leicsmac

Perhaps so. Apparently the dew shouldn't be a factor in this case (or at least less of one) which takes one of the edges off chasing, but I guess we're about to find out.

Win toss and bowl. Not sure about the wisdom of that decision given batting first would give more opportunities to apply pressure in front of an expectant home crowd, but we'll see. Also no Rehan after the performance he put in last time?

Tbf I can see the appeal

Yep, and then it comes down to the choice between 1984 and Mad Max followed by extinction. Personally, as bad as it may be, I'd go with the former, because at least with that there's a chance of some kind of future at all. But yes, let's hope it isn't a binary choice, because that would be a truly horrific choice to make.

Appreciate the compliment there. However, in my view my viewpoints here are incredibly pragmatic - because they are the difference between our species surviving for any length of time and it dying in the mud in the final war over the last remaining reserves of food and potable water. But then I guess that comes down to whether a person considers survival a pragmatic objective or not. People view that differently, too.

Yes, viewpoints rather have to be based on actual action to be certain, otherwise they're not certain at all. The whole idea of there being "black and white" parties in this whole mess (and other messes in the recent past and present) is the very idea that I'm looking to disabuse people of, because it's responsible for so many problems. The moment you see another people, another demographic, as "lesser", no matter which group you being to yourself, is the moment you give yourself free reign to do what you want to them. And that, most of the time, makes you a pretty terrible human being. And yes, of course the US shouldn't have attacked Iran, because firstly such interventions are historically proven to not work in their supposed objectives, and secondly because as they know that, the US intervention is based totally on self-interest and that of the Israelis.

And when such a place is clearly shown to show that lack of regard for life clearly and repeatedly in the sphere of military operations against a variety of opposition, as opposed to keeping the brutalising in-house, then I'll share that as more than a working hypothesis. Until then, it is simply just that working hypothesis, and appears to be based on the exact dehumanising point of view that the Iranian leadership has shown to its own citizens in recent times.

Unfortunately I think she's having to figure (or needs to) that while flow state and the stars aligning will win you one big trophy, it usually won't win you any more than that. Technical application and graft does.

I disagree, and I think this viewpoint comes from a dehumanising viewpoint of the "opposition" as mindless killers rather than human beings looking to fulfil their own objectives, rather than one that has any hard evidence. Unless there's such evidence of them repeatedly and knowingly flouting the "rules of war" ready to be presented?

I'm not 100% clued up on military policy, but I'm pretty sure naval rules of engagement, even unwritten ones, exist for a reason, and even the grossest regimes have mostly stuck to them, if only for the reason that if they don't, the side fighting then would have no reason to either. NB. Moot point, but if there was a war with China then this kind of thing would be the last thing that needed discussion anyway, given such a war would escalate catastrophically for all parties involved.

Absolutely agree. However, personally I don't think it's surprising. Their Might Makes Right viewpoint also includes that winners never commit war crimes. Edit: It also includes not viewing other human beings as human, which, funnily enough, is one of the exact things they accuse those they fight of.

Unfortunately, there's still good money in shilling for sociopaths. You'd think the ex-PM pension would be enough for her to be alright with.

Quite. @Jon the Hat, mate, I see the point being made here but is the attitude of the current US administration towards any human (or other) life, except their own, not obvious yet?

There are so, so many works of fiction explaining in horrendous detail about why this is a bad idea.

The fastest between full member nations, there have been ones between minor nations that have been faster.

Honestly, knowing that SA will choke in the knockout stages of cricket tournaments is pattern recognition, not any kind of smarts.

Yeah, about that...

Very good recovery from SA, quite possibly enough to defend here.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/879835/british-perceptions-on-donald-trump/ Not great.

This one about to begin. Should be interesting!

And that's one of the saddest parts. Of course - they appear to be incredibly skilled at what they do. It's just a shame as to what that is and the necessity (or not) of it.

It's incredibly sad that Iranians have had to choose between one kind of awful oppression and another kind for over a century, really.

A nice society backed up by the SAVAK. A cursory Google shows that agency was... interesting. Edit: there's a lot to trace back regarding Iran over the last century or more, and there's a lot of it that wasn't good.

And especially when it's reasonably clear that the two parties involved on the one side of this bugaboo are interested far more in power and gain for themselves than any positive outcome for the Iranian people, regardless of what soundbites they might come up with.