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[Starver]

[...] unprecedented numbers of Chinese bombers and fighter jets breaching Taiwanese airspace for over a week now,

Not quite right. It's the customarily self-declared 'warning zone' that extends out beyond the (already problematically) defined Taiwanese territory. Well out, over land that's undeniably 'Red' China. Still, the escalation of how much they now disregard the claims (of a state they deny even exists) is not trivial.

[LordBaal]

So, grandpa, why ww3 started?

Well, there was this magical kingdom were 99% of the tv remotes were done. Whoever controlled it could bend humanity to his will and force them to only watch a single tv channel.....

[MrRoboto75]

So, grandpa, why ww3 started?

Well, there was this magical kingdom were 99% of the tv remotes were done. Whoever controlled it could bend humanity to his will and force them to only watch a single tv channel.....

They fought another kingdom, one ruled by a mighty triumvirate of a mouse, a bald guy, and what could only be described as a lizard person.  In God they trust, the almighty 'dollar'.

[martinuzz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHBOp7AUkc0

[Lord Shonus]

More likely a dud torperdo or dud naval mine. The collision took place under water even, the sub wasn't on the surface.

Launching a torpedo is quite loud (despite experiments with "swim-out" systems, slugs of compressed air are still the near-universal method of throwing one out of the tube), and the Connecticut would have heard the shot and returned fire. This would pretty much inevitably result in bombers taking off and the entire Pacific Fleet charging toward the South China Sea at full speed. Launching a torpedo against a warship is an act of war unless it is in self-defense (which would mean the other guy is committing an act of war), and the PLAN leadership (to say nothing of the leadership in Beijing itself!) is not stupid enough to risk a war over one snooping special-operations sub.

A mine is equally unlikely. While naval mines remain legal, they don't last very long due to the incredibly hostile environment (which is a major reason why they're not included alongside land mines), making it an expensive proposition to maintain an unneeded minefield in peacetime. Having such a field also runs the risk of one deciding to arm itself and blast an oil tanker or foreign warship to kingdom come. Which is an excellent way to find yourself in a pickle ranging from an economic embargo to an all-up shooting war. Keeping the things around in time of peace is stupid.

Meanwhile, an undetected seamount or other geological feature would probably have done much more damage. The most likely explanation is that China bumped the US sub very carefully with another sub or minisub to send a message that the US can't prove wasn't an accident.

[Starver]

...or got caught up in some sort of squid game?

 

[LordBaal]

Perhaps some kind of drone? Im sticking it was a brick they threw from a boat. Or perhaps a big rock.

[Cyroth]

The most likely explanation is that China bumped the US sub very carefully with another sub or minisub to send a message that the US can't prove wasn't an accident.

With a stubmarine, so to speak.

[Starver]

As it's being discussed here (and I don't think I have a toe in any more regionally-aligned thread), President Xi has restated today that 'Reunification must be fulfilled', by whatever means necessary.

Also, Havana Syndrome is being reported in the Berlin embassy.

(Also, actually in the US, some guy with a hotel in DC has been having it making huge unanounced losses, possibly proped up by 'bookings' from abroad, is having to be forced to reveal paperwork on other issues, and is shouting about it being a conspiracy against him. But that's probably the least exciting thing going on right now

[martinuzz]

The US military is at risk of getting significantly smaller.

The US Airforce personell has until november 2nd to be fully vaccinated. 1 out of 5 aren't vaccinated yet.
The US marines have until november 28th to be fully vaccinated. Only 72 percent has taken the vaccin so far.
Of all reservists, only 40% has been vaccinated. They have until june 30th 2022 though.

Those who refuse vaccination are at risk of being dishonourably discharged. Exceptions are possible only on religious grounds, but only for those soldiers who have refused all other vaccines in the past as well.

In the past year, the US mobilized the largest number of military personell since WW2.
According to the Washington Post, it is worrisome that they are not fully deployable now for lack of vaccinations.


EDIT: what worries me as just as much as the reluctance to be vaccinated, is that so many troops were apparently mobilized the past year.  China must really worry the Pentagon.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/10/10/military-vaccine-mandate/

[Micro102]

Those who refuse vaccination are at risk of being dishonourably discharged. Exceptions are possible only on religious grounds, but only for those soldiers who have refused all other vaccines in the past as well.

That nuance alleviates a lot of the worried I had about that rule being abused.

[Max™]

I uh... fuck me, so after getting more needles stuck in them than your average pincushion--or a very clumsy, very horny hedgehog--does, now they've got a problem with it?

Every single antivax stance is dumbfuckery of the lowest caliber, but "I take exception to THIS shot after having a literal fuckton of shots before I finished bootcamp" is a whole new level of worthless cuntishness.

[LordBaal]

You are seeing it wrong. Those troops will now form the nurgle batallions, bringing measles, covid, swine flu and polio upon your enemies!

[martinuzz]

Heh. I wonder. Would deploying non-vaccinated troops, in these times of pandemic, count as biological warfare...

[delphonso]

More like cruelty to your own troops, as the rest of the world vaxxes up.