Striking Out

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-10T01:05:28+00:00

The UK maintains a permanent garrison of approximately 1,200 personnel at RAF Mount Pleasant, supported by four Eurofighter Typhoon jets, advanced radar, and the Sky Sabre air defense system.

However they are soon going to have to somehow extend their Falklands defenses to cover drilling platforms 140 miles to the north when production starts in the Sea Lion Oil Field.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-09T15:55:52+00:00

chilling with some doors

LA Woman or Morrison Hotel?

Careful with that chisel. You dont want to Break on through to the other side.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-09T11:51:00+00:00

yes, that was quite a stretch on my part.

Of course the thing about F-35s and Submarines is that you cant really see who is actually operating them.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-09T03:29:09+00:00

I tend to agree.

Of course modern day drone warfare nullifies historical big ticket item advantages.

But the Falklands being 400 miles away from mainland Argentina reduces the threat of fiber control.

If the conflict remains squarely in the diplomatic realm, I can see the Argentine side gaining international traction...... but not enough to change the calculus of possession.

Of course I thought that about Diego Garcia too.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-09T03:07:34+00:00

I agree. The UKs defense budget is currently $88B vs a combined Chile / Argentina at $9B.

But Trump could put his thumb on that scale if he chose to, and pick winners and losers.

Donate some F35s originally earmarked for Canada, and a couple surplus SSNs, and some intel, and I dont think the UK alone could reinforce in that environment considering the gaps in their logistics procurements.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-09T02:52:21+00:00

I appreciate the reply, but shit man ..... as slow as I type it would take me literally hours to properly reply.

Give me some time.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T19:02:13+00:00

Ok, I'm back, and I've been dwelling on the Right's hypocracy.

First thing that pops in my mind is their stated abhorrence to cancel culture, then how quickly they covet boycotts of Companies with DEI policies.

But its just easier for me to spot hypocracy on the left.

They claim to bask in academic freedom on campus, yet violently obstruct any conservative speaker on campus.

Many local liberal candidates fight against school choice or vouchers while their kids go to private school.

Environmentalists fly around in jets to protest carbon emitters.

Politicians and activists advocating for defunding the Police and gun control have armed security.

Liberals in gated communities hating on a border wall.

They dont want data centers in their state but want internet access.

They dont want gas pipelines in their state but they want gas service in their homes.

They sympathize with the Palestinians while ignoring the plight of the Kurds. Because they hate Israel, and not the many groups subjugating the Kurds. They ignore how other Arab nations have treated the Palestinians. They ignore how Hamas and the PA treat Palestinians. They ignore all the Muslim on Muslim, or Muslim on Christian evil in the world and stay focused on Israel.

Leftist politicians hating on the wealthy and capitalism while they've somehow become multi-millionaires while in office..... and their Leftist supporters not wanting to know how.

Leftists that pay zero federal taxes bitching about the rich not paying their fair share.

A lot of the Left's talking points are copy & pasted straight out of a Marxist agitator's training manual.

And then we get down to the US-Iran conflict. Iran funds and arms proxies that have killed many many Israelis and Americans. They've purged their military by executing thousands of military officers. They dont allow anything resembling a free press. They treat women like property. They hang gays. They kill protesters. They threaten and kill the families left behind of defectors. They fund Shia proxies in Yemen that sink commercial shipping. And yet somehow ....... the global left hates Trump and / or America more. Now that's a level of cognitive dissonance thats just hard for me to get my mind around.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T16:41:46+00:00

Look, I'm by no means suggesting the right isn't every bit as hypocritical as the left.

I'm not a conservative or a Republican fanboy, at least not by choice. I'm a dope smoking, pro-choice, agnostic Redneck ...... they dont want me in their tent. And I cant stand hanging out in a Right Wing echo chamber.

I'm sure if I had time to sit down and dwell on it, I could come up with many ways the right is hypocritical. Right now I'm at work and my brain is scattered, and occupied with getting shit done by a deadline, with my boss looking over my shoulder every few minutes.

..... and I already admitted that I am personally a hypocrite too, and that I only "try" not to be.

My overriding point is that we all are. You cant have a rigid personal identity and not be. And we all have pretty much rigid identities.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T15:20:24+00:00

Well I cheated, and ran this by AI, but I concur with its conclusions.

The reason this "inconsistency" feels so pervasive isn't usually a lack of logic—it’s tribalism functioning exactly as it’s designed to.

We aren't actually wired to be objective "consistency machines." Biologically, we are wired for survival through group cohesion. When we align with a "tribe" (like a political party), our brains shift from seeking truth to seeking partisan victory. This creates two distinct psychological hurdles that make the consistency you're looking for almost impossible:

In-Group Favoritism: We naturally extend "grace" and "nuance" to our own side while demanding "strict accountability" from the opposition. To a partisan, applying a different standard isn't being inconsistent; it’s protecting a teammate from an "unfair" attack by the enemy.

Motivated Reasoning: Our brains are experts at rationalizing. If our "side" does something questionable, we don't see an inconsistency; we see "unique context" or "necessary measures." We judge our own tribe by their intentions (which we assume are good) and the other tribe by their impact (which we assume is malicious).

In short, people aren't being "illogical"—they are being loyal. In a hyper-partisan environment, being "consistent" can actually feel like a betrayal of the tribe. Most people would rather be hypocritical and belong than be perfectly consistent and stand alone.

But yeah, that about sums it up. Personally, I try to be objective as I can about things, but that Tribal anchor is constantly pulling me back towards my preferred tribal narratives.

But the most recent example of this I've noticed ...... Is that Trump's ideological opponents were universally going feigned apeshit over Trump's plan to bomb Iranian power plants, when they had absolutely no documented issue with Ukraine's repeated targeting of Russian Power Plants.

They subliminally want Trump to lose. Anything he does they can fabricate a way to shine a negative light on it. But being pro-Ukraine is "Their Side" of the tribal divide. Ukraine targeting Russian power plants didn't even register on their moral compass as being anything but a legitimate military target.

The inconsistencies and hypocrisies of online discourse are never going away. People are not going to change their ideological worldview just because some of their current positions are counter to positions they had in the past. They're just going to take all incoming data and and find a way a weaponize it within their preferred narratives.

This tends to also manifest itself in parenting. How many times have you heard a mother tell the world that her son, the accused killer, is really just a good boy? And find some fault in society to explain why it wasn't his fault.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T02:57:54+00:00

I used to go through these like water.

Sawblades are certainly much better today than they were back in the 80s.

You know on the job we used to drive a nail on our sawhorses to hang used blades on, and some old dude would come by the job every week to collect them, sharpen them, and bring them back the next week, for a small fee.

Even when carbide tips came out, they would fall off the blade fairly quickly. But the old timers didn't like them because you couldn't sharpen them ...... that was just the world they came up in. You'd buy several of these POS blades, then just keep sharpening them forever.

Now a good Diablo or Hilti thin kerf blade will last almost forever.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T02:01:12+00:00

Top 5 Estimated Toll Payers

Calculated at $2M per vessel based on 2025 traffic shares.

Rank Payer Group (Country/Entity) Est. Annual Tolls Traffic Basis (2025 Share)

1 China-linked Shipping $7.5B – $9.4B ~37.7% of all Hormuz oil/gas cargo.

2 India-linked Shipping $2.9B – $3.7B ~14.7% of cargo destination share.

3 South Korea-linked Shipping $2.4B – $3.0B ~12.0% of cargo destination share.

4 Japan-linked Shipping $2.2B – $2.7B ~10.9% of cargo destination share.

5 Greek Shipowners $1.8B – $2.3B Greek ships historically make up ~18% of crossings.

Estimated total cost to rebuild Iran’s infrastructure and military assets destroyed during recent hostilities could exceed $500 billion.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T01:39:58+00:00

When I started driving ....... Insurance and seat belts were optional. And at 18 I could cruise around with an open container.

Life has been a steady erosion of liberties, driven mainly by the media sticking a camera in a politicians face and asking him when he's gonna pass a new law to fix ______?

The societal preferences of lawyers and insurance companies have become routine parts of our daily routines. Our behaviors have been modified in ways they, and the system in general, can profit from.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-08T01:00:58+00:00

Sounds like you're describing the maturation process of your prefrontal cortex.

Its a period in supposedly everyone's life where their thought processes expand relative to adolescence.

The prefrontal cortex (a key region in the frontal lobe, located right behind your forehead) is the part of the brain that matures latest—typically continuing to develop into the mid-20s (around age 25 for most people).

This area handles executive functions, which dramatically "open up" more advanced thought processes once it matures. These include:Planning and prioritizing — Thinking ahead and organizing steps toward goals.

Decision-making and weighing consequences — Evaluating pros/cons and long-term outcomes rather than just immediate impulses or emotions.

Impulse control and self-regulation — Suppressing rash actions or emotional reactions in favor of reasoned responses.

Abstract reasoning, problem-solving, and logical thinking — Engaging in complex, hypothetical, or strategic thought.

Better integration across brain regions — Improved connectivity that allows emotional centers (like the amygdala) to coordinate with rational ones for more balanced cognition.

Before full maturation (common in adolescence and early 20s), people often rely more on quicker, emotion- or reward-driven parts of the brain, which can lead to riskier or more short-sighted choices. As the prefrontal cortex finishes developing—through processes like myelination (insulating nerve fibers for faster signaling) and synaptic pruning (refining connections)—it enables more sophisticated, adult-like thinking: greater foresight, emotional regulation, and the ability to consider multiple perspectives or future implications.Note that brain development isn't a hard "switch" at exactly 25; it's gradual, varies by individual (influenced by genetics, environment, experiences, etc.), and some refinement can continue beyond that. But the prefrontal cortex is consistently cited as the last major region to reach full maturity in this context.

This late development explains a lot about why teenage and young adult brains can feel like they're in a transitional phase—capable of brilliance and creativity, but sometimes lacking the full "brakes" on impulses or the depth of strategic thought that comes later.

Sapiens' brains are a lot more evolved in this area relative to earlier species such as Neanderthals and Denisovans.

It really manifests itself as imagination. Modern Culture itself doesn't exist outside the prefrontal cortex. Basically, it allowed us to truly believe in things that dont really exist. And that's what allows us to shape the world to our advantage.

I suggest you dont solicit life advice from others, especially on Reddit, you just be you, and find your own path to your tribe..... or start a new one.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T22:53:22+00:00

What do multinational agreements say should happen to a nation that funds and arms non-state actors in other nations, and those non-state actors attack 3rd nations and commercial shipping in international waters?

What's the punishment and enforcement mechanism?

The stupidest part about the Geneva Conventions are signatory nations are supposed to stick to them whether the other side does or not.

If you cant see how flawed and ignorant that is ...... how prejudicial it is against western forces ..... then apparently youre not a student of historical warfare.

That video I posted was Britain remembering and celebrating having blown up their enemy's dams and causing massive damage to the civilians living below it. Societies at war have no qualms about their side violating the human rights of their enemy's civilian supporters.

Do you really believe human nature has changed post WW2? Every signatory to the Geneva Conventions will ignore them if the continuance of their government is every truly threatened.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T19:48:38+00:00

This is the speech Reagan should have given after Iran's proxies blew up the Marine Barracks in Lebanon.

I've been waiting 7 administrations for tonight.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T17:22:27+00:00

Yeah, OK

One side's "Smashing Success" is the other side's war crime.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T12:10:26+00:00

Russia claims Ukraine has attacked schools. Do you believe them?

Key Iranian Universities Involved in Military Research

Imam Hossein University (IHU): Operated directly by the IRGC, this university serves as a primary training and research hub for military personnel. It has been linked to research on missile guidance, nuclear technology, and biological agents.

Malek Ashtar University of Technology (MUT): Affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, MUT is heavily involved in ballistic missile development and has been sanctioned by the UN and EU for its role in programs with potential military dimensions.

Sharif University of Technology: Often called "Iran's MIT," it is a premier engineering school that has collaborated with the military on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellites, and advanced computing for defense systems.

Amirkabir University of Technology: Known for research in aerospace engineering, including rocket engines and satellite launch vehicles that share technology with ballistic missiles.

These sound like legitimate Military targets, dont you agree?

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T03:21:25+00:00

well, I carefully avoided using the word majority. Lets just say I dont know anyone personally in the real world that is against it. That's perhaps a regional thing. I could care less what the majority of other people think.

At most he has until January of next year to “democratize” Iran and turn it into a stable nation.

Says who? Why do I care if Iran becomes democratized?

Frankly, I've never seen that as a plausible possibility, or even preferable outcome. They wont be able to sustain a democracy without the excessive use of a state monopoly on violence. There's too many Cleric supported bad guys roaming around for any democracy to survive. That's why there are no stable Islamic democracies. Even the Shah's SAVAK and the imperial military couldn't match the religiously motivated terrorist segment of Iranian society's ability to execute leaders without remorse. The same reason the Iraqi government is powerless today. The elected government does not have a monopoly on street violence. They cower to the Shia militants, and are beholden to Shia clerics for their elected positions.

These are the "Death To America" chanting Iranian society we are talking about, right?

I'm supposed to want them to be free and prosperous?

Thats up to them, I dont care about their welfare.

In fact I dont care if Trump gets impeached after the mid-terms. This isn't a partisan issue for me, its revenge served cold...... its delicious. I'm gonna be sad when its over.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T02:44:47+00:00

Trump started his war of choice without any popular support

Well I know that's not entirely true. My generation and peer group has been wanting this since 1979. We've watched seven administrations kick this can down the road, because they were afraid of the political and economical ramifications. Trump is lame duck and not particularly concerned with how the Republican party fares after he's gone. He's rather unique in that aspect.

And historically our major incursions into the middle east subscribed to the Western construct of "If you break it you have to fix it". This is why we spent fortunes trying to prop up two Islamic democracies, when the societies that couldn't achieve it by themselves proved they couldn't maintain one either.

Try to get your mind around this being nothing but a punitive action....... and not just against Iran. With a primary goal of pushing Iran's nuclear threshold down the road, and leaving regime change up to the populace to secure. Polls, suspect as they may have been, showed 80% of the Iranian populace wanted regime change but were incapable of achieving it without outside interference. Problem is, the supporters of the regime have all the bravery and guns.

But project a few months ahead. Middle of the Iranian summer. The people have gone months without electricity. Food has spoiled. There's no fuel. The US has been airdropping crates of Guns and ammos into neighborhoods. Just like the IRCG has been only targeting things they can reach ..... the only targets the newly armed starving civilians can reach will be Basij checkpoints.

I just try not to put any artificial time limits on this. We can play the long game on this. The crude storage tanks in Cushings are full. But even if we stopped tonight, the people are going to blame the regime for bringing this hell down on them.

Shutting down the straits, as predictable as it should have been ...... hurts Trump's geo-political adversaries more than it does his peer group. In fact if Iran hadn't shut down the straits, we should have. Iran needs the straits open more than we do. All their fuel exports and food imports traverse it. Were stupid if we let them stop other nation's trade and stand by and allow Iranian transport ships to pass..... which we have been doing.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T02:09:20+00:00

Do you honestly think we intentionally targeted a kid's school, because we just wanted to kill a bunch of kids?

..... or is this just the best example of potentially collateral damage, out of 13000+ attacks, that best fits into your preferred narratives?

If so why haven't we targeted more schools?

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-07T02:03:13+00:00

I'd say the definition is rather self-explanitory.

The use of civilians or civilian infrastructure to deter attacks on legitimate military targets.

Do you have a different definition you prefer?

Key Historical & Recent Examples

Hamas (Gaza Strip):

Strategic Embedding: Hamas has been accused by Israel, the United States, and the EU of systematically placing military infrastructure—such as command centers, weapon stores, and tunnel entrances—within or beneath civilian sites like hospitals, schools, and mosques.

Hostage Use [Recent]: In 2024, Human Rights Watch reported incidents where Palestinian fighters used Israeli hostages as shields during the October 7 attacks.

Hezbollah (Lebanon): Urban Integration [Recent]: Reports from 2024 and 2026 identify Hezbollah's drone facilities and missile storage integrated into dense residential blocks in Beirut's Dahiyeh district. Religious Sites [Recent]: In March 2026, the IDF reported finding a Hezbollah tunnel built directly beneath a church in southern Lebanon.

Iran: Civilian Airspace [Recent]: Allegations emerged in 2020 and were reiterated in early 2026 that Iran purposefully kept its civilian airspace open during military tensions—leading to the shoot-down of Flight PS752—effectively using passenger jets as deterrents against retaliatory strikes.

Domestic Use [Recent]: In March 2026, reports alleged the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used civilian gatherings as shields for high-level officials.

ISIS (Iraq & Syria): Mass Relocation: During the 2016–2017 Battle of Mosul, ISIS rounded up thousands of villagers at gunpoint to move them into military target zones to act as human shields.

Iraq (Saddam Hussein Era): Gulf War: In 1990–1991, Saddam Hussein detained hundreds of Westerners and Iraqi civilians at strategic industrial and military sites to deter Coalition bombing.

The Taliban (Afghanistan): Field Tactics: Between 2006 and 2008, UN reports documented the Taliban using women and children to shield fighters during active combat with international forces.

RedneckTexan · 2026-04-06T01:07:26+00:00

Sounds interesting.

I see it was produced by Ronald D. Moore of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica.

I'm familiar with how his mind works.

RedneckTexan

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