Neat little story by Dan Simmons

[KrazyHorse]

Yeah, that horse**** about a nuclear response that doesn't glass the entire Middle East is funny.

I don't know how moderated the response would be if a couple of nukes went off in US cities. Sovereign nations would cease to exist...

[Dr Strangelove]

OK, looking back at history what happened is that the Athenians lost their best general before the invasion due to suspicion and mistrust. His successor landed on Sicily but failed besiege Syracuse that year because of his overconfidence. The Spartans sent reiniforcements, rallied the other city states against the Athenians, then besieged the Athenians and eventually defeated them, largely because superstition and a lunar eclipse prevented them from escaping. While this was happening the Spartan forces in Greece besieged Athens. Despite these setbacks Athens survived for another 11 years before surrendering. The deciding factor was the Spartans leader's aptitude for diplomacy. He eventually talked most of Athen's allies into supporting him and even brought in the Persians. He also was as adept at sea as he was on land, he lured the Athenian fleet into a trap that resulte in its near obliteration.

The morals of the Peloponessian war are: (1) Superstition and war don't mix, (2)Sloth is not a martial virtue, (3)Try to not piss everybody off, (4) Democracy + idiocy = idiocy.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What a loon... I echo Sandman. I was about to buy Iilum to see if it was any good. Forget that now.

[Gatekeeper]

Heh. It's true that Simmons' little tale is, shall we put it, somewhat implausible. Due in no small part to the fact that, yes, a good chunk of the Middle East would be slagged glass before any would-be Islamic Caliphate could form, let alone become aggressive outside the Middle East.

At most, you'd see Israel and Iran wiping each other off the map.

Gatekeeper

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Sandman
So, to be successful, you must be ruthless.

If only the US would burn every Sunni insurgent town to ash, we wouldn't be in this mess. Damn meddling politicians

[Daz]

The same story could be told by a muslim, with roles slightly changed...

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Daz
The same story could be told by a muslim, with roles slightly changed...

Actually the same story could be told by a muslim as historical fiction 'cause it already happened.

You know what the story reminds me of? Robert Heinlein's Farnham's Freehold, in which the hero's family survive a nuclear strike only to find that they've been blown into a future where blacks hold whites as slaves.

[monolith94]

Originally posted by jdd2007


I don't know. Maybe he's playing devil's advocate.

I was referring to the style of his writing, not whether or not he actually believed it or not. But I can see how that would be confusing.

Also, is my post up there a victim of otbot? What is otbot?