Monthly Archives: October 2025

If I were the Secretary of War.

I recently learned about Iran’s ghost fleet of oil tankers that Iran uses to circumvent the international sanctions on its oil exports. As much as 5 million barrels of crude are being transferred Ship to Ship [STS] to Chinese tankers daily in the Malacca Strait. Our Virginia 774 class submarines haven’t had the MQ-9B SeaGuardians integrated into the weapon control system. I would make that integration a priority for the Navy.The SeaGuardian drones have an on-station endurance of up to 40 hours in loitering configuration. Our SSN 774s could destroy targets without revealing their presence. Iran is…

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Aye, There Be Ghost Ships: Iran’s Shadow Fleet.

Indeed, the seas teem with spectral vessels these days—ghost ships that glide unseen, ferrying forbidden cargo under cloaks of deception. In the South China Sea and beyond, Iran's notorious "shadow fleet" (or "ghost fleet") operates as a clandestine armada, enabling Tehran to smuggle oil despite international sanctions. This network, comprising hundreds of aging tankers, shell companies, and illicit logistics, primarily funnels Iranian crude to China via high-risk ship-to-ship (STS) transfers. These shadowy handoffs often unfold in the Strait of Malacca, off Malaysia's coast—particularly in the Riau Archipelago and Eastern Outer Port Limits—posing grave risks to the environment,…

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Three governors, three masters of destruction

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California: Newsom and Proposition 47’s Legacy Policy Context: Newsom, a progressive Democrat, has supported decarceration and rehabilitation-focused policies, notably defending Proposition 47 (2014), which reduced penalties for low-level theft and drug offenses. Critics argue this fostered a perception of leniency, spiking shoplifting and burglaries.Crime Surge and Reversals: Shoplifting rose 28% from 2019-2023, with San Francisco and LA seeing retail losses of $4B annually. High-profile store closures (e.g., Target in SF, 2021) were partly blamed on theft, though e-commerce also factored. By 2025, Newsom’s 2024 anti-crime package (10 bills, including felony charges for serial theft) cut shoplifting 15% and…

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