OBB—he Houthi blockade of Saudi tanks and vessels in the Red Sea is a robust, constraining force on Saudi traffic, especially given the mountainous nature of the Yemeni’s Red Sea coastline that affords the Houthis, now in control of the entirety of that coastline, an excellent vantage point from which to survey and if necessary attack. The US dare not make the situation worse because it is a very small step for the Yemenis to expand their blockade from applying only to Saudi vessels to applying to all international traffic. Further, the US was badly thrashed when, in March 2025, it attacked the Houthis on behalf of the Saudis and lost 9 Reaper drones worth $60 million a piece.

PE—There were always shams and shows used to some effect by the late royal and imperial absolutisms, to promote the illusion on the part of hoodwinked hoi polloi that the ruling grandees took some generous, humane interest in their people. They didn’t.

Those tactics were observed by incipient democracies and, when empires broke in war, under the enormous accumulated weight of their insanities, the new elites adopted and improved them.

Our history, based on genocide and slavery, is one of cynical manipulation of an ignorant population through refinement of formulas long used to insure the authority of ruling classes.

JUDGE NAP—A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the Houthis’ strategic actions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Crooke explains this is not merely as a sectarian conflict, but as a major shift in the regional geopolitical paradigm. He argues that this movement is inverting the influence held by the Gulf States (specifically Saudi Arabia) in favor of a rebalancing reminiscent of earlier regional power structures.

DD—This video, titled “Socialist Conference is a CIA-Coded CLOWN SHOW” by Due Dissidence, presents a critical analysis of contemporary left-wing movements, arguing that they have been subverted by intelligence services and corporate interests into ineffective, identity-focused organizations. (An important vector has been the Democratic Party, aided by the near-totality of mainstream media).

The second video, titled “ZIONISM IN RETREAT: Comics BOYCOTT Seinfeld, Pink FAILS To Cancel Macklemore,” argues that the cultural and political influence of Zionism is declining, specifically within the entertainment industry. The hosts discuss several recent instances where public figures and institutions faced backlash for their association with Israel or their support for the war in Gaza.

DW—Prof Postol explains why it is far more difficult than most people assume to hit ships with missiles when operating at sea. Hitting a moving target, including a large target like an aircraft carrier, especially when engaged in complex maneuvers to avoid attack, requires a complex web of assets, notes Prof Postol, from advanced radar and global positioning systems, to missile characteristics, military intelligence (i.e., supplied by subs constantly following the carrier group), to sheer luck. 

CH—This video features Chris Hedges interviewing media scholar Robin Andersen about the role of Western media in shaping the narrative regarding the war in Gaza. The discussion focuses on how journalistic language and reporting practices have allegedly dehumanized Palestinians and legitimized Israeli actions. Andersen points to the “flower massacre” (February 2024), where she claims the media often framed the deaths of starving Palestinians seeking aid as “lawlessness” rather than violence by Israeli forces. She also discusses the destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital, criticizing the media for repeating unverified claims about the facility’s use by Hamas to justify its attack.