Charlie StrossMar 13

The Atlantic: Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz

In wartime, the enemy always gets a vote.

(These people are deeply unserious. I mean, they *must* be old enough to remember the 1980-88 tanker war and the vital role the Straits of Hormuz played back then, right?)

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/hormuz-strait-iran-oil/686365/

Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz

In wartime, the enemy always gets a vote.

The Atlantic
Show threadHighlandLawyerMar 13
@cstross
Part of the Christofacist Revelations cosplay is "The eagle will fall"; it's a death cult, after the wars, plagues, & famine, the ultimate collapse of the USA is part of the plan.
Show threadstingrazMar 13
@HighlandLawyer @cstross
I get the feeling that apocalyptic Christian extremism is basically Christianity-as-a-cargo-cult. They have a story of Rapture and Reward that they do not (are not allowed to) understand the deeper meaning of, being literalists. That story tells them that their savior and his kingdom will return after some series of events. Ergo, if they make these events occur, Jesus will come back and give them their due. It can't be a prediction, it has to be an instruction manual.
Show threadSpiritual Annie ☮️Mar 14

@stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross

Being literalists, I like to hear them squirm when asked if the rapture is biblically correct and which verses they get it from.

Show threadCliff'sEsportCornerMar 14
@SpiritualAnnie @stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross Heh. What do they say? I am closer to Dawkins than literalists, but if I was roleplaying literalists I would probably say Revelations, so much tripping stuff there.
Show threadSpiritual Annie ☮️Mar 14

@CliffsEsport @stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross

Actually, it's Pauline in 1 Thessalonians 4: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord."

Personally, I've never cared for Paul.

Show threadBrian Moe
@SpiritualAnnie @CliffsEsport @stingraz @HighlandLawyer @cstross
I think if Paul were alive today, he'd be a televangelist with a couple of private jets
Mar 14 at 2:16pmWeb
Show threadCharlie StrossMar 14
@bdmoe @SpiritualAnnie @CliffsEsport @stingraz @HighlandLawyer Cueing up "He's got seven million dollars in his heavenly bank account" by Frank Zappa again ...