The Fora: A Higher Education Community

 

QuoteI can't think of any example where a superior military power was actually able to dislodge a rag tag militia that can hide among the populace, take a few pot shots, and disappear back into the crowd.

It is forgotten that the French military won the Battle of Algiers and, indeed, controlled Algeria. Algeria gained independence because of support from outside. This was called "the internationalization of the conflict". This strategy has been imitated by the PLO, and now Hamas. Placing armed fighters among the civilian population is intended to cause lots of civilian casualties, which are then thought to stimulate outside support.

I don't think it will be successful because the Battle for Gaza is being fought by a neighboring, independent country with an existential interest in complete victory, something that metropolitan France never had -- French soil was not seriously threatened by the NLF.

Less dramatic historical memory surrounds the Malayan Emergency [1948 - 1960] because the British defeated the insurgents.

Afternoon!

Pangram and above genius. Missed numbat, tantalum, and a couple more words. Surprised to note that ablaut wasn't accepted, even though umlaut was.

dustbowls/snivel

Happy solving!

You mean...stuff actually happens in the first 10 minutes of class each day?  Who knew?

We've had staff members who were the same way about the first 10 minutes of the work day.  Or at least they tried to be that way....

Quote from: kaysixteen on April 23, 2024, 08:12:05 PMAnyone see 'Civil War' yet?   Worth seeing?

The Captain America one?  Yes, it is excellent.

I got an email from a student complaining that "you said I missed class, but I've only missed one.   YOU'VE canceled 3!" 1 cancelled, 1 moved online, 1 snow day.

When I explained that being late 12-15 minutes every week is the equivalent of missing 2-3 days worth of lecture, she was confused.  "What do  we do in the first 10 minutes of class, anyway?"

All that stuff you didn't know about.....

I'm now dealing with what I think are "favorite, why didn't you email me?" emails. 
Stu was absent from lab two weeks ago.  No email to me or their TA.  Now they are "alarmed" to see the 0s in the grade book. 
"But I was sick!"
I'm sorry they were sick, but I'm not psychic.
And yes, there are instructions in the syllabus, class website, & my "welcome to class" email saying what to do if you are sick & miss class.  I only start tracking folks down if they miss an exam or 2 weeks in a row.

Good morning!

Finally straggled to genius with the pangram, but it was tough today.  Yesterday we almost had team QB but were missing tantulum, numbat, and some other word I forget at the moment.

I also had the schmofficial vestibule-endow.  I agree, ciao_yall, LB has been tricky!

Happy solving!

Good morning!

QBwSBB help to find alumna, numbat, and my last word, tantalum, which required not only the SBB hint, but a search for an alphabetical list of elements. Sheesh. Today I'm struggling with the last three words; I got the pangram early on, though.

LB: vestibule-endow, which was the "official" solution. I have a 2fer today also.

Happy puzzling!

Some T1, some refereeing.

Iran seems to be considering Hamas as "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and supplying them with weaponry, but other than that, is there any material assistance coming into Gaza from the Arab world?  If there are huge protests in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon or elsewhere about what is happening to their co-religionists I have not seen any mention of it.  It's not as if Egypt opened the Rafah crossing to let in any refugees.

It seems as if the protests are coming only from milk fed, middle class American college students at Ivy League schools brought up on a diet high in content about power, colonialism, and privilege.

My take on the whole situation is two-fold.

Hamas made a horrific miscalculation.  I think they figured that if they could provoke Israel into an all out shooting war, the Arab nations would come to their aid militarily.  That does not appear to have happened other than maybe some food aid air drops.

Second, Netanyahu completely buggered up the response to October 7.  I can't think of any example where a superior military power was actually able to dislodge a rag tag militia that can hide among the populace, take a few pot shots, and disappear back into the crowd.  Destroying Hamas was a fool's dream.  And now he has a tiger by the tail and is either too stupid or too afraid to let go.  Alternatively, he has the taste of blood in his mouth and has decided he likes it.

There are no good guys in this debacle.