Flip the Script
How China needs to rethink its Taiwan strategy because of Iran. Newsweek International Fri, Apr 10, 2026 https://pressreader.com/article/281496462829335
Articles
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IVa: Philip V
Logistics wins wars. “It is striking that while Philip V is never really fighting the Romans in this war more than 80 or so miles (as the bird flies) from the Macedonian heartland, the Romans, operating more than 500 miles… Read More »Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IVa: Philip V
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IIIb: Pyrrhus
Why don’t we? “Just to give a fun sense of how wild these years were, in brief what happens is: Pyrrhus gets hard shut out by Lysimachus’ much larger army in 286, retreating back to Epirus with his tail between… Read More »Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IIIb: Pyrrhus
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IIb: Handfuls of Maniples
It is important to delegate and build capable leaders to.have a large state or an organization. “Eleven independent commands. And that wasn’t an abnormal year! And then all of these experienced commanders head back to the Senate, where they’re available in… Read More »Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IIb: Handfuls of Maniples
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IIa: How a Legion Fights
How Romans fought. “An enemy that has broken formation to pursue the velites which then slams face-first into the hastati while tired and out of formation is going to have a very bad time” https://acoup.blog/2024/02/09/collections-phalanxs-twilight-legions-triumph-part-iia-how-a-legion-fights/
How the spreadsheet reshaped America
Coordination and decision making is hard. “in the premodern world—when processing information and coordinating action were both extraordinarily expensive, because communication was slow and coordination outside of relatively small kinship groups was difficult—firms tended to be local concerns, centered either… Read More »How the spreadsheet reshaped America
Typewriters: the anti-ai tool
Make people write, it will force them to think. The Boston Globe Wed, Apr 1, 2026 Typewriters: the anti-ai tool https://pressreader.com/article/281612426948366
Slash AI
Empty claims do not build trust. “If I were to write on this /ai page that I don’t let these tools touch anything I post on this blog, would you trust me? Would that change the perception you have of… Read More »Slash AI
Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator II, Part II
Gladiators weren’t the NFL of Rome. “I think that’s part of the underlying fundamental problem with this film: it needs Rome to be about gladiators and thus for the Colosseum to be the symbol of Rome and the utmost expression… Read More »Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator II, Part II
Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator II, Part I
We tend to forget that history is long. “It makes about as much sense for Rome to be invading ‘Numidia’ (which, again, the film treats as a town and not a large region) in 200 A.D. as for a film… Read More »Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator II, Part I