The threat of Iran
An interesting set of thoughts on the real threat of Iran.
Recently, someone in a comment (I've misplaced the actual link) questioned just how much of a military threat Iran can be to the United States. The question was intended to be rhetorical -- the short answer is "not much" -- but it brought up some things I've been thinking about for some time.
I tend to collect aphorisms and observations and notions, keeping the ones that I find worthy and applicable to the world at large. A don't have a definitive list of them written down or typed up anywhere, but they tend to bubble up as needed. And several come to mind that help capture the complexities of an open military confrontation between the US and Iran.
The first I stole from this book. It's a satire about Vermont seceding from the Union. Their strategy for resistance is something they call "The Polecat Principle" -- summed up as "we're more trouble than we are worth." It boils down to "yeah, we're a pain in your butt, but we'd be an even bigger pain if you try to stop us, so you'd be better off leaving us alone."
RTWT.