Mac William Bishop
@macwbishop.bsky.social
1.5K followers 250 following 370 posts
Just a poor wayfaring stranger, traveling through this world of woe. https://www.macwilliambishop.com/
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macwbishop.bsky.social
There’s a story which may well be apocryphal: at an art exhibition in the 1880s the Russian painter Vasily Vereshchagin took General Helmuth von Moltke (the elder) on a tour of the gallery.

There he led the general in front of his painting, “The Apotheosis of War,” (1871).
macwbishop.bsky.social
Cut to Pete Hegseth, crying bitterly at his desk as he takes another shot
macwbishop.bsky.social
[Authoritarian police state arrives]
Me: [simply outruns it in a quarter mile]
macwbishop.bsky.social
[laughs in light infantry battalion with indirect fire and air support]
macwbishop.bsky.social
Finishes watching “A Bridge Too Far.” Amazon autoplays “Terminal List: Dark Wolf.” Voiceover says “…but when you ask a SEAL…” Cuts to commercial peddling Jocko’s energy drinks. Chucks computer off balcony. Begins researching virus that will destroy humanity. It is time.
macwbishop.bsky.social
Skeleton face with the voice of James Earl Jones probably seemed a bit too derivative at that point
macwbishop.bsky.social
(Just trying to think of what I would discuss after calling all of the nation’s top military leaders together)
macwbishop.bsky.social
“…so Thulsa Doom is portrayed by James Earl Jones as an ancient wizard from Atlantis, with a snake cult in honor of Set. But in the original stories, Thulsa Doom is an undead necromancer with a skull for a head, and it’s actually Thoth-Amon who is a high priest of Set, and uses a giant snake to…”
macwbishop.bsky.social
shit I was actually hoping you were gonna help me brainstorm new grifts
macwbishop.bsky.social
But Jack, what other grifts let one cosplay as an operator while getting sweet paychecks from non-profit donations, with no oversight or accountability?
macwbishop.bsky.social
One of the effects of the war in Ukraine — or more specifically, the Russian military’s failures due to organizational flaws, command and control failures, and equipment/logistical issues stemming from corruption — was that the Chinese leadership has taken a much harder look at the PLA’s readiness.
macwbishop.bsky.social
Iron Beam did ok in tests, but has yet to be deployed. And woe betide you if it’s cloudy.
macwbishop.bsky.social
Hmm. I’m not trying to be combative. The larger point that Taiwan (another place in which I’ve lived) faces a dire threat from Chinese missiles is not overstated. But that the PLA is rife w/ corruption affecting readiness — and that Zhongnanhai is trying to root it out — is fairly well established.
macwbishop.bsky.social
I mean I lived in China, and speak Mandarin. This doesn’t sound like any 成语 I ever learned. What idiom are you referring to?
macwbishop.bsky.social
This is why I tell my network of street dealers to give a discount to the homeless. Because humanitarianism is important.
macwbishop.bsky.social
Laser platforms are barely becoming functional for counter-UAV ops, let alone missile defense. Just takes too long, uses too much power, and has trouble maintaining lock over the time required to achieve mission kill. Unfortunately.
macwbishop.bsky.social
Minus all the ones that had their fuel sold off by corrupt PLA officers, of course
macwbishop.bsky.social
I’ll throw down with a bear to save my Chipotle burrito, let alone my dog. But I can understand why simpering crybabies snipe at others and seek to rationalize their own cowardice.
macwbishop.bsky.social
The trailer for Mstyslav Chernov’s new film “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” which will premiere at Film Forum NYC on July 25th, and elsewhere August 1st. Chernov is doing incredible work documenting the war in Ukraine. H/T Tetyana Denford, who worked on the translations.
macwbishop.bsky.social
There is absolutely no reason for domestic U.S. law enforcement personnel to be dressed like military personnel. Period. (Screenshot from MacArthur Park in LA, original video here: x.com/cardon_brian...)
macwbishop.bsky.social
In Britain it would just be called “small ‘c’ conservatism.”
macwbishop.bsky.social
I’m not debating strategies for breaking out of the U.S.’ two-party system, just questioning Musk’s ability to be the person who does any of that.
macwbishop.bsky.social
Old enough to remember Ross Perot getting ~19% of the popular vote in the 1992 presidential election and then starting the Reform Party.