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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/04/20 in all areas

  1. While Iran has not been a stabilizing factor (especially due to their ongoing coflict with Arab nations), there was an improvement in bilateral relationships and moderate forces seemed to have gained power. The issue with this particular attack is that it is represents a new escalation, which some already classified as an act of war. This is quite a different level than the tensions (which, btw. were increased by unilateral retreat of the US from the Iran deal). While I do not know enough to make any kind of analysis on the situation, the rather muted or even negative response of US allies, indicates to me that folks more knowledgeable see the move at minimum as problematic (to put it mildly). In other words, the US has created a situation where there is a likelihood that the conflict will turn hot. One could easily see that as an ongoing tit-for-tat between Iran and US, where the US has continuously escalated force. The big issue I see in this policy is that the State Department appears to be far weaker than in previous administrations leaving fewer paths open than perhaps under a different administration. Though to be fair, if one takes a look at Bush Jr., the result was ultimately a series of endless wars. In that light one could perhaps accuse the current administration may not have learned any lessons. What is possible is that the Trump administration believes that a sufficient show of force would force an Iranian retreat. Even if that happens, however, it would at minimum boost the hardliners within Iran. In the long-term further conflicts could therefore be more and not less likely. But of course that is pure speculation. What has already happened is that the US-Iraq relationship have (further) deteriorated.
    3 points
  2. I consider myself an external observer to this, since I am not a citizen of either the US nor Iran, and have little interest or emotional investment in politics. It is striking to me that no one mentions the ethical dimension of this. This person - regardless of what he may or may not have done - was a human being, and as such has the basic right to life, and to a fair trial, as we all do. How can it possibly be ethically acceptable that anyone - regardless of his rank or position - can order the blatant killing of another human being, just like that? What Trump has done is akin to me hiring a contract killer to get rid of someone I don’t like; if I did that, I would be brought before a judge, and locked away for life, quite regardless of who the deceased person was or what he/she has done. And quite rightly so. Why do these same standards of law, justice, and human rights not apply to the President of the US? Why do they not apply to other heads of states, who commit similar crimes against humanity? At the very least, this Iranian general would have been entitled to a fair trial before an impartial judge. What happened here was premeditated murder, plain and simple. If this act was illegal under US law, then Trump needs to be held accountable for his action to the full extent of the law, like any other citizen would; if it was legal under US law, then that means the US has deteriorated to a point were human rights count for nothing, and lives are expendable for political gain and leverage. If someone is in the way, just have him killed, no need to bother with fair trials. Just to be clear, this is not exclusive to the US, it applies to anyone who acts with impunity in the face of basic human rights. If politics have become more important than life, then humanity is in a bad state indeed.
    2 points
  3. All good points. Right now, my concern is that this will result in serious conflict and increased danger to Americans around the world and yet neither the congress nor our allies were involved. Trump did this unilaterally based on a law that gave powers to the president to respond to the 9/11 attack nearly 20 years ago. This type of assassination of a foreign leader... no matter how bad of a guy he was... should have gone through the proper channels and been agreed upon by the proper powers. Good riddance to this one guy, but there is a coming increase in proxy war actions from Iran and they will ramp it up in the months to come... and there’s no clear diplomatic solution to any of this. More lost blood and treasure in the Middle East. Yay. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
    2 points
  4. It’s up to congress. We haven’t made an official declaration of war since 1942. More recently it’s been an authorization to use military force. But killing a military member n a military action, and having military craft enter sovereign territory to carry out the attack are considered acts of war. The UN terminology is aggression, and includes “armed invasions or attacks, bombardments, blockades, armed violations of territory” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_3314#The_definition_of_aggression
    1 point
  5. Pi is transcendental, phi is algebraic. It is very hard to see a connection.
    1 point
  6. I have no love for authoritarians and won't grieve at their passing. That is why I don't feel comfortable with the President unilaterally ordering assainations
    1 point
  7. What am I doing incorrectly? Am I missing a step? OK I fixed it mass = 27.8 g CaCI2 Number of CaCI2 in the compound = (unknown) Number of CI- ions in the compound = (unknown) Number of moles = mass/molar mass To find the number of moles of CaCI2 first you find the molar mass of the compound. 1 mole Ca x 40.08 g Ca/1 mole Ca = 40.08 g 1 mole CI x 35.45 g CI/1 mole CI = 35.45 g 1 mole CI x 35.45 g CI/1 mole CI = 35.45 g molar mass = (40.08 g + 35.45 g + 35.45 g) = 110.98 g/mol CaCI2 27.8 g CaCI2 x 1 mol CaCI2/110.98 g CaCI2 = 0.250 mol CaCI2 0.250 mol CaCI2 x 6.02 x 10^23 formula units = 1.505 x 10^23 formula units CaCI2 1.505 x 10^23 x 2 CI- ions = 3.01 x 10^23 CI- ions
    1 point
  8. The XENON1T detector has allowed scientists to observe an ultra-rare event: the radioactive decay of xenon-124. https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/dark-matter-scientists-observe-the-rarest-event-ever-recorded/?utm_source=quora&utm_medium=referral
    1 point
  9. How much acceleration can our solar system handle? If it means losing Pluto...I'm out...Pluto's already been humiliated enough #SavePlutoToo
    1 point
  10. I had been thinking that maybe it could be due to the Holographic Universe. From the frame of reference of a black hole at the center of the galaxy, everything in all of time would be frozen information on the surface of that black hole. If the world-line of that galaxy was disrupted somehow in a timelike direction, then it could create a mirror galaxy which has a new set of information describing that event at the surface of the black hole in that newly formed galaxy. Then the act of observation of the black hole in the center of the galaxy itself, sort of locks in a fate for any particular galaxy. A new fate would require another galaxy. Then it would be like a galaxies could branch off of other galaxies, and they would be connected to each other at the center of the black hole through a wormhole, similar to how wormholes were originally derived to be able to exist like as an Einstein-Rosen bridge. Then dark matter could just be the result of gravity leaking in a higher dimension between these two galaxies, because they would practically be sitting right next to each other in a higher dimension. It would result in a gravitational disruption between both galaxies, pulling everything in them in a tighter orbit in the center. Since it was kicked off the other galaxy in a higher dimension, it could then translate to the galaxies expanding away from each other in normal space, hence dark energy. Theoretically, one could construct a major event like building the Pyramids based on the alignment of other galaxies, changing the fate of the inhabitants of the world. Then new galaxies could arise based on how peoples new fates formed, and astrological predictions could be made based on those actions. Then people could have horoscopes based on the alignment of those galaxies with accurate predictions when compared to the fates of older generations in how they changed from this type of event, like building the Pyramids, took place.
    -1 points
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