Well it will be interesting anyway. If you ever wondered why I give so much study to Pakistan, that is why. In practical terms, it's at *least* the world's 4th largest country going forward into the future. Might actually be #3, could even end up as #2 in the longer run.

Seems like the biggest problem Israel has in this ballistic missile conflict is *population concentration.* Sort of a mini version of the argument that Russia would far poorly in an actual nuclear exchange due to super-concentration of everything into 2 cities. Iran is big.

The situation with Iran is another example of how Ukraine is the absolute core of the Global Struggle. Due to the losses and costs there, Russia could not maintain its foothold in Syria, and now appears unable to aid Iran. If Ru was in Kiev now, a different reality entirely!

Zelensky changed the entire trajectory of the twenty first century by refusing to flee Kyiv in February 2022. The Russia-Iran part of the Russia-China-Iran axis is collapsing

At some point, it was fairly broadly grasped that almost all surrenders in the near past were "too early." Mao was right, in most cases it's strategically superior to "not surrender." Many weaker parties, seemingly defeated, have prevailed by this method in recent decades.

If the American hegemony falls, this will be a subtle contributing cause. Exposing talented grade school students to highly inflected classical languages develops the brain pathways later needed for difficult foreign languages. An English-only brain finds them appalling. Thus

The Great Game never ended . . .

A deep geopolitical issues facing American "Great Gamers" is the lack of any foothold on the N. Shore of the Indian Ocean. Pakistan was supposed to fill that role, but the relationship was mishandled, now there is a Chinese port (Gwadar) right were USA would like to be.

Common opinion and not unreasonable but Pakistan provides a geographical entree into Central Asia in a way that India cannot. Thus the perennial fascination of the English-Speaking powers with both Afghanistan and the area that is now Pakistan.

Most actions of the USA are readily explicable in "Great Game" or geo-political terms, often as part of dynamics dating back to the 19th century. Yet one very rarely sees any such analysis. Even serious people don't know/pretend to not know why USA invaded Afghanistan, etc.

This is the same basic dynamic that is leading to the closure of marginal private colleges. We just don't have the youth cohort size anymore to fill our accustomed number of prison cells, dorm rooms, etc.

If the USA maintains/achieves true world hegemony, does the "deficit" even matter? Who is going to collect? Something to consider. I'm not sure if anyone really understands this stuff. Or perhaps they understand very well indeed . . .

Trump himself appears to be figuring out that Ukraine modulates the entire global struggle, including China's posture. And a strong outcome there will likely *prevent* the Pacific war to start with. He is surrounded by Ru-sympathizers, but he just isn't controllable by aides.

And it is also very clearly in the Russian interest to promote the opposite narrative, that the USA must abandon Ukraine in order to "pivot" to China. Russians aren't dumb, and they have a long history of promoting "astro-turfed" narratives among the citizens of rivals.

The fact that the West was able to impose horrific human and material costs on Russia is by far the most important world historical event of the 21st century. Totally changes the calculus of world power. Many haven't processed this yet.

Another big historical change. If you told someone in 2010 that F-16s would be engaged in combat within Russian airspace in 2025 they would be dumbfounded. Now we just go about our day, but many used to assume that such things would cross a nuclear red line.

From Rubble to Ashlar to Rustication. Early medieval buildings in England were generally of what we call "rubble" stonework. Meaning fairly roughly shaped local stone with considerable visible mortar joints. Depending on the location, period, local stone, and other factors,