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Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

bbc.com

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Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#311

Post by quietsignal »

spwa4 wrote: post #248
jonplackett wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Saudi Arabia who they’re fighting against by proxy, and who we sell lots of bombs to, and are soon going to help get nuclear technology, not so great either. https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/saudi-arab...

Just so it's clear that you're trying to cause confusion: these are light water reactors that cannot in any way shape or form be used to make bombs. Slightly harder to design and build. Much cheaper to run. Excellent for power. Bad for bombs. And, yes, just to get ahead of your next question: the US (and Europe and Russia and China) have offered to help Iran create these. Explaining it to them. Send people and engine…

On that second note what about the plant in Bushehr?

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#312

Post by riffraff »

Byvrsakjo10 wrote: post #179

The Houthi's have a Saudi backed adversary, I haven't heard about them lately in mainstream media how are they faring? I just thought they would be a tough resistance for the houthis restraining them from what they're currently doing

My understanding is that the Saudi are basically fighting the war in Yemen but denying it's them. The de jure government has effectively lost this war ATM.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#313

Post by jb3689 »

consumer451 wrote: post #174
bhouston wrote: post #151

The Houthis created a fake audio of a major Yemeni commander telling his troops to retreat which was subsequently amplified on Twitter/X, telegram, etc. Apparently, this helped the Houthis advance quickly as the opposition forces were in disarray. https://x.com/BashaReport/status/2097862335494795579

Holy shit. This is really interesting. AI used to impersonate, social media to amplify, and that led to a significant tactical defeat? I don't want to live in interesting times anymore.

“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet” seems like the golden rule we’ve all forgotten

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#314

Post by ericd »

consumer451 wrote: post #221
electrondood wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They also used Claude in a fairly sophisticated way to design their missile guidance system (PDF, search for GTG-87001). https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/e50be2e51e7695dc4b1366a37a245a...

Yeah, I saw that. I wonder if there are any other AI labs that are naive (good?) enough to admit this type of thing. Obviously, it's happening with all decent models.

It's not naivete/goodness, this is totally aligned with their playbook of trying to get AI to be heavily regulated.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#315

Post by wbl »

tencentshill wrote: post #274
electrondood wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They also used Claude in a fairly sophisticated way to design their missile guidance system (PDF, search for GTG-87001). https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/e50be2e51e7695dc4b1366a37a245a...

Where did Anthropic get that information to train their model on is a good question to ask as well.

The engineering library of your local college has all the information needed for ballistic guidance systems.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#316

Post by mmooss »

ericmay wrote: post #254
MSFT_Edging wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. It's an intolerable premise Actions have consequences. The continual attack on the sovereignty of countries around the world has made nuclear weapons one of the few ways to avoid being a client state of the US at the expense of your own population. Iran has figured out another method it seems. This is blowback. The simple lesson that we refuse to learn.

> The continual attack on the sovereignty of countries around the world has made nuclear weapons one of the few ways to Name the other countries pursuing a nuclear weapon. Maybe you are drumming up a fear that nobody else really has.

They don't announce their secret nuclear weapons programs before they are complete (though they are sometimes discovered), but some countries have violated international law and developed them, precisely to protect their sovereignty:

  - North Korea
  - Israel
  - India
  - Pakistan
All retain their sovereignty, though I can't prove any causal effect and certainly nuclear weapons isn't the only cause.

Others have pursued them, includng Libya, South Africa, etc. Libya agreed to surrender their program, and then their government was deposed with Western help. Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons (left over from being occupied by the USSR) in exchange for peace from Russia, and you can see what happened. That doesn't encourage the next person to give up theirs.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#317

Post by bandofthehawk »

jswartz wrote: post #116
laimewhisps wrote: post #99

All we had to do was not bomb Iran (starting with a school full of girls). There was no benefit to the US in this war, it’s 100% for Israel. Bribery and blackmail, not democracy, are now determining world events.

[flagged]

Oh yeah, that's why he talked about invading so much during his first term and during his campaign, right?

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#318

Post by kryogen1c »

bhouston wrote: post #151

The Houthis created a fake audio of a major Yemeni commander telling his troops to retreat which was subsequently amplified on Twitter/X, telegram, etc. Apparently, this helped the Houthis advance quickly as the opposition forces were in disarray. https://x.com/BashaReport/status/2097862335494795579

Can't read the Twitter link, but that sounds made up.

Where in the battlefield decision making process are they listening to social media recordings to make combat decisions?

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#319

Post by ericmay »

jrajav wrote: post #277
ericmay wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No that's not the only reason. High oil prices affect their economy quite a bit, and much of their imports form what I understand come from the Middle East.

High oil prices affect them less than any other country in the world. They have the largest oil stockpiles by far, eclipsing even the US, and they have unique access to oil sanctioned by the west. China is essentially the only actor in the market that is able to weather this conflict in marathon fashion.

The US is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world (or #2 or something - besides the point). Your argument that only China can weather these price disruptions doesn't seem to hold water for that reason and because of Chinese actions to use that strategic supply to keep prices lower than they otherwise would be. It's not because it's some random benefit for the world (including the US) it's because their economy like any major industrial power relies on oil and gas (and coal) and keeping prices low to help their export-dependent factories.

They have their own advantages and strategies to deal with these things, but this idea that China just like sits around and "weathers the conflict" unscathed is just incorrect.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#320

Post by bluGill »

theplumber wrote: post #165
ericmay wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

I doubt that the world will subscribe to the idiocy of the current US admin. China will just push harder for renewables while Europe and the rest of the world will try to coup with the shock but I am certain they won’t go to war with Iran because they have no reason. Eventually US will have to decide if it’s going to do anything or just live with high oil prices for long or just go back home in a British Suez fashion…

What is the world going to do? The US is the only country that has a "blue water" navy. That means not just enough ships to go to sea, but enough of a supply line to handle all the logistics of having ships anywhere in the world they want them, for as long as they want.

Everybody else (with sea access) has a coast guard, and maybe a few ships for show. China is making enough ships that in a decade they could be there, but it isn't clear they want to go there - they don't see to be building the world supply line needed (but around China they do have that power already).

That is if you don't like the current situation with the US deciding the rules of the sea, then you need to pay for your own navy.

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