Marbles

The nonstop reporting in Western media over "justice and accountability" for the unfortunate victims is now bordering on hysterical. Where are these people when US "accidentally" drones hundreds in wedding receptions and hospitals, or when their buddies the Saudis "mistakenly" and regularly bomb school buses and public buildings?

On the contrary and although it may not look like it, I believe Trump has been doing a good job at dismantling the empire. It's slow and often times imperceptible, but it's there. No wonder that the status quo perceives his policies and actions as a direct threat to the working of the military industrial complex. He wants to make America great again. I'd let him do that if that means a less involved and more withdrawn US. It would be better for the US and obviously it'd be better for the entire world. Plus, despite his bluster and fist-pumping, the guy has not started a new war. And he's already in his last year in office.

I don't know. Those who'd like to err on the side of John Pilger might have some ideas. A rogue Iranian operator who got brain-fogged? A real US missile/drone that flew in undetected until it hit the craft? MEK sleeper cell coming to life out of nowhere? MOSSAD missile strike from the space?

Addressing the emboldened bit, I have been reflecting on what could have led to the downing of the passenger jet. At first the Western allegations seemed so absurd I simply laughed them off. But since Iran has admitted it, it now seems reasonable to ask questions even if it ruffles some feathers. I don't know what kind of military equipment Iran has but either it is absolutely useless or the people tasked to handle it don't know how it works. * For a US fighter to come all the way to Tehran to bomb military installations, it first has to enter Iranian airspace from hundreds of miles away. If Iranian military is not equipped to detect and deter foreign hostile jets until they reach Tehran, then this should henceforth keep Iranian leaders, military and public awake all night. * Besides other things, a basic radar tracks a jet's speed, altitude and name/signature. A brief real time analysis of either of these parameters would have discounted the possibility of this being a hostile jet coming in to bomb them. (It's altitude must have been rising and speed increasing. Plus, commercial jet's signature) * A jet that has just taken off from their biggest airport a few minutes ago couldn't possibly be mistaken for a foreign fighter jet without there being serious miscalculation and/or failure to analyse basic data. OR Here's a conspiracy theory which still has some takers: Someone else blew the jet and Iran is too embarrassed to admit the identity of the shooting party in the interests of national security/pride.

There might not be an equivalence of circumstances but there is an equivalence of action and outcome. In both cases the shooting party believed it was a hostile craft coming in to bomb them. In both cases unsuspecting passenger jets were blown into smithereens.

I wonder if now the Iranians would forgive the US for downing their passenger jet back in 1988...

Iran has come out looking stupid from the entire thing. 1) Lost a big shot general to naked US aggression in proverbial broad daylight. 2a) Retaliated by giving prior warning to avoid US casualties. Symbolic chest-beating. 2b) Apparently didn't kill any US/NATO soldiers. 3) Shot down a passenger airliner like bumbling idiots, which had just taken off from their biggest airport. Even FlightRadar knows a commercial flight's trajectory and provides live update. How could "advanced" Iranian military radar system have missed it is beyond comprehension. It seems like lack of professionalism and height of incompetence.

It wasn't 737 MAX. All MAXs are grounded since after the Ethiopian air crash. This aircraft was 737-800, the previous model which has no known problems at all. That's why it's called industry workhorse. Secondly, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that the aircraft veered off course and then it was shot down. What seems to have happened that the aircraft was hit but didn't blow up completely. The desperate pilots steered it back towards the airport but lost control and crashed. Iran will try to find excuses with the aircraft trajectory and flight to pin some of the blame on the pilots. But until and unless an independent investigation concludes we can't take anything they say for granted.

brother why don't we men stay at home? It would solve a lot of world's problems no...

Yes, he let himself be manipulated by the formerly Blairite centrist clique. This certainly played a role. How significant I can't say. But here's an interesting observation.

Everyone knew this election was a referendum on Brexit. Labour has itself to blame for the spectacular defeat in decades. You can't really be 'neutral' on the most important thing in decades and hope to win votes from an electorate exhausted from the parliamentary and media circus that has gone on for three years. Even the NHS didn't matter to the working class. The tragedy is that Corbyn was anti-EU for a long time. He only had to get his house in order and connect with traditional working class Labour voters who had also voted Brexit. Labour gave the away to the Tories on a platter.

That's possible. I didn't notice the language in the background anyway because none of that was part of the story or script.

The choice to put modern Hebrew in the mouths of historical Persian Jewry seems rather an act of convenience than one of historical accuracy. Same for Ibn Sina speaking the Queen's English... The film faithfully depicts the intellectual and religious cosmopolitanism in the heartlands of Islam at that time. Also notes that the enmity between religions was political in nature as Muslims had good community relations with Jews but not with Christians (due to crusades and preceding wars). So the bloke from England had to assume a Jewish identity in order to study at the madrassah in Isfahan as Christian students were not admitted. But the filmmakers couldn't resist the temptation to depict the more 'pious' Muslims who destroyed and pillaged their own lands and killed their coreligionists due to perceived deviance from Islam, thus projecting modern problems on history when things were entirely different.

Dad should be more worried about him being a Sunni than being a black. What a sad state of affairs. But you should proceed with caution. When we are in love, we tend not to see the problems that are otherwise visible to our family and friends. Even if you think family is wrong, you have to factor in social and sectarian variables for the good of yourself and the family before you make a decision. It's never easy so there is no simple way to go about it, but think carefully with a cool head and weigh the pros and cons. Most importantly, establish communication with your family so you all can discuss it and come to a consensus. If you fail to do that, there would be more pain and hurt down the line and it would also affect your future relationship with your better half as well. Best of luck.

Wait for six months and then update us if they still want to get married after six years.