The bit that gets me is defining degree as n-1. For someone without a mathematical background, it takes a bit of pondering to figure out that you have to define n as one more than the actual degree, the opposite of what seems natrual. My mind at least just wants to think about n as the degree, and use n+1 as the last index. To me it seems aggressively unintuitive.

I guess you want to align the coefficient numbers but would it be a sin to define another index c = n-1 for that purpose?

But I'm a mathematical lightweight and maybe mathematical thinking is all about this. Perhaps some greater talent can correct my thinking.

They should be mocked and called out, it might leave room for actual innovators who aren't glossy incompetents and bullshitters.

[] https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Labels-as-Values.html

That Greece accepted the terms reflected the reality that the alternative was much worse and would have caused great suffering for Greeks.

The low cost carriers business model is to fly new routes (to secondary airports if required) at low prices, often creating new demand (Breeze is a classic example of this).

The math is very straight forward if you consider what each group is doing in the market.

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/most-profitable-airlines

I think there are lots of airlines that are propped up by governments that lose money leading to the meme you're quoting. Many industries were affected by the events you quoted, those sorts of things aren't specific to airlines.

Average fares are skewed by low cost carriers entering the market.

Fixing corruption involves people refusing to put up with corruption.

You're assuming you'd get something truthful or informative out of that process, when in reality you'll get the opposite due to the inherit (dis)incentives.

That's avoidable. If you are a citizen of an advanced economy flying to another you can just use the automatic passport gates.

Yes, due to improved technology and equipment and because prices have been historically very high.

> most airlines operating at a razor margin

No, many airlines operate in imperfect markets and reap excessive profits compared to other airlines.

I don't know where you live but in the US this is patently not true.

Airlines are an abusive oligopoly there, with landing slots and the like cementing control of certain markets for certain airlines.

Ticket prices are much higher than they used to be and are much higher than Europe (for instance).

My friend has had her phone for 7 years and she's being pushed off it because apps are refusing to run on it now. No other reason than that.

And why are people so willing to believe that military force works? It mostly achieves nothing and leads to more violence.

It didn't work in Afghanistan, Iraq or Ukraine, but it will in Iran?

Well Israel's security forces were out to lunch on that score, given how Hamas literately walked all over them, so I can see how you might think that.

But don't let me get in your way while you try to divert attention away from Trump's current recklessness.

Any other president would be infuriated with Bibi's actions, because they would know he's cornering the US. But he knew Trump was a pushover.

- massive instability in the ME. Just a few men with shoulder fired missiles can disrupt oil shipments from the biggest oil producers

- the high chance of being sucked into a forever war. Iran can cause a lot of problems with limited resources and can rebuild. They have no reason to give up and the US might have to continue bombing indefinitely, or launch a ground invasion.

- the increased chance of nuclear war in the ME. This action assumes that Iran has no backup facilities, or will never have, to continue building a bomb. Having already suffered the consequences, Iran has no reason not to seek a bomb.