tim wrote:FishbellykanakaDude wrote:... blah blah blah ...
What do you mean "The war started long LONG ago, so that's not an issue."
The war is coming along at the pace that it's "coming along". The war proper is inevitable, but the timing of the "commencement of military hostilities" is highly unpredictable.
The issue is not the START of the war, but rather how it's progressing, and which forces are making it come sooner or later.
If you were a future historian when would you exactly say the war started?
Are you referring to how the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act contributed to WWII?
Military hostilities, in my opinion, are WAY off, as the belligerents will need to deal with a bunch of exigencies for quite a while.
Wars (military hostilities) start when one side can't convince the other side that their "absolutely necessary whatever" should be allowed to be "given to/purchased by" them. Wars start when someone feels cornered and denied.
I don't find any of this fun, China just expelled American journalists.
I do find conjecture fun. This entire "real life" scenario is absolutely fascinating,.. which to me is another definition of "fun".
Those who can't admit that dealing with, or conjecturing about, real problems is "fun" are in severe danger of self-induced unnecessary panic, and bringing other people with them.
It is not particularly solid as a theory, because it leaves the "user" in a very peculiar position if it isn't nearly 100% effective, or even if it IS 100% effective, both with the rest of the world and with it's own internal populations.
But, it IS fascinating to think about how the "user" might try to get around the position they'd put themselves into if they really DID use the tactic/strategy.
I'd love to see how it could be used in a "brilliant" way. What I'm seeing at this point is that it's certainly NOT a brilliant move.