mtw

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

Helping a toddler is a lot like foreign military intervention.

They don’t want your help, they are smarter than you think and probably have a better way to do things than what you’re suggesting, and your help only slows them down.

But we feel better about ourselves afterward

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@x4rius @SoarAtlas Entrance from the west, but US forces will come from the east. The islands are important, but will be taken after Qeshm, Hormuz, Larak, and Hengum, IF the US decides to occupy Iranian territory.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@ProfPaulPoast If these documents “don’t matter,” where exactly does the country outline its strategic priorities?

Do you think moving from crisis to crisis to achieve the least bad outcome is the optimal way to conduct foreign policy?

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@jimmygards Defining success, yes. Disagree on the timeline part though.

The first Persian Gulf War is a great example of how the Executive Branch defined the end state and let the military go do it: Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. No more, no less.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@jamesnixey @ChathamHouse @CHRussiaEurasia If you’re looking at Germany and Japan as examples following WWII, their success is more due to investment in infrastructure and institutions.

De-baathification and the Treaty of Versailles? Do you think the Russian people and nation would respond well to this approach?

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@jimmygards Least favorite?

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@benedictevans @damindu He didn’t say unfair. He said it doesn’t make sense. And he’s right, it’s a stupid comparison that’s not useful to understand anything.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@DavidSacks There are aspects from both WWs (and other conflicts) that are useful in describing, comparing, and predicting what’s next in Ukraine. But neither WWI or WWII should be used in their entireties. It’s a unique situation.

Overconfidence and extreme statements are also tells.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@DavidSacks Please stop

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

4/
That system would probably be more of a democracy than we have now (vs. Republic), and couldn’t possibly achieve worse outcomes.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

Elections shouldn’t exist for voters to vote for people/parties. Voters should vote for outcomes: a ballot question for each policy area covered by the federal gov’t. Each would have 3 options. One for the status quo, one a step left, and one a step right of current policy.

1/4

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

3/

The country would make progress in either direction on every issue based on a majority of wants. Single issue voters can vote for their single issue. If you don’t care about an issue, don’t vote on it. Once an issue gets “bad enough” you’re incentivized to vote to change it.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

Student loans aren’t the problem. It’s the cost of education. Why is this so hard to understand?

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@jimsciutto Wrong question.

You should be asking WHY does anyone need to go there (not will they)? The answer has more to do with their own domestic politics than providing any actual support to Ukraine.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

Even Russia is piling into sanctions against Russia

[Reuters @Reuters]

Russia suspends exports of tech, telecoms, medical, auto, agricultural equipment until end-2022 https://t.co/jx22jKFcuh

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@RonFilipkowski Where does he keep all his microphones?

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@skubly @MikeLindblom @MNowlin @seattletimes China would’ve had this built in less time than it took for you to type that tweet.

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@BoredElonMusk Maybe you believe the ones who are good at graphic design …. and so they aren’t seen as conspiracy theorists …

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@markallanbovair You mean like traffic lights, stop signs, seatbelts, and speed limits?

[mtw @MattWartenbe]

@balajis You don’t know how wrong you are in so many ways in one thread. It’s not even worth the time to point them all out because you are so convinced you understand all of this.