The Laughing Wolf – Commentary, Punditry, and More

Iran Underway

Not a surprise. The embassy evacuations yesterday, that had to be done by the evening local time, were a sign. It may be hours or even a day or two before a lot of reports can be confirmed, but there are some things that are clear even now.

First, clearly a decapitation/regime change strike. The U.S. seems to be focused on infrastructure and some logistics, while Israel is taking out the rest. No surprise, and a good use of resources as (and I’ve noted this before) Israel has an almost frightening degree of penetration within Iran. When you can plant bombs in light fixtures months or longer in advance, set up robotic machine gun arrays, and more, you do indeed own your target.

That seems to be getting put to very good use in this attack. One of the firmer rumors out there is that the attack commenced once the senior leadership of the mad mullah regime were gathered together for a meeting. Much like the start of the 12-day war. Except, this time, it wasn’t military and nuclear leadership, it was the full top leadership including the ayatollah his own self. Seems that once that was confirmed, boomity.

Despite that, I’m taking reports of various eliminations with a grain of salt simply because one should. An operational rule for such things is never accept the initial reports, and even with some confirmation plan and continue as if the strike failed. If nothing else, you take out the secondaries and even tertiaries along with leadership that could fill any vacuum. Fact is, pretty much the entire membership of the IRGC will have to be taken out for any regime change to succeed. For those on X and wanting to keep up with the latest, here is a link to my Intel list.

I am wondering if, once again, Israel has blown open the doors to Evin prison. I certainly hope so. Both the U.S. and Israel have sent the message to the Iranian people that it is up to them. The Pahlavi team has as well. Video coming out of Iran has shown people literally dancing in the street in celebration. All good signs, but I also hope to see some concrete actions starting soon once the initial strikes are over. That will tell the tale.

It should also be noted that Iran has probably sealed its fate no matter what. By attacking all its neighbors with a strike, it turned neutrals and potential neutrals into enemies. Worst miscalculation: Saudi Arabia. The attack on them broke cultural and other norms, and has brought the Saudis into a full state of war against Iran. If things don’t move fast enough inside Iran, don’t be surprised if the neighbors don’t act. Side thought, this is also going to do more to strengthen the Abraham Accords than almost anything else could have done.

There is also a lot of truth to the discussions that October 7th was the worst military blunder in history. Most are putting the blame on Hamass, but the operation was approved and encouraged by Iran. It was a gamble, and if Hezballess had joined in as apparently planned, it could have put Israel on ropes. Or worse even. Instead, for a day of horrific rape and murder, Hamass, Hezballess, and other Iranian proxies are a shadow of their former selves militarily (sadly, politically still viable thanks to enablers and supporters among the progressives in the West). Now, the head of the serpent may well have been cut off. If Iran does get freedom, expect to see a number of open and covert proxies develop problems.

Along that line, if you have not read Kurt Schlichter’s book The Attack do so quickly. Today is not a day for sandstone, but a time to go red and put your head on a swivel. Of the millions who came over the border under Biden (and even before), a number of IRGC members or operatives are believed to have been among them. They might not be happy at regime change, and they may have received orders (or had standing orders) in that regard. Be prepared.

Not going to say much, but while I suspect some of that threat has been neutralized, I wouldn’t bet on it. I’ve seen it apparently happen once before, many years ago, but one should never count on a repeat. Be prepared.

More soon. I truly hope the people of Iran take this opportunity to reclaim their country. I hope they make good choices and decisions, and embrace freedom. The world will be much better off if they do so. That said, it is up to them. This is their moment, pray they rise up to it.

Meantime, keep your eye on Pakistan-Afghanistan. This in many ways has the potential to be more serious and have even larger consequences on the world than Iran. Right now, about every jihadist group in the world is siding with the Taliban. This includes certain families and groups such as the Haqqani. On the positive side, Pakistan has the chance to do the world a huge favor if it eliminates those groups/networks/etc. They have already taken out a Taliban general it seems.

The downside to this conflict is the tribal nature of the region. If enough tribes/families turn, there is a potential for Pakistan to either fall, or fall into internal turmoil that is not good in a nuclear nation. The last thing anyone should want is nuclear weapons or materials falling into the hands of the jihadis.

It is not a simple situation with simplistic solutions or ideals. Approaching it as simplistic is a potential invitation to disaster. If anyone tells you it is simplistic and X must be done, especially a politician, shun them and their proposal. It is easy to say ‘we should support Pakistan’ but you also need to recognize that tribal loyalties matter more — even within the Pakistani government — than most in the West can grasp. Personally, I hope Pakistan ends up eliminating a number of threats to the West and the world. However, my support is selective as I don’t want to see certain factions (tribes) gain sway on the ground or in the government. For all that Iran can still hurt us, having nukes in the wrong hands could be much, much worse.

Right now, all we can do is wait and watch. I expect the mad mullahs and their ilk to try their best to take everyone down with them. Keep in mind, they want such as a means to get the hidden imam to return. Also, they are just that type of people and they will do everything they can to get as many civilians and others killed. They are also going to double down on lies and more, and are likely to try to get as many proxies or remote teams to take action as possible.

Which means the next few weeks are going to be a time to be on watch and be prepared. It is always good to use and exercise your rights, but the next few weeks will be a crystal clear time to do so. Be prepared to walk fast at need, and to maintain situational awareness. Be Prepared.

One more thing: you are going to hear a lot of politicians and other supporters of the Iranian government screaming about the attack being illegal. It’s not. The courts have ruled on this even. Generally, the President can act unilaterally though he should brief Congress within 48 hours, and Congress has to approve if action goes for more than 60 days. Please don’t fall for the lies.

More later perhaps. Still recovering from yesterday morning, so likely taking as much of the day off as possible.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Iran And Pakistan

Things appear to be ramping up further in regards Iran. It is being reported that the U.S. Embassy to Israel has told non-essential staff they are free to go, a move one rung below mandatory evacuation. Lots of assets moving into the region or to nearby ready positions. Think it won’t take much to set things off, but I think eyes are also needed elsewhere.

The war between Afghanistan and Pakistan is one to really keep a close eye on. I didn’t mention it this morning as there was a lot of smoke and not a lot of flame. Think that is changing and will likely share more soon as it looks to be getting serious with other parties in the area taking sides. It also looks like the taliban has already lost a general and unconfirmed reports of other losses for Afghanistan. This could get really interesting, really fast.

Whee! That Was Fun

Woke up this morning to a rapidly spinning room. Still not sure what was going on, but got it stopped, rested a bit, and got on up. Know I’ve been pushing it, but that was interesting.

Okay, TMI, I’m sure but it has indeed been a very busy week. Between the class and sometimes multiple services in a day, I’ve stayed busy. Today and tomorrow are going to be more of the same, on steroids even.

Continuing to use and experiment with the water distiller and related. Love it! Trying to figure out optimization techniques for when and how much I need to distill. Such a joy to have, and thank you to the kind reader who brought the distiller into my life. My thanks to all who provided neat things and information in regards filtration as well.

They are talking a possible 4-6 inches of snow Sunday night. However, our temps are going to be well above freezing so not seeing too much trouble except on Monday. Even then, shouldn’t be bad as long as the road crews are on top of things. *looks at city admin, leadership* May just plan to stay home Monday…

Lots going on in the world. I’d say we are building towards something in regards Iran based on military traffic, evacuations, travel and other warnings, and pizza orders. Yes, there is a part of me that is highly amused that Pentagon leadership is having to consider ways to deal with a pizza tracker for reasons of OPSEC. Noticing upticks in certain things has always been a tool for intelligence types, but it is truly a sign of the times that pizza orders can foretell military operations (and has been doing so for a few years now).

There is a lot going on in the Pacific, and I’m noting with interest some things going on in Japan. In regards the still-relatively-new PM, like the cut of her jib. Also liking that Japan is providing warships and more to it’s neighbors, who are eagerly beefing up capabilities in the face of Chinese aggression. That this includes Vietnam is amusing but not surprising given the historical beefs between the two countries. Would that the U.S. had the brains to start buying Japanese seaplanes, which are very much needed, now. Forget the hardware, we need to rescue pilots and others and have little to no capability to do that to any realistic scale in the Pacific.

Also worth noting that countries and the public are finally waking up to the danger to the planet from the huge illegal Chinese fishing fleet. Wish it had happened a couple of years ago, as there has been a lot of damage done. When nations start sinking those aggressive ships (happened recently with at least one ship), global patience has worn thin. Needs to be dealt with, one way or another.

There are some other things simmering, will see what happens with them. Glad to see the recent joint exercises with the Philippines too.

I will probably be launching a formal Bleg next week for the blog, the Pilgrimage, and school. Fair warning.

More soon I hope.

Busy Week Update

I do have some posts I hope to get done, but for us Old Calendar types, today is the first day of Lent, and there are services every day of the week. This does put a bit of a crimp into blogging time, but still hope to get some things up.

My Liturgics class seems to be going well and so far I seem to be handling things. It is intense and I’m very glad I didn’t try to do two courses. Getting my feet wet with just one proved to be a very good idea. For all that I do continue to heal from being hit by lightning, and the docs said I should be able to take a class and pass, it’s another thing to actually do it. Working on routines and compensation methods to try to ensure memory formation and actual retention of the material.

If I didn’t say it before, the class was not what I expected. I was thinking it would be going over the Liturgy (the main worship service) and perhaps a bit on some of the other services such as Vespers and Matins. Instead, it is all about the theology behind the Liturgy and the worship of Christ. I’m pretty sure my priest, who has taken the class and encouraged this, knew full well what I was getting into as he has had the class and the professor (I’m taking the class at the same seminary he attended). It has been eye opening and a bit like trying to drink out of a fire hose, but fun.

Most of our focus so far has been on Christianity, and the development of the Liturgy from the Crucifixion to present with an emphasis (so far) on the first 500 years. I’m already wanting to take the Church history courses they offer… More on the course soon, but it does take up a chunk of my week as well.

I’m also working on my pilgrimage and the visit to Mount Athos. I found out this morning that one of the monasteries I wanted to visit on Mount Athos is already booked for most of the month including the days I have to visit Mount Athos. My thought is that there is a reason, that something is being worked, so just waiting to see what happens.

Continuing to experiment with the water distiller and filters. Enjoying the taste of clean water.

There was something else I was going to share, and if I remember what it was, will put it here.

Have a Blessed week, and hopefully more soon.

Funeral For A Friend

Thought I would share something I think many of you will appreciate and even enjoy. Someone I know here in Indiana passed away and we had his church funeral service today. Not going to share a lot, but he was a bit of an outdoorsman, farmed (including a maple syrup grove), and was just a neat and good person. He had cancer, but kept it mostly to himself until he had to share the news. He died surrounded by family and love.

He arrived today in a simple, plain, unvarnished or painted wooden coffin via a hearse, was brought into the Church and given the funeral service he deserved. We all got to line up and say goodbye to him at the end, before the top was put back on and we sent him on his way to Missouri to be buried on Monday. We escorted him back out, where he was loaded into the back of a pick-up truck to be driven to his final resting place. So appropriate for him!

Gonna miss him, not going to lie. But I’m sitting here laughing as he’s going out to Missouri in the style he wanted. I can only imagine, but can hear him saying ‘Just throw me in the back of your truck and get me out there.’ God Bless!

The Special Relationship Should

Be considered dead. In some of my previous posts regarding England and Europe (start with the latest and follow the links) I’ve suggested caution and the need to rethink things. Yesterday’s news that Starmer has refused use of bases in the UK and Diego Garcia for any attack on Iran really brings the need for a formal re-evaluation.

After thinking on it overnight I’m not convinced it is dead and beyond resuscitation; but, prudence demands that we treat it as such and start developing plans, policies, and procedures for operations without the special relationship. From intelligence sharing to basing, rethink everything.

Sure, Labor can lose but are any of the other classic parties any better? I’m also of the opinion that Nigel and Reform are not serious, and possibly even a Trojan horse given some recent revelations. Lowe and Restore, if they survive literally and figuratively, might be the change that could save the U.K. That said, every other party and a huge part of the bureaucracy (including intel and law enforcement) are going to be gunning for them, possibly even literally. If they are taken off the board, I would put my money on the U.K. becoming a caliphate within the next ten years. So, I’m rooting for Rupert for now.

Meantime, we need to consider the U.K. lost even as the politicians pay lip service and act as if all is okay. That means we need, now, to be cutting back on what we share and how; what we accept, how, and why (keep in mind Brit Intel was a huge part of the Russia scam that crippled Trump 1.0); and, as I said before, how to secure the nukes when the fall comes.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It’s all we can do, and it is always good advice.

Avoiding Water Everywhere And Not A Drop To Drink

This post, going over the results of my using the recent winter storm to test some of my preparations and finding them lacking in terms of distilled water, generated some good comments and even several off-line conversations. As noted here, a wonderful person sent me a countertop water distillation machine. Another off-line discussion on water filtration sparked some other exchanges and discussions, with the net result a Zerowater system is now on my countertop as well.

My new water distillation system, with huge thanks to kind person who sent it.

As it turns out, the new Zerowater system is also very much appreciated, as testing has indicated that I don’t need to wait for an emergency to begin filtering my water. In fact, in testing my water I’ve found that it ranges from 500-900 parts per million of dissolved solids. A good municipal system is supposed to test out at 200. I knew there was a reason I didn’t like cooking, even unto boiling pasta, with the tap water. The old joke is that the water in Indiana is a semi-fluid state of limestone, and I’m now thinking that may not have been a joke after all.

Zerowater system during initial set-up and testing.

The Zerowater filters (5-stage) are expensive, so I bought an inexpensive Brita to try and pre-filter the water in order to get the most life out of said expensive filters. Sadly, the Brita only knocks it down about 100 ppm so I am going to look for another, better filter system and hope some of you kind souls might send some via my Amazon Wish List.

The 2.5 gallon water storage unit that I want to upgrade to 5 gallon

I’ve spent about a week now testing the water multiple times, testing out the filter systems, and most of all, testing out the water distillation system. Let’s take a quick rundown on the essentials.

First, the countertop water distillation system is a blessing. It is a 750-watt system, and the power draw over the run times isn’t bad IMO. In fact, I doubt my landlord will notice it for a number of reasons. The outside of the unit does not get hot, though it does generate some noise from the durable fan system that cools the condenser coils. On a winter day, the warm to hot air that comes off the system is actually very much appreciated. Oh, it also has a chamber for packets of activated charcoal as a final step in the water production process.

The standard run for the unit, using the manufacturer’s setting, is 3.5 hours. You won’t see much in the first 30 minutes as the system is set for 105 decgrees Celsius. By the end, however, you have more than 3 liters of water in the collection jug/jar/whatever you want to call it. Using filtered water, I’ve had very little scale build-up inside the distillation system. It comes with some cleaner, and the same person who sent it also sent me a jug of citric acid which is what is used to clean it.

I’ve tested the output a few times, and mostly get 000 readings, though one time I did get a 001 reading. It tastes as good or better than the store-bought and the cost is far less. Not all that long ago, distilled water was about 88 cents a gallon. Now it is regularly $1.50 or more a gallon, and stores around here seem to be having issues keeping it in stock, whether in 1 gallon “milk” jugs or the larger 2.5 gallon dispensers. Between drinking, the humidifier, and other considerations, I can use two gallons of water a day.

Which means that if I were using straight tap water for distillation, my pay-off for the unit would be in 4-6 months if I were paying for the water and the electricity. Since my rent includes both, payoff would be within a month or two. Your mileage is going to vary, but if you use a good bit of distilled water I think it a very sound investment.

Provided you have sources of power for it, it is also great for emergencies. There are a number of videos out on it’s use, and I have to admit the one where the person got the water to distill out of an overgrown and abandoned horse trough and got drinkable water was impressive. In checking around, it appears a number of preparedness types are using it, or something similar, as part of their disaster preparedness plans. I’m very glad to have this string in my bow.

Most of my previous preparedness planning has revolved around use of filtration. Sand/gravel filters are not hard to make, provided you have sand and gravel handy. I’ve got some units for camping and such that were part of my plans, along with things like coffee filter units for some initial cleaning. For the record, coffee filters are inexpensive and they can and do remove a fair bit of debris from unclean sources of water. In an emergency or full-up disaster, you want to protect the good filters by using things like sand filters, coffee filter systems, etc. to remove as much as possible before you use the good filters.

For example, if we had lost power and water in the recent storm, the snow is there and part of that water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink thing. Fact is, if you go get a bunch of it into a big pot to melt, you are going to be getting a lot more than just ice crystals. Best option, IMO, is to put the pot on a propane burner or such, melt and boil, and then pour the cooled water through some basic filtration to get rid of as much debris and contamination as possible. Then run it through the good system(s) for drinking. Boiled and light filtered is good enough for bathing, cleaning, etc.

The testing of my water, however, has convinced me that I am much better off using as much distilled as I can, and using filtered water for some cooking and preparation where I had been using tap water. In fact, I’m looking at a 5 gallon tank to replace/augment the current 2.5 gallon tank and at adding a larger non-countertop still that can be run off a variety of burners, or even over a wood fire in an emergency. Both of which are on my wishlist.

I also do want to note that the countertop water distiller can also be used for producing essential oils, hydrosols, and, yes, alcohol. On the latter, I must note that home distillation apparently still requires a federal permit on top of any state and local requirements. I therefore urge you to talk to a lawyer before doing anything that might violate federal, state, or local laws, rules, regulations, etc. I also strongly suggest that if you don’t know what head, heart, and tails are you should stick to water. You can make yourself sick or blind if you don’t know what your are doing.

The best part of my childhood was spent in the mountains of NE Georgia. I knew a couple of people there who knew a thing or two about producing untaxed liquor. They are why I am picky and careful, because they knew people who weren’t. As a result, they had a good pure copper system and did things right. You didn’t have to worry about lead or other things in the system, and the head and tail were not included in the final product. Not saying it was a polished commercial product, but for white lightning it was pretty good. Some of the other stuff floating around, however…

As for me, I plan to find something to replace the Brita that gets more out as inexpensively as possible. That way I can get the longest possible life out of the Zerowater filters. I may go to just tap water in the water distiller, but want to continue to play around with things so that I have not only a good system in place for everyday use; but, also have more strings to my bow for emergencies.

To everyone who has sent things to me via the wish list and such, THANK YOU. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your gifts. Not only are they helpful, they are FUN. Thank you. More soon and will update on things as time goes on.

The Only Surprise Is…

Yes, this is from Politico (Europe), a source I don’t normally trust, but it was linked by Stephen Green at Instapundit, and you do want to read it. My only surprise at reading that Poland and other countries are looking at becoming nuclear powers is that the discussions were this open.

One nice thing about sitting and listening is that you sometimes realize that there are conversations going on in the background, very quietly, very privately. At least at first. Sometimes questions get asked, or comments made, that clearly are testing the waters as to what the recipient, or the recipient’s government, might think on a related topic. It is an old dance, but it does have a purpose.

For what it is worth, I suspect similar conversations to those that have been happening in Poland are happening elsewhere in the region. More than just a couple of former countries controlled by Moscow have no desire to end up in that position again with either Russia or any other government. The Eastern European countries are not only looking at Russkiy Mir to their east, but are also having to look West at the increasingly totalitarian EU. To the East, it also hasn’t helped that in addition to pushing for a new Russian empire (Russkiy Mir, of which Ukraine was to be the start, wrote about it at the time) that Vladimir has not been just rattling the nuclear sabre, but waving it around like a drunk. To the West, the EU overturning the results of the election in Romania because they didn’t like the results has not gone over well in a number of capitals (and not just in Europe). The increasing attempts to bring Poland, Hungary, and others to heel over immigration adds to those concerns.

They also are influenced by what happened in Ukraine years back, when Ukraine gave up all the Soviet nukes on it’s territory in exchange for being offered protection by Russia, the U.S., and the UK (Budapest memorandum, not a formal treaty). Non-proliferation, peace in our time! It is worth remembering that sometimes (every time) even with real treaties, political promises by any nation are written with a stick on flowing waters.

Now, add to it that nuclear non-proliferation has been rather openly dying for a few decades now. In addition to the open members, new and old, to the nuclear club I suspect rather strongly that more than one country not openly a member has functional nuclear weapons. I also suspect that if the mad mullahs are not taken out of power, immediately, that Iran will soon be a member of the club as well.

For all that I really would love to live in a world without nuclear weapons, reality is that I/we do and it behooves us to plan and act accordingly. As it was when it was primarily between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R, peace or oblivion resides in the hands of the least stable leader. I would love to be wrong, but I’ve long suspected that it is a ‘when’ and not an ‘if’ a nuclear weapon will be used in anger again.

Now, add in that I suspect Iran is not the only country working hard to become a member of the nuclear club. You don’t have to go through the Manhattan Project to get to be a member, and you don’t have to be as unsubtle as Iran in creating a viable nuclear weapons program.

The fact that Poland has stepped out in the open like this is interesting, and a bit amusing. If you go back and read this post and the linked posts, I got called some names for suggesting that Poland be made a nuclear power and be the northern anchor for a new, non-military, ‘nato’ (lower case deliberate) that can stand as a bulwark against anything from the East as well as against a Muslim/Islamist West. While I think there is still a chance to prevent an effective European Caliphate (England is starting to wake up, but…), I also still very much think we need a Christian bulwark in the East if Western Civilization is to survive.

I also think some open and honest conversations on what is likely to happen when nuclear non-proliferation efforts are fully dead. I loathe Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) as a doctrine; but, we do need to devise some doctrines for handling obvious situations in a world where there are few bars to becoming a member of the nuclear club. This needs to happen at the staff levels so that when higher finally realizes there is a problem, there are already some well-thought options (some maybe even tested) available to them.

Pilgrimage Update: Initial Mount Athos Approval

My plans for the day have changed a bit as this morning I submitted (again) my request to the Greek government to visit Mount Athos this spring. You actually end up having to get multiple approvals — effectively — as Mount Athos is a semi-autonomous region.

To go visit, you first have to be male as no women/girls are allowed within the region. You also have to apply to a special office of the Greek government that controls visiting. They check to see that you are male (per photo and passport), Orthodox (baptismal certificate), and have the blessing of your priest or higher (letter vouching for you, certifying you are a member in good standing of the Church, etc.).

My understanding is that it used to be possible to request a visit close to a year in advance. That, however is not the current mode of operation and one has to apply three months in advance. They are quite specific about that as it turns out, and my initial application last fall came back with a note to apply again three months before the visit. And they did indeed mean exactly three months. I finally hit that milestone, applied, and now have approval to go and stay there on some specific dates.

There is a certificate/documentation I will have to pick up in Greece before attempting to find a boat to take me to Mount Athos. A friend has hired a guide for me, that he has used on previous visits who will be assisting me the entire time I am in Greece. It should make the paperwork, bureaucracy, and other delights much more manageable. The next step is to actually contact monasteries on Mount Athos and arrange to spend time on there. There is one I really want to visit, and two I’m drawn towards but am letting my spiritual guides and the Greek guide make suggestions and guide me on the last two.

Now that this is approved, I can begin planning the rest of the trip. I’ve already reached out to my Bishop, who is providing guidance, and am now looking at the second major part of the trip, which is spending up to a week at a monastery in Bulgaria. I’m also working on being able to take my final in my current/first seminary course while in Bulgaria. If anyone wants to get me a Starlink Mini, drop me a line. (smile) For all that I would like to go ahead and make reservations for some of the planned cooking lessons, I’m going to wait until we have a few other things booked.

I want to thank all of you for the support and encouragement. Some of you have helped cover costs for the trip and the seminary, and I very much appreciate it. If you want to help, check below. Now, to get back to the planned schedule of the day. Maybe.

No, It’s What ‘Can You Do’…

Good post up at The Conservative Woman in regards British weakness, feckless leadership, etc. in the face of Iranian advances that will put London within reach of conventional- and nuclear-armed missiles quite soon unless something is done (see here). The question is raised there ‘what do we do’ in regards that, when the real question is ‘what can you do?’

Short-term, the answer is not much at all. You have a leadership class — of which Starmer is a figurehead, a meat-puppet — that hates Great Britain, the Empire, etc. and is determined to end it. The Chagos treaty is just the latest in efforts to divest the last vestiges of the empire, with Hong Kong being the zenith of same. They have gutted the military and done everything they can to make England to be easy pickings. If you are just starting to wonder why, you may be too late to the game.

I need to do a full answer to the post in question, especially as I notice what I regard as some rather gross inaccuracies. For example, in talking about the Strategic Defense Initiative (calling it ‘Star Wars’ reveals much about the author IMO) using nukes to ensure kills in boost stage. While I need to tread carefully, I think I can safely say that I don’t know of any serious effort to use nukes.

Nevermind that having them in orbit is a violation of treaty (ho hum, yet another treaty violation), but even worst is how many would be needed against widely dispersed targets. Also, nevermind that it is amazingly easy to mess up a rocket booster of any type, and the same can be said of many nuclear weapons themselves. I would suggest learning about “Brilliant Pebbles” (and for something older, look at Pournelle’s ‘Project Thor’ aka orbital crowbars) as well as the close-in defense systems (that we used to have) for protecting our land-based missiles.

For all that I have some issues (technical, strategic, otherwise) with some of the framing and background, there are a number of good questions and thoughts raised in the article. Check it out and sound off, there or here.