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This Happened

This Happened — August 2: Iraq Invades Kuwait

Iraq invaded Kuwait on this day in 1990. This surprise invasion marked the beginning of a major international conflict and set the stage for the Gulf War.

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What were the reasons behind Iraq's invasion of Kuwait?

One key factor was Iraq's desire to control Kuwait's vast oil reserves, as Iraq was struggling with significant debt from the Iran-Iraq War. Additionally, territorial disputes, economic grievances, and claims of Kuwaiti overproduction of oil were cited by Iraq as reasons for the invasion.

What were the major events of the Gulf War?

Significant events included the massive aerial bombardment of Iraq, the liberation of Kuwait by coalition ground forces, the use of advanced military technology, and the involvement of multiple nations within the coalition forces. The war resulted in a decisive victory for the coalition and a ceasefire agreement.

What were the consequences of the Gulf War?

Kuwait was liberated, and Iraq was forced to accept UN resolutions, which included the dismantling of its weapons of mass destruction programs and the establishment of no-fly zones. However, Iraq's economy was severely damaged, and the war had a lasting impact on the region. The aftermath of the conflict also laid the groundwork for subsequent conflicts and tensions in the Middle East.

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Ideas

Look At This Crap! The "Enshittification" Theory Of Why The Internet Is Broken

The term was coined by journalist Cory Doctorow to explain the fatal drift of major Internet platforms: if they were ever useful and user-friendly, they will inevitably end up being odious.

A photo of hands holding onto a smartphone

A person holding their smartphone

Gilles Lambert/ZUMA
Manuel Ligero

-Analysis-

The universe tends toward chaos. Ultimately, everything degenerates. These immutable laws are even more true of the Internet.

In the case of media platforms, everything you once thought was a good service will, sooner or later, disgust you. This trend has been given a name: enshittification. The term was coined by Canadian blogger and journalist Cory Doctorow to explain the inevitable drift of technological giants toward... well.

The explanation is in line with the most basic tenets of Marxism. All digital companies have investors (essentially the bourgeoisie, people who don't perform any work and take the lion's share of the profits), and these investors want to see the percentage of their gains grow year after year. This pushes companies to make decisions that affect the service they provide to their customers. Although they don't do it unwillingly, quite the opposite.

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Annoying customers is just another part of the business plan. Look at Netflix, for example. The streaming giant has long been riddling how to monetize shared Netflix accounts. Option 1: adding a premium option to its regular price. Next, it asked for verification through text messages. After that, it considered raising the total subscription price. It also mulled adding advertising to the mix, and so on. These endless maneuvers irritated its audience, even as the company has been unable to decide which way it wants to go. So, slowly but surely, we see it drifting toward enshittification.

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