Battle for Mosul (key stronghold of ISIS)

[PresidentSamTilden]

This has the potential to ugly. Urban combat in major cities in highly perilous. Look up the battle of Grozny between the Russians and Chechens in 1996 as an example.

I hope the Iraqi forces and militias are unified and ready for a tough fight. I wouldn't count this as a feather in anyone's cap just yet.

[PresidentSamTilden]

This battle is being livestreamed...how insane is that? I'm not some ideological purist, we all love our vicarious violence. But at the same time, turning war into entertainment for the sheltered western masses is kinda messed up.

If ISIS somehow rebounded and took Baghdad, would the massacre be streamed? Would you watch? What a time to be alive...the critical mass of humanity.

[PresidentSamTilden]

This battle is being livestreamed...how insane is that? I'm not some ideological purist, we all love our vicarious violence. But at the same time, turning war into entertainment for the sheltered western masses is kinda messed up.

If ISIS somehow rebounded and took Baghdad, would the massacre be streamed? Would you watch? What a time to be alive...the critical mass of humanity.

Televised battles go back all the way to World War II, where the famous D-Day was filmed on the news.

True, but it wasn't live streamed, and like 20% of the US male population was in the army at that point. We're just sitting back on our ass watching this go down, acting like it's "our" battle.

[PresidentSamTilden]

I would prefer the topic entitled "Battle for Moscow".

The Russians have a funny habit of winning those, though...

[PresidentSamTilden]

Not back in 1812.

Nor in 1605.

Nor in 1571.

Nor in 1382.

Actually, other than in 1941 Moscow was nearly always surrendered to whoever got all the way to it.

Fair enough. I wouldn't get my hopes up about anyone's current chances, though. Plus, 1812 was a Phyrric victory. Napoleon won Borodino tactically, but strategically, he just fell further into a trap.