Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route • Hacker News Board

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

#351

Post by lenkite » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

737min wrote: post #180

Ansar Allah (Houthis) is a terrible Islamist group that commits warcrimws against both Yemenis and people thousands of miles away. Here’s just one example, executing men for gayness: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/27/yemen-houthis-sentence-m... “In addition to death sentences that include crucifixion and stoning, the Houthi court sentenced 23 men to prison for periods of up to 10 years. Three of them were also sent…

> Ansar Allah (Houthis) is a terrible Islamist group that commits warcrimws ...

The Syrian President and current Western/Israeli "good boy" - belongs to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham which has committed warcrimes which make the Houthis look like choir boys. He was former Al-Qaeda too with a multi-million dollar bounty. Done an utterly ridiculous number of beheadings, chaining & rape of women, torture, the whole galore of works carried out by a popular ruthless terrorist in a long career.

Now he is fully supported by the US AND the EU.

So, any time, any citizen of a Western nation complains about "war crimes" and wants "regime change", I call them deeply disgusting, sanctimonious hyprocrites. You fellows have lost any and all moral standing to talk about "war crimes".

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

#352

Post by dam_jackalopes » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

giardini wrote: post #214

lowbloodsugar wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

lol. The orange man is doing more damage to the USA than China could ever do short of actual war. He is destroying the US militarily, economically and politically. They emphatically support his efforts.

IMO it is a good thing that the USA is no longer paying for (among others): - NATO - Maintaining security on the high seas for other than USA shipping, - tariffs imposed by other countries (yes, other countries have been imposing tariffs for decades): https://wjno.iheart.com/content/2025-03-17-qa-how-many-count... The USA can use the money saved for its own citizens (possibly even lowering their taxes!)

The USA can use that money that way. It's not though. Spending isn't decreasing and any savings in tax has easily been overwhelmed by the increased costs facing consumers, especially in the last two years.

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

#353

Post by lukan » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

rchaud wrote: post #273

lukan wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes yes, my tinfoil protected brains thinks the same! Or wait, maybe just flamewar style debates are not so welcome here, so people flag instead have another debate about who is more evil?

As if the endless deluge of AI, Meta Glasses and Flock camera articles are full of friendly banter.

If you have showdead=true, you will see way, way more flagged comments under anything that is political, or even has a Israel connection in it.

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

#354

Post by ericd » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

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.

But also, the US makes more oil than it uses. With some nuance around how the refineries are set up vs type of crude produced.

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

#355

Post by riffraff » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

mmooss wrote: post #316

ericmay wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 the…

I believe Israel also didn't announce they have nukes, it's just mostly assumed they do.

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

#356

Post by bluGill » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

ajross wrote: post #187

seatac76 wrote: post #156

If Dems win next time around they should repeal the AUMF at the very least. We cannot be at war at all times.

The problem is that "being at war" isn't really the problem, it's a symptom. A lawless and destabilized gulf region is the result of incomplete and inneffective military action, and in a darkly hilarious way is only treatable by more whack-a-mole warfare. It wasn't a war we could win. We fought it anyway. Now we're stuck trying to lose in a tolerable way. Which requires more fighting. At some point the balance will t…

While it is hard to say, all signs point to China not wanting to take over. That isn't to say they could, but China seems content to rule their corner of the world and let the US rule the ocean. (their corner includes Taiwan which the US is not content to allow China to rule)

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

#357

Post by ericmay » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC

SimianSci wrote: post #324

ericmay wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Iran probably wasn't following the JCPOA, denied inspectors access to certain sites, and you'd also have to say you 100% trust American intelligence to verify that Iran isn't building a nuclear weapon in secret and if you want to do that I've got a war to sell you in Iraq. Separately that doesn't resolve the other issues, funding militant groups, &c.

Using your reasoning, you can basically throw out any structured system that doesn't comply with your own untrustworthy feelings of security. You can essentially point at any shadow within the borders of Iran and claim there are hidden actors conspiring towards your undoing. What aside from their total annihilation or subjugation would ever convince you of your (Israel's) safety?

But using your own reasoning then Iran is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so they are also throwing out a structured system that doesn't comply with their own feelings.

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

#358

Post by nemomarx » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:15 PM UTC

ericmay wrote: post #265

nemomarx wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Burning the Koran is protected free speech, just as burning a flag is, or the Bible, or whatever else you'd like. The point is we had a deal, and Iran kept their enrichment below weapons development levels for all of that time. Even a few years after the deal was broken by Trump, apparently. We could have kept that status quo going and not dealt with tolls in the strait and expensive military operations, and it would…

Anchoring on this deal is a waste of time. We shouldn't have had to have a deal in the first place. They could just join other responsible countries like, idk, Vietnam, Brazil, and hmmm who else, Switzerland! in not pursuing nuclear weapons. > We could have kept that status quo going Like the last time the Houthis disrupted shipping? Or when Iran launched and supported attacks on Israel, plus continued disruption in…

I don't recall the houthis disrupting shipping before 2018. The status quo under before that point was fine for the global economy and for the US. If it wasn't fine for Israel, that's a problem for their own military to deal with, ideally without US backing that drags other countries into the issue.

Good luck with non proliferation but I think the very obvious "we can attack and invade countries without nukes but can't do that to countries with nukes" lesson is being demonstrated to everyone, so countries that don't want to be invaded will be trying to get them now. Anyone near Russia for sure, possibly even Switzerland eventually.

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

#359

Post by mmooss » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:15 PM UTC

ericmay wrote: post #178

rconti wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we accept your premise, the current war has made us less safe, because we've had previous, stronger nuclear deals that have now been torn up in a failed attempt to replace their leader with someone more favorable to the US.

Iran probably wasn't following the JCPOA, denied inspectors access to certain sites, and you'd also have to say you 100% trust American intelligence to verify that Iran isn't building a nuclear weapon in secret and if you want to do that I've got a war to sell you in Iraq. Separately that doesn't resolve the other issues, funding militant groups, &c.

> Iran probably wasn't following the JCPOA

When are you talking about and what is that based on? It was the US that withdrew; the other countries continued. US intelligence concluded that Iran had no nuclear weapons program (or maybe, no active one; I don't recall).

> you'd also have to say you 100% trust American intelligence to verify

Nope, the plan was for the IEA to do their thing with on-the-ground inspectors, sensors, etc. As just one example, nuclear materials leak radiation and they can find indications of it in air, soil, etc., around faciltiies. Edit: Also, many other countries were involved and looking closely, including European powers and Israel.

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

#360

Post by mitxela » Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:15 PM UTC

rdm_blackhole wrote: post #286

theplumber wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> Europe and the rest of the world will try to coup with the shock The two major economies in the EU (France and Germany) are both facing severe recessions and a parliamentary deadlock + soon to be elections would will be most certainly won by Putin's allies and/or radical communists. All of this to say I would not hold my breath on Europe doing much at all in the coming months/years.

The election in Germany is predicted to be won by AfD. Are they communists?