Our military has a history of losing. Furthermore our military hasn't defended this nation since 1812. In WW1 and WW2 we showed up late and reaped the profit. That's the purpose of our military, profit to enrich our Oligarch Masters who send our best to die for their portfolios.
By the way, it was the Soviet Union who won WW2 with some Lend-Lease help from us. It was a loan, more profit while the Soviets lost at least 23 MILLION!
US education/propaganda has led many Americans to ignore your first paragraph and deny the second.
"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes." ~ Maj Gen Smedley Butler, 1933
Smedley Butler won two Congressional Medals of Honor and didn't believe he deserved them. He ran for Congress as a Socialist. He was wise and ahead of his time.
This isn't just a military blunder; it's a case study in how empire crumbles when the balance of power shifts and the illusion of dominance collides with reality. The U.S. didn't back down in Yemen because it suddenly found peace palatable. It backed down because it ran headfirst into a hard geopolitical wall. Ansar Allah didn’t just survive, they outmaneuvered a nuclear superpower at sea, in the air, and on the ground, all while spending a fraction of the cost.
From a realpolitik perspective, the math is brutal: $1 billion a month, elite drones downed like flies, and two carrier groups dodging DIY missiles. Meanwhile, China’s watching, Taiwan’s wondering, and Iran’s now holding more cards than anyone in Washington wants to admit. This wasn’t just about Yemen. It was a flashing red light warning that the U.S. can no longer fight regional wars on autopilot and expect deference.
The takeaway? In an era where resilient, decentralized actors can bleed a superpower dry with $10,000 drones and dug-in resolve, brute force without strategic depth is a liability. That’s why Trump’s team is suddenly all about diplomacy; not because they had a change of heart, but because the cost of escalation started to outweigh the illusion of control.
One small point: I think the cost of drones at the cheaper end is really small; much smaller than western publications say (because it is embarrassing to the MIC). Commercial FPV drones cost $100ish.
Someone on MoA (moon of alabama) said that list price of the ordinary lawnmower engine that powers the highly-effective Shahed 136 / Geran 2 drone is $150. I can't believe that it costs more than $1000-2000, especially as Yemeni labour costs must be tiny if they are assembling these themselves.
These BS sanctions against every country that doesn't bow to USSA demands is in the process of backfiring. It may take a year or two but the hegemon has proven completely untrustworthy and that will destroy this country faster than anything that there is.
Yes, cynicism towards the US adherence to agreements and treaties has been there, but what's taking it to the next level is nations asserting their interests and saying no. The US doesn't have escalation dominance as it has lost the monopoly on controlling trade and commerce. SWIFT, who really needs it now other platforms are coming into their own (at less cost, and without the spying). New multilateral organisations make various platforms like the World Bank, IMF, WTO increasingly less relevant (as the US disregards and manipulates as it wishes their executive positions). And the vaunted US market is diminishing in importance as every sovereign state's general wealth increases.
"God's Partisans"—so that is how Ansar Allah is translated! They did very well standing up to the bully. It was costly, but worth the effort and loss of life and property.
Concerning Iran, probably due to "the President had previously almost destroyed the Islamic Republic’s currency," according to Pepe Escobar who was recently in Iran, the population uses dollars extensively.
It's not about winning. It's about surrounding the prey and weakening it until the monster comes in for the kill. i.e. Syria. Surround Russia and weaken it so they can't help Syria. Blame Russia re: the R/U war to justify more carnage. Surround Iran to weaken any ally. Blame Iran for anything to justify an attack by Israel and the US squeals "plausible deniability". Surround China and destroy Taiwan/the Philippines like Ukraine. Ultimate goal? Destroy BRICS to maintain empire/hegemony. In the meantime, it's all Kabuki theatre as far as the US claims to be "wanting negotiations". The absurdity of the US "negotiating" re: Ukraine & Russia when the US is the primary belligerent means MAGA has raised the bar in copium.
You people are so stupid reading the New York Times. You probably think 9/11 was done by Muslim terrorist. Have you even heard of Mossad. Have you even heard of Larry Silverstein. Seriously you people are idiots.
Matt Chipman nothing about America has gotten stronger from rump and I have not idea what more Americanized means unless it means more stupid and more hateful in that case you are right and diversity equity and inclusion do not weaken anything they strengthen EVERYONE except the STUPID!! So you are A lost cause!!
Bwahahahahahaha. Takes a lot more than that. BS complicated weaponry that doesn't work as advertised is our real Achilles heel and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Being a generation behind because of an utterly corrupt MIC and political apparatus is the real problem.
When the last Midway film came out, I sat in the theater during the end credits and tried to remember how many US firms produced aircraft that were major contributors to the war effort. Just off the top of my head, I came up with over ten.
For example, Brewster beat out the Wildcat prototype for the 1939 navy fighter competition, but when their plane proved obsolete as soon as it entered service and Grumman came back with an improved Wildcat, the navy decided it had made the wrong call and switched. The consequence for Brewster for producing an inferior plane was that it was carried for a while during the war with a contract to produce someone else's planes, then allowed to fail.
The point is that weapon systems back then were (usually) a product of market competition. Now products like the F-35 are essentially giant, all-the-eggs-in-one-basket, too-big-to-fail government programs, where problems are dealt with by throwing more money at the contractor who is overpromising/underdelivering.
Any sensible person should worry that our military will be exposed as a trillion-dollar paper tiger if we get into the sort of real fight that we have avoided for decades.
Highly corrupt countries cannot defend themselves. Just look at China's decades of defeats at the hands of Japan, a country one tenth the size of China.
At least the spineless trans gender freaks are gone. As a 24yr INTEL Analyst. I tell ya -Obama is a terrorists and always have been. He ruined the military- prior to him it was build up the weakest link Obama took over and he fired them told us to spy on our fellow soldier whose life is i terdependant on each other- only a commie fruitcake is so stupid.
Our military has a history of losing. Furthermore our military hasn't defended this nation since 1812. In WW1 and WW2 we showed up late and reaped the profit. That's the purpose of our military, profit to enrich our Oligarch Masters who send our best to die for their portfolios.
By the way, it was the Soviet Union who won WW2 with some Lend-Lease help from us. It was a loan, more profit while the Soviets lost at least 23 MILLION!
America has a fatal overconfidence.
US education/propaganda has led many Americans to ignore your first paragraph and deny the second.
"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes." ~ Maj Gen Smedley Butler, 1933
Smedley Butler won two Congressional Medals of Honor and didn't believe he deserved them. He ran for Congress as a Socialist. He was wise and ahead of his time.
This isn't just a military blunder; it's a case study in how empire crumbles when the balance of power shifts and the illusion of dominance collides with reality. The U.S. didn't back down in Yemen because it suddenly found peace palatable. It backed down because it ran headfirst into a hard geopolitical wall. Ansar Allah didn’t just survive, they outmaneuvered a nuclear superpower at sea, in the air, and on the ground, all while spending a fraction of the cost.
From a realpolitik perspective, the math is brutal: $1 billion a month, elite drones downed like flies, and two carrier groups dodging DIY missiles. Meanwhile, China’s watching, Taiwan’s wondering, and Iran’s now holding more cards than anyone in Washington wants to admit. This wasn’t just about Yemen. It was a flashing red light warning that the U.S. can no longer fight regional wars on autopilot and expect deference.
The takeaway? In an era where resilient, decentralized actors can bleed a superpower dry with $10,000 drones and dug-in resolve, brute force without strategic depth is a liability. That’s why Trump’s team is suddenly all about diplomacy; not because they had a change of heart, but because the cost of escalation started to outweigh the illusion of control.
One small point: I think the cost of drones at the cheaper end is really small; much smaller than western publications say (because it is embarrassing to the MIC). Commercial FPV drones cost $100ish.
Someone on MoA (moon of alabama) said that list price of the ordinary lawnmower engine that powers the highly-effective Shahed 136 / Geran 2 drone is $150. I can't believe that it costs more than $1000-2000, especially as Yemeni labour costs must be tiny if they are assembling these themselves.
Well worded post, thanks!
Gaza ceasefire next ASAP, please
These BS sanctions against every country that doesn't bow to USSA demands is in the process of backfiring. It may take a year or two but the hegemon has proven completely untrustworthy and that will destroy this country faster than anything that there is.
Once trust and soft power are lost, they are lost forever!
Yes, cynicism towards the US adherence to agreements and treaties has been there, but what's taking it to the next level is nations asserting their interests and saying no. The US doesn't have escalation dominance as it has lost the monopoly on controlling trade and commerce. SWIFT, who really needs it now other platforms are coming into their own (at less cost, and without the spying). New multilateral organisations make various platforms like the World Bank, IMF, WTO increasingly less relevant (as the US disregards and manipulates as it wishes their executive positions). And the vaunted US market is diminishing in importance as every sovereign state's general wealth increases.
Great and very insightful article - thank you!
Thank you, Maike!!!
Israel is a made up Terrorist State. Make Palestine Palestine again and all live in peace. Thank you for spreading the truth K.K..
"God's Partisans"—so that is how Ansar Allah is translated! They did very well standing up to the bully. It was costly, but worth the effort and loss of life and property.
Concerning Iran, probably due to "the President had previously almost destroyed the Islamic Republic’s currency," according to Pepe Escobar who was recently in Iran, the population uses dollars extensively.
You are An Incredible Dude, Kit, I tell you!! Thank you so much for what you do.
You're not so bad yourself, my friend!!! Thank you for your incredibly humbling words ✊
Implies Trump's ability to learn of which there is little evidence.
It's not about winning. It's about surrounding the prey and weakening it until the monster comes in for the kill. i.e. Syria. Surround Russia and weaken it so they can't help Syria. Blame Russia re: the R/U war to justify more carnage. Surround Iran to weaken any ally. Blame Iran for anything to justify an attack by Israel and the US squeals "plausible deniability". Surround China and destroy Taiwan/the Philippines like Ukraine. Ultimate goal? Destroy BRICS to maintain empire/hegemony. In the meantime, it's all Kabuki theatre as far as the US claims to be "wanting negotiations". The absurdity of the US "negotiating" re: Ukraine & Russia when the US is the primary belligerent means MAGA has raised the bar in copium.
Thank goodness for a small number of redoubtable and fierce desert warriors!
You people are so stupid reading the New York Times. You probably think 9/11 was done by Muslim terrorist. Have you even heard of Mossad. Have you even heard of Larry Silverstein. Seriously you people are idiots.
Who could resist your honeyed words of persuasion?
Matt Chipman nothing about America has gotten stronger from rump and I have not idea what more Americanized means unless it means more stupid and more hateful in that case you are right and diversity equity and inclusion do not weaken anything they strengthen EVERYONE except the STUPID!! So you are A lost cause!!
North Vietnam was subjected to a vastly more powerful bombing campaign that lasted for almost 3 years and still the US couldn’t break their resolve.
AnsarAllah 1. Trump Administration 0.
Looking forward to AnsarAllah taking out the rest of Ben Gurion Airport soon.
Our military has gotten stronger under Truml b/c we are more Americanized, we rid them of the DEI HIRES and reversed all diversity BS.
Bwahahahahahaha. Takes a lot more than that. BS complicated weaponry that doesn't work as advertised is our real Achilles heel and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Being a generation behind because of an utterly corrupt MIC and political apparatus is the real problem.
When the last Midway film came out, I sat in the theater during the end credits and tried to remember how many US firms produced aircraft that were major contributors to the war effort. Just off the top of my head, I came up with over ten.
For example, Brewster beat out the Wildcat prototype for the 1939 navy fighter competition, but when their plane proved obsolete as soon as it entered service and Grumman came back with an improved Wildcat, the navy decided it had made the wrong call and switched. The consequence for Brewster for producing an inferior plane was that it was carried for a while during the war with a contract to produce someone else's planes, then allowed to fail.
The point is that weapon systems back then were (usually) a product of market competition. Now products like the F-35 are essentially giant, all-the-eggs-in-one-basket, too-big-to-fail government programs, where problems are dealt with by throwing more money at the contractor who is overpromising/underdelivering.
Any sensible person should worry that our military will be exposed as a trillion-dollar paper tiger if we get into the sort of real fight that we have avoided for decades.
Highly corrupt countries cannot defend themselves. Just look at China's decades of defeats at the hands of Japan, a country one tenth the size of China.
Wow...thats some grand delusion!
At least the spineless trans gender freaks are gone. As a 24yr INTEL Analyst. I tell ya -Obama is a terrorists and always have been. He ruined the military- prior to him it was build up the weakest link Obama took over and he fired them told us to spy on our fellow soldier whose life is i terdependant on each other- only a commie fruitcake is so stupid.
You've been doing Intel analysis from your mom's basement for 24 years? That tracks.
Did you finish elementary school? Because your critical thinking skills are at the level of a 3rd grader as well as your grammar and spelling.
A 24 year old intel analyst with the literacy ability of a 12 year old?
Figures.
You were a 24 yr Intel analyst. Well, THAT explains a lot.
You can barely write and you were an "intel analyst," eh? And, Obama is a lot of things, but a "commie" he's not.
You, and those with your mindset, are the reason the US is where it is today, keep doing what you are doing!
Evidence. Or is this extreme sarcasm?