Potshots against empty buildings are pretty easy too.

Did you ever see the main gun target gun flashes?

The MBT here was being used as assault artillery, battering buildings where fire was seen/heard from before.

While MBTs provide decent cover from small arms, they're death traps against RPGs from above or the side. So, during MOUT, they nudge forward amongst buildings under friendly control, take pot shots, then retreat back. The sort of thing that could be done on the cheap with a Carl Gustav.

Intimidation factor.

Yeah, it's probably easy to pres a button on a tank, sure. I was more weighing everything featured in this clip. People used to live there. I was trying to imagine the streets full of life in contrast to what's there now. Jesus Christ, my life is easy.

Beirut looked like this for decades, and is only 51 mi/83 km from Darayya. Social memory is short.

The regime (who sent this tank) created this situation by refusing democratic reforms or legitimacy. They, or at least their Alawite co-religionists, shall reap the whirlwind.

For a strategy-minded observer, the main interest is the 3-way clusterfuck: outnumbered regime vs. secular opposition vs. Jihadist opportunists. My government is supporting the guys shooting at this tank, but I suspect the Jihadists have the staying power. 7 figure death toll before its over.

I was just watching a show of interviews with old grandpas who drove Sherman tanks, and they covered this. A tank can't maneuver in a city, so to prevent some sonuvabutch popping out a doorway with an RPG, they fire into suspicious houses or storefronts as they advance down the street. This makes it a lot easier for following infantry to clear the buildings. It means the city is dead and the tanks don't give a shit about anything besides not getting killed.

Jesus Christ, my life is easy.

Your comment fills me with a great sadness, knowing that yes... kids would play this "game" if given the chance.