter squadron naming….

It did not go over well…especially for them when they also had to drink it….

1 6