@pptsapper.bsky.social @dansukman.bsky.social

#Humour #satire #historicalsatire I experimented with a different format, so I can avoid making my point in an overly long traditional manner. All feedback is welcome. @alexchurchill.bsky.social

thelensofhistory.substack.com/p/secretary-...

An analogy and an axiom. Some words to the wise. Analogy: Trump’s war against Iran might be the geopolitical equivalent of Custer’s last stand at Little Big Horn. Built on arrogance born of easy bullying in les…

Here are some words to the wise: www.kiwipolitico.com/2026/04/an-a...

Oh lord. They’re on LinkedIn. A polished front (that’s really AI slop) can’t hide the snake oil.

The blocks are likely coming soon. Yet this remains the basest of unoriginal snake oil.

Give them not $0.01.

Nothing for nothing.

My latest book review is Military Victory: Beyond the Battlefield, Outside Wartime by Mirkro Palestrino.

thelensofhistory.substack.com/p/book-revie...

Are the Oscars still running? Ha!

Counter-Force versus Counter-Value in Conflict. Given the amount of dis/misinformation being pushed about the nature of the conflict between the Israel-US alliance and Iran, it might be good to understand some basic concepts. I will leave aside …

Here is a reflection on the US/Israel-Iran conflict framed as a counter-force versus counter-value contest, along with some other observations: www.kiwipolitico.com/2026/03/coun...

There is a lot unpacked in that article, but it is worth reading. My thoughts appear in the comments section below the author's OP.

The unspoken question: Did Iran attempt a commerce raiding campaign in the Indian Ocean? I would venture that the IRIS Dena's sinking was to prevent that occurrence.

thelensofhistory.substack.com/p/did-iran-a...

My latest article ponders an unspoken question: Did Iran attempt a commerce raiding campaign in the Indian Ocean?

open.substack.com/pub/thelenso... @alexchurchill.bsky.social @pptsapper.bsky.social @nathankfinney.com @queenofthinair.bsky.social

Keep an eye on the long-term fallout from the sinking of the Iris Dena. A return to contested sea lanes and the destruction of the post-war U.S.-led alliance system is a disastrous mix.

Interesting book choice. You must have made me read your latest book, Ring of Fire. Haha

No one wants to see the destruction of the Iranian regime more than I do. (Iran-funded acts of antisemitism in Australia). However, I fear what happens if the war escalates into a ground war with U.S. troops bogged down in mountainous terrain. 2/2

Sufficient justification isn't the same thing as a successful outcome, as the war in Afghanistan showed. Ample reasons to attack Iran exist, without an endgame. 1/2

It is a very selective use of military force. African dictators, including Mugabe, slaughtered their populations without anyone blinking.

There are plenty of jobs going at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, err, the Pentagon.

If that weren't correct, then the League of Nations and naval treaties would have prevented World War II. 2/2

The Iraq War debacle, Russia's war in Ukraine, and China's vast number of territorial claims backed up by naval expansion show how strategic failures override international law. Trump's war against Iran is another bungle. 1/2

Alwyn Turner's A Shellshocked Nation: Britain Between The Wars is my latest book review.

open.substack.com/pub/thelenso...

Do civilians have the right to be wrong about what is legal and constitutional?

Political leaders who undermine parliamentary democracy for ideological reasons or ignorance are dangerous, but it is up to voters to judge them.

Part 3. They’ve started arriving from France now… Also, I felt sorry for myself over the weekend and ordered three more and I’m not sorry…

Does ice hockey have a version T20 cricket that might somewhat level the international playing field?

Please do more of those book purchases reveal video. I love the idea of watching more of them.

Book Review: Ring of Fire Book review

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My latest book review: @alexchurchill.bsky.social and @pikegrey1418.bsky.social Ring of Fire: A New Global History of the Outbreak of the First World War.

Imagine writing the book Dereliction of Duty and then professionally committing yourself to repeatedly making all of the same mistakes you described in your book.

Happy New Year.

Luke Herbert's review of What Happened to Lucy Vale Lauren Oliver's What Happened to Lucy Vale is intensely cerebral, which makes it an acquired taste. This reviewer falls into the category of appreciating and embracing that title. (This reviewer happi...

My review of Lauren Oliver's What Happened to Lucy Vale

www.goodreads.com/review/show/...