[sco1]

> Whatever your opinions on the war itself, this has been a fascinating exercise in how a small regional power has militarily defeated the global hegemon relatively cheaply (ie with a military budgets 1% of the size).

It's honestly perplexing how major powers seem incapable of learning from history. Short of nukes, bombing a country into submission has never worked. Even now the Ukraine War is here just staring everyone in the face and yet the same mistakes are being made all over again?

Iran has been preparing for this for decades, and has apparently been paying attention to everything going on in the region. What has everyone else been doing? Is it just arrogance?

[macartain]

"It's honestly perplexing how major powers seem incapable of learning from history."

I think you mean it is perplexing how the leaders of certain major powers seem incapable of learning from history. It seems clear the relevant advice has been available. And yes, I also suspect arrogance but the list of problematic personality traits that apply to the current situation have been exhaustively detailed all over the place...