Roman Values
This is why virtue signaling is dumb. “virtus, channeled by the other virtues, leads to admirable deeds” https://acoup.blog/2024/03/29/fireside-friday-march-29-2024-on-roman-values/
History
Artemis II Is Competency Porn and We Are Starving For It
More of this. “Christina Koch became the first woman to travel to the vicinity of the moon. The last time humans went to the moon, women could not have their own credit card” https://lizplank.substack.com/p/artemis-ii-is-competency-porn-and
The disinformation state
Same old story. The Economist (EU) Sat, Apr 11, 2026 “They promoted an old idea, common in monarchies throughout history, that injustice cannot be the good tsar’s fault: it must be his bad officials’. The story of one local administrator… Read More »The disinformation state
How to avoid world war three
People are dumb. Even those in power. “The Economist (EU) Sat, Apr 11, 2026 The Kaiser thought a short, sharp war would reshape the Balkans to Germany’s advantage and boost his own standing at home. He doubted that many other… Read More »How to avoid world war three
The AI Great Leap Forward
Central comitees rarely work. “In 1958, Mao ordered every village in China to produce steel. Farmers melted down their cooking pots in backyard furnaces and reported spectacular numbers. The steel was useless. The crops rotted. Thirty million people starved.In 2026,… Read More »The AI Great Leap Forward
The Formation We Admit To
It is all about stories. “The corporation does not wonder whether formation is possible. It has quarterly OKRs around it.” https://tantaman.com/2026-04-06-formation-we-admit-to.html
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IVc: Perseus
Flexibility matters. “That flexibility becomes decisive because of what I’d argue is a real Roman equipment advantage, which isn’t really a technological advantage, per se. The only new technology the Romans are using is mail armor, which, to be fair,… Read More »Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IVc: Perseus
Is One Book Enough?
Religious people are often contempt with one book. Whole religion lasted for thousands of years just talking about the one book. People even disagree or interpret the same part of the same book differently, but they all think that the… Read More »Is One Book Enough?
Is inequality bad?
It’s complicated.
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