Why hasn't the US won a war since WWII?

 (Asked on Quora)

 War is not a sporting event counted in simple wins and losses. The Korean War may have ended in a stalemate on a territorial level but the US (as the main force in the UN alliance) did prevent South Korea from going Communist and becoming an extension of the North.

It also drove the Iraqis from Kuwait (1990–1991) and overthrew Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. While much of this came at a cost I would argue that there were substantial wins here. One could add the Cold War as a US led win for economic and personal freedom over a dire ideological alternative.

Not all wins come wrapped up in a bow tie with a ticker tape parade.

Can Science explain everything?

 The various versions of the scientific method are the best tools that we have in understanding how the material world works. In its ideal practice it combines rational thought with the necessity of acquiring empirical evidence. This underpins a self corrective methodology that is evidence driven.

Since we are part of the material world its utility in helping us navigate the challenges of our world provides for explanations that are beneficial and pragmatic on a go forward basis.

The second question has more to do with the level of uncertainty we as individuals are willing to live with. This varies subjectively.

Do Classic Liberals support Laissez Faire Capitalism?

 Classical or Authentic liberals value the market as a dynamic tool that provides informative and timely feedback on supply and demand forces. This is conveyed through the very efficient pricing mechanism. They see the voice of the market which aggregates action/choice as being critical to the overall functioning of the economy. A support for Free Enterprise is a natural consequence of this line of thinking.

Government intervention all too often negatively impacts this feedback mechanism introducing barriers and obstacles that produce unnecessary turbulence that disrupts the self correcting mechanism.

Having said this most authentic liberals do see a role for government in protecting individual rights and safeguarding private property. Opinions differ with the respect to the extent of the government role with those taking the most minimalist position generally falling under the anarcho-capitalist label.

The German Blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union. Was it successful?

(Answered my me on Quora)

Initially it was very successful. However as 1941 progressed it spread itself too thin and could not reach Moscow in a timely manner when faced with a restocked Red Army and a bitter winter. In terms of territory though the Germans in 1941 captured more ground than they did in Poland in 1939 or France in 1940. However the Soviet Union was a different beast. They had ample territory to play the low black and were well aware of the stretched capability of the German’s supply runs.

Having said that several figures in the German elite (including Hitler) did underestimate the Soviets likening their enemies fighting ability to a house of ill construction that would cave in with limited thrust. History would torch this belief.

The Mathematical model for Special Relativity in a nutshell

 Special Relativity is predicated on two postulates.

1. All uniform motion is relative and the laws of physics apply equally to all frames of reference.
2. The speed of light is c in a vacuum across all frames of reference.

The necessity of these two paradigms forces a relaxation of absolute time, space, momentum, kinetic energy and simultaneity.

Time Dilation can be understood by a pythagorean analysis of vectors that produces a relation whereby proper time is a multiplied by the Lorentz Factor to obtain relativistic time.

The former is determined by an observer who is at rest relative to the event. The latter sees the event occurring in different places in space.

Relativistic time will always be greater than or equal to measured times with the discrepancy between the two becoming more extreme as velocity tends to c (speed of light).

Broad interests

I have a broad assortment of topics that peronally intrgue me even though I consider myself to be at heart a generalist.

Areas of specific interest:

History

European Revolutions in the 19th and 20th centuries, World War II the North Africa Theatre, Battle of Stalingrad, D-Day, Second Anglo-Boer War, English Monarchy, History of Antisemitism, History of Modern Physics, The French Revolution, The Cold War and the History of Israel

Science

Evolutionary Theory, Mechanics, Galactic Cosmology, Science around Intelligence, Physics Education and Critical Thinking.

Sports

Mens Tennis 1970-1995, Heavyweight Boxing Division, Liverpool Football Club, The World Cup, Olympic Games, Chess rivalries  and the Evolution of Track and Field records.

Politics

The study of civilizational decline, the evolution of political ideology and the study of extremes,

Movies Genres/Directors

Post-Apocalyptic, Second World War, Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Time Travel, Coen Brothers, Connery and Moore Era James Bond and the Carry On Series.

Other Areas

Future History Speculation, Deism and Judaism.

Seven types of Anti-Semitism

This comes from my answer on Quora.  The Seven Types of Anti-Semitism

I have qualified these seven types in my study of Jewish History. While they may not be independent from one another in the strict sense, they provide a useful methodology for understanding the historical hatred of the Jews.

1. Hatred of the Jews as Christ Killers - A very old form of Anti-Semitism which has existed since the early days of the Christian Church. The Jews were blamed for choosing Jesus Christ to ‘die’ on the cross. The New Testament Gospels emphasize this point in their writings and it has served as dogma for both the Catholic and many non-Catholic churches over the centuries. Argument is illogical though, for if the Jews had not selected Christ to be sacrificed on the cross then he could not have died for the sins of mankind. Where would humanity then be?

2. Hatred of the Jews as Outsiders - The rejection of Jesus as the messiah, Jewish religious belief, Jewish emphasis on marrying fellow Jews, as well as the concept of the Jews as the Chosen People all smack of exclusivity.
Why?, asks the anti-Semite do the Jews think that they are better than us ? Could it be that they eventually want to subjugate us? Hence the blood libels, pogroms and the impetus to scapegoat the Jews as the cause for all that goes wrong in society.

3. The Jew as the Evil Capitalist - The Church authority forced Jews to be money lenders as Christians were prevented from charging interest. As money lending grew into the banking profession, Jews became more influential as players driving the wheels of the largely capitalist based economy. Those individuals jealous of Jewish success as well as the later opponents of capitalism were quick to throw force this charge.

4. The Jew as the Diabolical Communist - Karl Marx’s Jewish ancestry, Jewish influence in the Social Democracy Movements in Europe (Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Luxembourg, Martov were all Jews) was enough of a linkage in the minds of many anti-Semites to associate the ‘specter of Communism haunting Europe’ as a Jewish plot for world domination. Idea is non-sensical. Granted at one stage there were many Jews involved in the movements of social-democracy but that is largely as a result of the fact that Communism preached an ‘equality of all’ that other political ideologies appeared to shun. However after the true face of the of the leftist movements were revealed in the Stalinist purges, Jews starting deserting Marxism in droves. It is also important to note

5. Hatred of Jewish thought - Jewish thought has traditionally been more liberal and open to debate than that of Christianity. Jews have been on the fore front of new ideas (Marxism, Relativity, psychoanalysis, and American liberalism) which have shaken the bedrock of traditional views. A phenomenon that breeds fear and consequently anti-Semitism. Also Jewish success in business, the arts and the sciences has in the mind of many anti-Semites created a belief that the Jews are privy to knowledge which they are not willing to share. This of course is ridiculous as are all charges of an international Jewish conspiracy.

​6. Anti-Zionist/Anti-Semitism - Not all anti-Zionists are anti-Semites. Agreed. However the line is in many cases very thin. Many Arab countries make little distinction (e.g. the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is required reading in many school programs). Also for those seeking a convenient cover for their anti-Semitic views where better to hide then amongst the so-called ‘progressive’ anti-Zionists.

7. Hatred of Jews for their role in Judeo-Christian philosophy - Western Philosophy and Judeo-Christian philosophy is evil. So this reason goes. Jews are to blame for all of it as the mother religion of the tradition. Therefore Jews are bad. Simplistic but nevertheless the view of those seeking to destroy the foundations of Western civilization. Stream of thought is popular amongst anarchists and some New Age Religious believers. Nazism was such a belief.