#Cold War era

[polyamorousmisanthrope]

Walking in Your Footsteps

I know a lot of us are having a hard time. Some of us are scared, with justificiation, about what we will be facing in the coming years.

I'd like to roll the clock back to the mid 1980s for a minute. I was a teenager and had become convinced, as did many people of my age, that we would die in a nuclear firestorm before we were thirty.

We had justification for this. Read the news from the time. Listen to speeches by politicians.

But more than that, listen to the music:

99 Luftballons

The Russians

Walking in Your Footsteps

Distant Early Warning

Christmas at Ground Zero

Hammer to Fall

Ronnie Talk to Russia

I Melt with You

That's just off the top of my head nearly 40 years later, but it was the background noise of my youth.

I didn't particularly believe I would have an adulthood. I lived between the US national capital, a state capital and well over a dozen military bases. I figured I'd probably die in a nuclear firestorm, so having a future? Feh. It was unlikely I would have one.

To this day, conceptualizing a future, working towards it, and actually believing in it is hard.

I could have had a degree paid for by Mom and Dad. Did I? Nope. There were lots of reasons, but I won't say that beliving in the back of my mind that a degree or a career was a pointless waste of my very limited time was part of it.

I was nearly 21 when the Berlin Wall came down. I had started thinking about Christmas shopping, and I was sitting in the local mall parking lot listening to the news on my radio rather stunned. I realized I didn't know how to have a future.

I'm still not good at it and I won't say I don't have my Denthor days.

Y'all?

Maybe we don't have a future, sure enough, but...

You gotta pretend. Grow a plant. Plan something for a year from now that will take some time to work on between now and then.

Maybe the future really is a lie, but...

You know how in Hogfather where Death talks about having to practice with the little lies like the Tooth Fairy and the Hogfather as a child, so that when you are a grownup, you can commit to the big ones -- Justice... Mercy.

HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?

[dronescapesvideos]

Two YF-12/Blackbirds in flight. Dryden Flight Research Center, 1975 ➤EXTREME AIRCRAFT VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/Extreme ➤HD IMAGE: https://dronescapes.video/YF12s

[stone-cold-groove]

New radar sky-watch to guard arctic frontier. Western Electric ad - 1952.

[nocternalrandomness]

Cold War adversaries from the north together at the 2015 Jersey Air Display

[dapper-suitor]

Did an art challenge on insta and thought I’d repost it here 🙏

[colleybri]

To the Peter Gabriel fan on the crew of The Americans… omg, let’s get married! Lay Your Hands on Me hits extra hard now. “Watched on by the distant eyes, watched on by the silent hidden spies”. And oh yes: “ there are no accidents round here”.

Chills.

[theworstofallpossibleworlds]

The lads protect their precious bodily fluids and fight in the War Room as they cover Stanley Kubrick's Cold War comedic masterwork: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

[shocktrooper262-blog]

August 9th 1989 Plateau d'Albion, some 6,700m above the base. Time: 12:00

Final checks were being made. The BMD crews sat and waited. Squad Leaders went over the plans in one final detail. Outside the IL-76s, MiG-31s covered the force as they finally snaked their way though the Alps. The 76th Guards Airborne Division had trained months for this operation, their pilots and their troops talents being worth it more here than any future invasion of Iceland.

French ICBMs were being prepared for launch, and this could not be allowed to happen while the Soviet Army was clearing out Germany for their final drive to the Dutch-Belgian Border. With the French army bloodied yet standing, the Dutch-German corps still standing and the US Air Force still fighting- this was the time for bold plans.

For the 152nd Infantry Division, this day was another routine exercise. EBR Armored Car drove around on recon missions and garrison duty. French Commandos walked about the perimeter and regular troops did their best to pass another boring day. However, one of the more peculiar things popped up on early warning radar. A single dot. Then another, and another- before long the blob was sighted and the base went to short alert- then full alert as the first IL-76s crested in.

Crotale SAMs fired, their systems being jammed but some missiles still hit targets.

Time now, 12:08- the countdown began.

"Green light, go go go go!" Shouted the jumpmaster, dragging the first paras out of the plane. Anti-air bursts met the first man as he fell assisted. BMD-2s and 3s followed on their rocket assisted parachutes.

A flash message was thrown to Paris, the Soviets were in France. ---------

The reply came quick, "what do you mean" which was answered as the Base Commandant informed his bosses back in Paris he had BMD-2s and -3s sniffing out his recon on a head long charge to the perimeter of his base. He wanted the launch codes, and they told him he would get them soon.

The first BMD-2s and -3s broke the outer fence. Time 12:13. Desants poured out as the French Commandos opened fire with rifles and rifle grenades.

Two BMDs blew up, three others continued the charge- infantry in step assaulting towards the base. The French Platoon Leader yelled to his men falling back into the outer doorway-

"Twenty minutes, twenty minutes is all the time we have to hold them back for."

The Soviets knew this too. He was getting into his command BTR as he checked his watch.

"12:18! Get fucking moving! Double time!"

It was 12:20 when the Soviets got to the door. 12:22 when the RPO blasted the French troops defending it. 12:25 when the second set of VDV Sappers had to be brought up and fight their way closer to the command room.

12:26, the codes were passed to the Commandant

12:27- when the blast doors opened

and as the twenty minutes homed in- the first S3 missile launched from the base, as the VDV broke into the command room.

It ascended rapidly, outpacing everything minus the screams over the radio about a successful launch of one missile.

It target was unknown, but it was likely somewhere in Central Germany. It may have ruined the conventional war- had the MiG-31 on CAP not spotted it and burned its engines out insuring the missile was damaged beyond proper detonation.

The Gunfight at the Albion Plateau likely ended World War Three. Everyone had understood the scale of what happened, and just how close it was to ending the planet.

The VDV unit was trapped but as an offer- still was a good chip for peace terms, and most of NATO could accept knowing they forced the Soviets to the table first. Just with more strength than hoped for.

[ophilosoraptoro]

That Time the CIA Faked a Vampire Attack to Take Over a Country

[machiavellianwaffles-blog]

Map of the Occcident [Paranoika]

This world building project, called the Paranoika, is an exercise in portraying the nuances of cold war geopolitics and storytelling under fictional contexts. Much of the worldbuilding done draws from the real world, including city and nation names, geography, and the general progress of history.

The Occident is a diverse and historically rich continent located entirely in the north-western hemisphere. |The Occident is home to over 1.5 billion people across 34 nations, some of which are the largest and wealthiest in the world. The continent has played a crucial role in shaping world history, from the birth of ancient civilizations in Vitrogny and Graad, the formation of the Sacrosanct religion, and the industrial revolution. These forces would propel Occidental civilization into becoming a dominant presence on the world stage. Influencing the world, first through an era of expansive colonialism, and now through the cold war of the contemporary age. 

The Occident today is locked into a period of geopolitical tension colloquially known as the Paranoika. fought between the secular, leftist nations of the Communauté and liberal democracies of the Solantic League. The roots of the Paranoika can be traced back to the diplomatic tensions preceding the Volhynian Deluge of 1328, a conflict that saw the sole surviving colonial empire in the Occident collapse into civil war. The signing of the Centennial Armistice Treaty in 1300 saw the formal end to over 20 years of revolution and war throughout the Occident. Leading to disagreements from the victorious nations as to the future of the Occident. In the immediate aftermath of the Volhynian Deluge, the debate for the future of the Occident became central as the former Volhynian empire was carved up. The first major confrontation came a year later, in 1229, when the Communauté attempted to restrict access to the Voz canal, the sole link between the Solantic Sea and the world at large. This marked a turning point, shifting the Paranoika from diplomatic tensions to the brink of armed conflict. By 1330, the Paranoika was firmly in place as the conflict spread around the world. Chiefly on the continent of Sintripoli, where communard and solantic aligned militants would struggle for dominance in the cocaine trade, sparking the first of many Magenta wars.

Elsewhere in the Occident, other powers would rise in spite of the Paranoika. In 1333, the nation of Hielkant would be partitioned after a war with Vitrogny turned disastrous. Hielaknt was divided between the communard backed Socialst Republic of Hielkant and the solantic aligned Hielian Democratic Union. The HDU would break away from solantic influence in 1339 under the direction of Dirigisme or statism, which emphasized state-run market economies. The HDU would prosper in spite of the numerous recessions of the 1340’s, culminating in the establishment of the Western Occidental Treaty Organization during the decade: which saw much of the Kanter and Walder speaking nations unify into a powerful military and economic bloc, contesting both communard and solantic power in the west. 

Years after the Volhynian Deluge, what remained of the Volhynian state stabilized under a federal democracy. Wary of future conflict, the new Volhynia would seek alliances from other surrounding nations directly in the path of solantic or communard expansion. This alliance would formalize in 1335 as the paradoxically named États Sans Alliés, or states without allies. The ESA today consists of three core members; the aforementioned Volhynina Republic, the autocratic Veszél, and the minarchist Veduvor. Numerous other nations around the world align with the ESA, with the alliance representing the interests of the global non-aligned movement.

[dronescapesvideos]

Convair YF-102-CO Delta Dagger Test Aircraft 52-7995, 1954. ➤VIDEO: https://youtu.be/AbapD8n3iZw

➤COLD WAR ERA VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/ColdWar

➤HD IMAGE: https://dronescapes.video/f102

[stone-cold-groove]

This film has been declassified.

[beefbloodcinnamonrolls]

Hidden Historical Ships!

Did you know a big reason the Cold War ever began was when Churchill insulted Stalin's and FDR's secret love child? Said child was kept hidden in a bunker in Siberia until escaping in 1964, going on to become this man right here:

You can tell who he got the eyebrows from!

The Soviet Union was all about revolutions, but mpreg was just too idealistic at the time...

The United States to this day has never paid child support...

[nocternalrandomness]

OV-1 Mohawk operated by Mohawk Technologies flying a demo at OSHKOSH

[lennylenski]

✨ Relive the moment that united a divided world and symbolized the triumph of freedom and unity! 🏛️✌️ 

[ashitakaxsan]

Utterly futile the thoughts, hopes for a romance Anya x Damian (Spy x Family)

Warnings:

a)It contains many Spoilers.

b) Never trust fully the Wiki articles about this or any fandom. Understanding the incidents, events, and motives behind any action requires seeing, and reading the series. Why? See below.

The fandom of Spy x Family is buzzing with excitement over the possibility of an Anya x Damian romance. I used to believe about a romance. It’s easy to see why: Two young kids from opposite worlds, with the weight of their families and expectations pressing down on them, working to navigate the uneasy waters of Eden College.

Is the whole setup for a classic romance realistic? Is it something Anya should even want?

How could've the WISE director assumed it so easy that any kid could become a buddy of this boy?

Damian Desmond: Arrogance Born of Privilege

From the moment Damian Desmond stepped into Eden College, he clearly feels like the center of the universe and demands the people be his humble acolytes. His father’s shadow looms large, shaping his every interaction and decision. Damian’s arrogance is not just a personal trait—it’s a survival mechanism in a world where his family’s name is everything.

Chapter 8:

His constant dismissal and disdain for many of his peers, especially Anya, highlight a deep-seated sense of superiority that stems from his upbringing. And he can

Anya is established as a weird contrast,the child of "commoners" in a big lake full of children of wealthy and prestigious .: Officially her father is a "psychiatrist at Berlint Hospital", and her mother a clerk at Berlint City Hall. She has to keep secret the true professions of both her father "Loid", aka secret agent of WISE Twilight, and of her surrogate mother Yor, aka "Thorn Princess", the best professional assassin in the whole of Ostania, employed by the Secret organization "Garden".

Spoilers follow. A need to understand how badly all started between them, on the orientation day at Eden College.

"What do your parents do? Depending on how important they are, I could let you be my friend." "Papa is a mind doctor".

"Hmpf, that's not special. I bet you're poor too."

And the situation kept going bad: Anya despite smiling around-confirmed she's higher than petty mentality- got her the intense anger of Damian and the high appreciation by Becky Blackblell. 'You're more mature than I thought. I see you in a new light".

Insult upon insult by him made her punch him. She could get expelled, but Housemaster Henderson loosened the demerit bending it to a Tonitrus. Her first ever.

Her eventual attempts to tear-filled apology to him have failed(:

Anya's attempts to befriend him, as usual, derive from the desire to boost her father’s mission, feels like a Sisyphean task *1—one she’s dutifully shouldered despite Damian’s either silent or obvious contempt.

"Shut up and give me the paper".

See below the Sisyphean task.

Chapter 37 of how he shuns the other kids, classmates

Rain of Tonitrus: A Case of Urgent Help, and Selfishness

Below Chapter 61: Her kind move of lending her handkerchief to Damian, saving him from a Tonitrus to ensure Plan B. But she didn't have a reserve, thus resulting in her second Tonitrus. Talk about self-sacrifice for a mission with a high priority: Saving the fragile peace between the West and the East. Watch how confident she is, having assumed she can make it nice and clean.

She saved him from a Tonitrus, by taking one she didn't deserve. Read him well, without the stupid notions "he has a crush on her"," he's a tsundere" etc. As we see his intense anger on Anya: What's not apparent isn't her move, but the selfish boy's discrimination about where he'll find a hand of help. His squinting, angry glare is one of his traits. "I can't tell you how it sickens me to be indebted to the likes of you", he says to her.

Anya’s everyday struggle to connect with Damian is both painful and telling. For her, working to win his friendship isn’t only about achieving her father’s goals—it’s about navigating the complex social hierarchies of a world so different from the one she had known. But let’s face it: Damian isn’t just a “tsundere” waiting to be melted by Anya’s kindness. His disdain is real, and it’s rooted in his belief that being a Desmond is an inherent privilege that sets him above others. Is it really fair to expect 5-year-old Anya to unlock the closed, stone-cold heart of an utterly Arrogant, Belligerent kid?

The Hijacked Buses Arc

I disagree with fans who call her "not smart". Due to the rough treatment, at the hands of the mysterious organization, she grew a resentment on studying. In a way that is yet to be revealed, these scientists could never even anticipate her actions, she made an effective plan and escaped from their facilities. It's an indication of her possessing a decent level of street smarts.

Even a great gift, such as mind reading, demands a degree of sharpness. The moment she read Vadim's mind about his decision to bomb the school bus when the SSS Commandos would storm it, she knew she had to buy time to save her classmates, and the commandos as well. Surprisingly ,against all odds, she managed to persuade the leader of the Red Circus to abandon their agenda and surrender to the authorities.

Thanks to her quick, profound thinking, everyone emerged from the crisis unscathed. So it seemed everything would come for her: Combined with his debt to her, her handkerchief, and the crisis solution: having achieved friendship(on good, solid foundations) with Damian and his trusted acolytes, Euen and Emil. So saving the peace.

But sadly, the good momentum lasted only a short time.

In chapter 88 "Elite Tea Cakes" observe him. He's about to puk because of a warm touch of hers.

Once he gave her the Elit Tea Cakes he reverted to his known selfishness, carnivorous mode.

The DEE trio quickly reverted to their usual arrogance, hostility, and insults, branding Anya as "stupid," a "poor kid who can’t find enough food to eat."3*

Below is Chapter 92: His open joy about her upcoming disastrous exam results:

BelowChapter 95:Where he viciously rejects her invitation to dance along , at the School's Gala:

Chapter 96.5Just study how much she's appalled by their cruel insults:

Below as translated: How cruel of Damian(:

Poor Anya, probably she was about to yell at them: "I saved your lives, during the Hijacked Buses Crisis, and now you trash call me?!"

In such moments is exposed just how deep Damian’s prejudices run. Unmovable.

"But why the Hijacked Buses Arc potentially could've helped out Anya's efforts?", you would ask me to know. Because they were in the grasp of the Red Circus. Their menacing guns reminded them that wealth, high social position, and prestige of families made them desirable assets for these gunmen. Being as much humble, without bragging, in this dire time was the one that could save them from any harm. And she put her quick, profound mentality to save them, without a scratch. Namely as the ancient narration of Damocles's Sword *2:

Below: The harsh reminder of the narration(Spy x Family chapter 72)

The Potential for Anya’s Freedom

What if the key to her freedom isn’t winning Damian’s favor, but uncovering the sinister plans of his father, Donovan Desmond?

Yes, in an unexpected twist that would be far more satisfying than a forced friendship, finding the crucial documents to decipher Donovan’s schemes would free her. She wouldn't be burdened anymore to navigate Damian’s disdainful world. Thus focused on her true mission: Protecting her family and maintaining the fragile peace between the East and West.

If I could say something to Damian, it would be this:

"If you think she’s stupid, just how would you have effectively talked to the leader of the Red Circus, Billy Squire, and solved the crisis?"

Anya’s actions during the hostage situation prove she has strength and wisdom far beyond what the trio DEE(an acronym for Damian, Emil, Euen) gives her credit for. Their inability to see that only underscores how blinded they are by their own privilege and arrogance.

The Self-deception of People Hyped for the Romance:

By the way, they claim:

a)"Damian is capable of self-sacrifice to the detriment of his interests. A rare exception is when he protects Anya from a ball in a dodgeball game, willingly getting himself eliminated. Though it did not help their class win the game, Anya recognized Damian's good nature". And b)"He showed bravery and selflessness when he tried to save Anya, demanding that the terrorists hang a bomb on him instead of her".

However, a cold examination of his so-called selflessness reveals something ugly:

a)In chapter 15, during the dodgeball his insights are quite clear:

" I don't have time to waste on shrimps like her. I got to get MVP in this game so I can score a star. I need to become an Imperial Scholar like my brother did. Otherwise, Dad won't pay any mind to me at all". That's the explanation of why he took the hit. The ambition to make it, on the other hand, if Anya would fail he could assert control over her or even seek validation from his peers and his father. By "saving" her in a public setting, Damian subtly reasserts his dominance over her—positioning himself as the protector and keeping Anya in a role where she is indebted to him. It’s not about kindness but about reinforcing a power dynamic.

Anya at this moment is tired, and disappointed about her failure to give a strong hit. So she needed a compassionate gesture, such how Becky came to give her. If say, he's supposedly kind why in the world does he angrily shout to her, in his carnivorous mode: "What the heck sort of crap throw was that? I sacrificed myself for nothing!" "You really are mean": Anya.

What is weird is how Becky has never questioned Anya, on why she persists in cozying to Damian despite all his constant insults.

b)"Another rare moment was in their classroom when a girl from their class was spreading a rude rumor about how Anya got her first Stella Star, Damian stood up for her, recognizing Anya's merit". Wrong. All he stood up for was the high status of the school he and his brother attend to.

c))"He showed bravery and selflessness when he tried to save Anya, demanding that the terrorists hang a bomb on him instead of her".Wrong again. His true, ulterior motives are his envy of her public stance, and living up to his family’s expectations. In his point, he was scared, So he asked for the bomb for the sake of saving face, "he's never intimidated by anyone-including a Red Circus extremist".

Conclusion: A Romance That Wasn’t Meant to Be?

As fans continue to root for an Anya x Damian romance, it’s important to consider the deeper implications of such a relationship. Damian’s arrogance, born from his father’s influence, makes him an awful match for Anya. Certainly rather than striving for his friendship, Anya’s true path lies in uncovering the documented dark secrets of the Desmond family—a tedious task with far-reaching consequences for both her family and the world.

Do you really think there's hope for Anya and Damian, or is their relationship doomed to remain adversarial? And what does Donovan’s philosophy say about the future of Ostania—and the potential for love and peace in this fractured world? Let’s discuss this in the comments!

*1: In Greek mythology, the story of Sisyphus is a well-known tale of eternal struggle. Sisyphus was condemned, for his crimes, by the gods to roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time he neared the summit. This endless cycle of futile effort has since given rise to the term “Sisyphean task,” Namely any pointless, fruitless, and unrewarding task that must be repeated repeatedly; an endless task. 

*2 The Tale of the Sword of Damocles. A harrowing reminder of the dangers of power and imminent destruction. Damocles’ sword refers to the Greek legend about King Dionysius I of Syracuse and his courtier, Damocles, a person we would refer to today as a brown-noser.

The King had grown weary of Damocles’ constant flattery. When Damocles referred to the king as “the happiest of men” Dionysius decided to teach him a lesson. He invited him to a banquet and ordered him to sit in the same place for the event. Over the chair was hung a sword held by a single hair. In this way, the king demonstrated to him just how precarious the position of a king, who, although he had access to many luxuries and pleasant distractions, always lived under the shadow of a horrid death. 4,5