Malazan Empire: Cause - Viewing Profile - Malazan Empire

There was a time I loved the Malazan series and this forum has been part of my life for longer than it hasn’t been. I have to echo Abyss’s sentiment though that timing was key.

When I was a younger reader and everything was fresh, plot Hooks bit into my brain in a way I can no longer experience. Today I’d probably recognize the overly complicated hundred thousand year old backstory of Malazan and endless promises of new mysteries waiting for revelations as promised for a feast that will never come. 25 years ago I loved diving deeper into the lore and thought when everything came together my head would explode with how brilliant it all ways.

Kharkanas is untouchable. After waiting years for the Teblor trilogy I recently saw on shelves that it came out and passed me by without me noticing and can’t tell if I even want to try it. Today I can realize how Malazan coming from Erickson and Esselmonts DnD campaigns led to it being the mess that it is.

Sadly my enjoyment of fantasy in general these days is somewhat undermined by the fact that most series either never finish or finish below their promised expectations. Martin, Rothfuss, Lynch,

Looking back on the last 6 years or so I just feel like I have been walking against a headwind the entire time. Which is not to say I haven’t moved forward just that every thing has been harder than it should have been.

Some stuff is unique to me but a large chunk of it is stuff we have all been dealing with (Covid, Trump, economy, wars). The last 6 years or so looking back though just seem to suck.

Even my victories just feel like they are soured by the prevailing conditions.

Tsundoku, on 03 April 2026 - 06:46 AM, said:

She was chucked out like hot garbage. She is moving to an important private sector job that will be announced soon ie. when she finally finds one.

More concerning is that the chief of the Army was fired as well. They didn't even wait for easter weekend to try and bury it. Iran isnt even a ground war so what was the Head of the army saying that Hegseth felt he needed to be fired.

I worry america is going to start having whiplash as the presidency changes hands and we try to reverse every decision the last president made. The list of things that Trump has done that will need to be reversed in 1 year alone just keeps growing.

QuickTidal, on 02 April 2026 - 02:38 PM, said:

I think 90% of the time if not more this is the reaction is the very reason most people hold such beliefs for in the first place. Disengaging is the only victory you can achieve.

The IAEI doesn’t do what you think it does. Its oversight is voluntary, its safeguard program against nuclear proliferation is voluntary. Countries with nuclear weapons do not have there weapons inspected by the IAEI. Many countries allow some nuclear power plants to be inspected and refuse access to others which are tied to military programs.

Israel is not a signatory to the non proliferation treaty. It does already have some agreements with IAEI in place and does allow some IAEI inspection and even has some civilian research reactors under the safeguard program. However Dimona in keeping with the nuclear ambiguity policy is off limits.

The ambiguity policy is for a couple reasons aswell. It could be a giant bluff but the consensus is they really do have nukes and I personally couldn’t say. The ambiguity actually undermines deterrence but it gives flexibility, Israel doesn’t have to announce what its nuclear weapons policy is, and everything people say is pure conjecture. It allows the USA to not say anything about nuclear proliferation but perhaps the most important piece is it allows the Middle East countries to not have to say anything either. It prevents an arms race in the Middle East and allowed the other countries to not have to declare their own red lines. Saudia Arabia is on the record that an Iranian bomb will mean a Saudi Bomb but they didn’t feel the need to say it about Israel.

Israel has normalized relations with Jordan and Egypt. It hasn’t with Lebanon and Syria. It hasn’t officially with Saudia Arabia but clearly relations have thawed. Israel sees this as progress. Lebanon disbanding Heszbollah would be seen as a giant victory. It’s nuclear policy Is not to counter other nukes but as a threat to counter total defeat. It’s more secure now than ever but was surrounded by hostile powers on every side for decades. If you don’t believe it, believe that Israel does, that they can win every war and change nothing but they can never afford to lose.

Also, If Israel has Nukes they have them for 60-65 years. They don’t use them in 1967 and they didn’t use them in 1973. The won’t use them in Iran today. It would cause Jews around the world to be lynched in the street. It would create a military and political disaster and Israel is no were as close to as threatened as it was in 1973.