The excuse now is that banning apps doesn't immediately change things on the ground in Ladakh. And that the response isn't "massive" and "unbearable" for China. As if the Chinese incursion is "massive" and "unbearable" for India. 🤷🏻♂️
Restricting Chinese digital companies from operating in one of their largest markets is not “effective”. But removing embassy security barriers is. Shows how much we’ve come to value symbolism over substance.
In my Expert™ opinion, these are weak responses to the Ladakh incursions:
- Take economic measures against China.
- Shore up defences along border.
- Buy time to build strength and reinforce forward areas.
- Refuse to get into a pointless war of words.
On the other hand, these are strong responses to the Ladakh incursions:
- Issue a strong statement naming China.
- Issue a strong demarche.
- Issue a strongly worded parliamentary resolution.
- Expel someone from the Chinese embassy.
- Burn an effigy of the Wuhan summit.
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Thread on "Human Error" or "Pilot Error". These are widely misunderstood terms, and that lack of understanding is being used to float unhinged conspiracy theories. 🧵
People often see "human error" as an indictment of the pilot, an accusation that he or she made a mistake that could have been avoided. That is not so. It’s more about the limits of human interaction with fast-moving machines in high-pressure situations.
The human body has a natural sense of balance which ensures that people doing everyday activities don’t fall over. That sense hasn’t evolved to deal with high-speed flight in difficult conditions (say dense fog that blanks out all visual references). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_of_…
Patio furniture procured from Home Depot demonstrates how dependent the two countries are on the US for critical needs despite their professed independence.
Putin has his hands clasped tightly, while Modi's has cupped his palms together, demonstrating Russia's unwillingness/inability to provide what India wants despite Indian requests.
In short, the Russians treat indirect fires as the primary element, with maneuver forces only helping artillery get into position and seizing an objective after it has been devastated.
So the artillery footprint is very large, and the firepower is incredible, although imprecise.
Practically every great power has developed their own unique doctrines for war, and their equipment designs have flowed from that. Strange that a son-of-the-soil type gets it, but our intelligent, highly educated scholars don’t.
Assault Breaker is a prime example, but history is littered with several examples.
Maybe that right there is the bane of India. It has been run by too many Srinath Raghavans for too long 😶
The authors state that in confronting China, "The last option would, obviously, be to maintain the status quo — with 50,000-60,000 troops deployed at high altitudes..."
I want to argue that forcing a standoff along the land border should be India's *first* option, as this is where India's strengths lie.