Took a long time for a line from the first truth table I had to learn for my math linguistics class.
Some were easy: T --> T is T. A true premise yielding a true conclusion is a true statement.
But F --> T is T ... A false premise yielding a true conclusion is a true statement.
" 'The sky is purple with orange polka dots, therefore the sun rises in the east' is a true statement." Finally I realized that the reasoning led to truth, and the goal is truth.
Quite a while back the equivalence "Houthis = Barbary pirates" occurred to me. The First Barbary War was the first war we fought under the current Constitution; I think we lost it since we signed a humiliating treaty that had the US pay tribute for a "peace"--meaning that the pirates wouldn't seize American ships and take Americans for ransom or as slaves--that was poorly honored. The practices became less common for a while, but then ramped up even as we still paid. Barbary War II led to peace after we pounded Algiers into submission. (European nations participated, by the way--their citizens were also taken as hostages for ransom or as slaves but they were, um, rather spineless. Had been seized as hostages/slaves for centuries. But if we were going to war, they'd partner with us.)
Word is that there's a behind-the-scenes payment system set up: a company or country can wire the Houthis money and they wouldn't bother the relevant ships. Modern day Barbary pirates. Maybe it's time to rework the Marine song, "to the shores of Hudaydah" instead of Tripoli. (Again, I consider that war's conclusion to be a loss.)
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