This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
I don't think you understand that you can also do piracy by threatening to sink ships unless you get paid off.
For the record, China could credibly threaten to hit ships halfway across the Pacific without ever leaving home. Houthis have shitty ASBMs given to them by Iran which allow them to do this within 500 km.
https://missilethreat.csis.org/china-launches-antiship-ballistic-missiles-in-test/
How do pirates credibly threaten a specific ship and get them to pay up with a missile 500km away? What's the procedure here? Has this actually happened?
Ships have AIS. They can observe them with drones easily, they can easily get info from people watching the canals and match them against ship registers.
People bribe them to go through the straits unmolested. If you're Israeli or US affiliated you can't though, iirc.
More options
Context Copy link
Procedurally, it's relatively simple. As long as you can see / monitor the area you'd shoot in, you just advertise by any means that anyone who goes through that area may / may not be shot. The risk alone is what drives most people away- for insurance reasons if nothing else in the modern era.
From there, you just also communicate that you won't shoot at people who buy your pass. In exchange for money, you give some sort of authentication measure tied to the sale. This could be anything like 'broadcast this code at this time when sailing through this area.'
Then you have your sensor-people look for the authentication measure. If a ship has it and matches the ledgers of who paid, don't shoot. If a ship does not have it, shoot. If a ship tries to broadcast a 'I paid' code, but isn't on the ledgers, shoot.
Fair in theory, but has this happened at least once?
Depends if you believe the UN report last year alleging around €169 million a month.
Though that article does cite more concrete examples of Somali pirates as well, such as paying them by dumping suitcases of cash.
Tbh if true for 169 mil euro a month I'd be fine with The great shiva's reincarnation Trump to rain indiscriminate hellfire on the native population also.
Yemen is an utterly doomed country. They waste 80% of their water on qat or so. Water table in the capital area is already 200 m underground.
Iranians are largely out of water but at least they're not wasting it on qat, but still they might have to leave half their country bc switch to unsustainable water extraction with the advent of diesel powered pumps led to water table dropping..
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link