Scores Of 'Dark Vessels' Belonging To China's Maritime Militias Are Operating In Contested Waters

A new Chinese law allows for vessels to turn off their transponders in some of the world's most densely trafficked and tense waterways.

A large number of China's "little blue men," the irregular maritime militia forces that receive support and training from the Chinese government, have gone dark on traditional maritime tracking systems thanks to a new law. The inability to track these ships is worrisome given the role many Chinese fishing and commercial vessels play in Beijing’s plans to assert itself in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, some of the most hotly contested areas of the Pacific.

A new report underscores the safety and intelligence gaps caused by a cybersecurity and data privacy law passed by China last year which caused a large number of Chinese vessels operating in or near the country’s territorial waters to disappear from global tracking systems. The new data detailing the scope of China’s fleet was published by commercial satellite firm Unseen Labs, which specializes in tracking and identifying radiofrequency (RF) transmissions from space.

In a February 18 press release, the company writes that “most ships are not visible from traditional surveillance systems once they get close to Chinese shores” and that “more than 60% of ships in the area have disappeared” from the automatic identification system, or AIS, the global standard for tracking and identifying ships at sea.

UNSEEN LABS


A graphic showing vessels detected by radiofrequency emissions, white, and vessels broadcasting AIS data, red.


AIS data includes a vessel's identity and type, its position, course, speed, navigational status, and other safety and positioning-related information. AIS systems were made mandatory for most ships by the International Maritime Organization in 2004, but included provisions that nations “may exempt certain ships from carrying an AIS.”

Ships that are required to transmit AIS include cargo ships weighing 300 gross tons or more engaged on international voyages, cargo ships weighing 500 gross tons not engaged on international voyages, and all passenger ships. Individual nations also have their own AIS laws that pertain to their waters; in the United States, all commercial self-propelled fishing vessels of 65 feet or more in length must broadcast an AIS signal at all times. Most military vessels are not required to transmit AIS signals and do not regularly do so under low-threat conditions, although the U.S. Navy mandated that ships use the system while transiting congested waters after a pair of damaging collisions in 2017. Currently, most AIS systems are radiofrequency based, meaning they only work ship-to-ship or near coastlines. Multiple nations have been launching satellites since the early 2000s to expand the reach of AIS services, which help offer coverage in areas of the open sea far from shore.

USCG


A U.S. Coast Guard specialist monitors AIS signals in New York Harbor.

To calculate the lack of AIS signals in Chinese waters, Unseen Labs used satellites to detect the RF emissions from ships operating in Chinese waters, and found during one eight-day period that the vast majority of ships operating in the East China Sea were not broadcasting an AIS signal. “As a result, most ships are not visible from traditional surveillance systems once they get close to Chinese shores. In this new context, the AIS system doesn’t provide an accurate picture of...

Morning Mistress

The 90 Miles Mystery Video: Nyctophilia Edition #939

Before You Click On The "Read More" Link, 

Please Only Do So If You Are Over 21 Years Old.

If You are Easily Upset, Triggered Or Offended, This Is Not The Place For You.  

Please Leave Silently Into The Night......

The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #1639

You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside? 

It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific, 

from the beautiful to the repugnant, 

from the mysterious to the familiar.

If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed, 

you could be inspired, you could be appalled. 

This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. 

You have been warned.

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Girls With Guns

The Most Ridiculous Thing I've Seen So Far Today #5

 

The Most Ridiculous Thing I've Seen So Far Today #4

Visage à trois #68

 Three Videos For Your Viewing Pleasure:

La petite mort bonus video:

Videos That Are:

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• Usually Scraped, Gleaned And Pilfered From Social Media.

Visage à trois #2

Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #257

Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #256

Binghamton University Forces Maoist Professor to Drop Policy of Prioritizing Non-White Students in Class Discussions

A professor at Binghamton University used class participation policies inspired by Chinese tyrant Mao Zedong. However, she is now being forced to reverse course after right-wing students raised enough of a commotion to make the university take action against the professor.

According to a report by Logan Dubil at Campus Reform, the “Class Discussion Guidelines” section of Ana Maria Candela’s “Social Change -Introduction to Sociology” syllabus directs white male students to allow “non-white folks” to speak before these white male students can speak. The guidelines start off with a quotation about speaking from Chairman Mao.

Mao was the founding father of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. During his rule from 1943 to 1976, Mao presided over tyrannical experiments such as the “Great Leap Forward” and the “Cultural Revolution” which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people.

“No investigation, no right to speak,” the quote stated in the document for the “Social Change -Introduction to Sociology” class at Binghamton University.

The quotation “helps to convey the idea that speaking, during class discussions, should be based on having done your investigative work,” Candela stated.

The professor’s work primarily “focuses on Chinese migrations to Latin America and on the global dimensions of Chinese history and China’s social transformations,” per her university webpage.

Candela used “progressive stacking” to determine how much they participate and speak during class discussions. Race and gender were factored in determining who should receive speaking priorities, according to the syllabus that Campus Reform was able to obtain.

At its core, “progressive stacking” relies on students’ race and gender to determine if their ideas have merit and how much they can interact in discussions.

“This [policy] means that wetry to give priority to non-white folks, to women, and to shy and quiet people who rarely raise their hands,” the syllabus outline. “It also means that if you are white, male, or someone privileged by the racial and gender structures of our society to have your voice easily voiced and heard, we will often ask you to hold off on your questions or comments to give others priority and will come back to you a bit later or at another time.”

When Campus Reform reached out to Ryan Yarosh, the senior director of media and public relations, he revealed that Candela was “counseled” by the university because her class syllabus was not in compliance with the 2021-2022 Faculty-Staff Handbook.

However, outrage stemming from the revelation of these controversial course guidelines has prompted Candela to take out the section of her syllabus that priortizes non-white studetns participation in class discussions.

According to a National Review report, Binghamton University compelled Candela to remove this part of her syllabus after determining that the guidelines were in violation of the university‘s faculty staff handbook.

Universities have become leftist think tanks and must be exposed for...

Visage à trois #67

 Three Videos For Your Viewing Pleasure:

La petite mort bonus video:

Videos That Are:

• Usually Short.
• Usually Timely.
• Usually Scraped, Gleaned And Pilfered From Social Media.

Visage à trois #2

Feds Seize Family's Assets Without Issuing a Single Charge, All Because of Amazon's Claims Against the Dad

The life-changing experience of one Seattle, Washington, family is shining light on a practice being abused by federal officials.

According to Reason, Carl Nelson was working as a real estate transaction manager for Amazon. He lived with his wife, Amy Sterner Nelson, and their four daughters in a home in West Seattle.

Yet the family’s life was turned upside down when the FBI suddenly seized nearly $1 million from them over an unproven allegation.

In April 2020, federal agents arrived at the Nelson’s house to inform them Amazon had accused Carl Nelson of not providing “honest services,” Reason reported.

Specifically, Amazon alleged Nelson provided extra benefits or deals for certain companies that in turn provided him illegal kickbacks. Nelson has continually denied the allegations.

“That never happened and is exactly why I’ve fought as long and hard as I have,” Nelson said, according to Reason. “It’s that simple.”

Sadly for the Nelson family, the FBI did not need a conviction when they arrived at the family’s residence in 2020. They were allowed to seize approximately $892,000 in funds from the family.

“We went from living a life where we were both working full-time to provide for our four daughters to really figuring out how we were going to make it month to month,” Amy Nelson said. “It’s completely changed my belief in fairness.”

According to Reason, the FBI seized funds that did not even come from Carl Nelson, the alleged criminal. Instead, they took money from “nearly every corner of the Nelson’s world,” including savings from Amy Nelson that she accrued during her time as an attorney.

The FBI agreed last week to a settlement that would return $525,000 to the Nelson family, while the family would have to forfeit $109,000, Reason reported. The rest of the money has gone towards court fees.

Even so, this will hardly help life go back to normal, Amy said. The family has already been forced to sell their house and car, liquidate retirement savings and move into Amy’s sister’s basement. They were forced to remove their four daughters from the Seattle school they attended.

According to Bloomberg, Amy was forced to close the Riveter, a co-working start up that she founded focused on helping women. In addition, Amy said Carl is still embroiled in a massive lawsuit, and the $525,000 will likely go to attorney’s fees.

“It’s hard,” Amy said, according to Reason. “Not much has changed for us.”

Amy set up a GoFundMe to help the family try and survive such difficult times. As of Monday, it had raised about $70,000.

Almost two years after the FBI seizure, Amazon has still not levied a single criminal charge against Carl, Reason reported. However, a civil case Amazon brought against Carl and another former employee has seen plenty of drama in its own right.

According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. District Court Judge Liam O’Grady removed himself from the case in January 2022 after it was revealed that his wife held $22,000 in Amazon stock during the case. O’Grady had ruled in Amazon’s favor since the case began about 20 months prior.

O’Grady said he was reluctant to leave the case because his wife sold the stock in December, and he had previously denied knowledge of his wife’s holdings.

“However, perception of the fair administration of justice — both by the public and by the parties in the case — is of the highest importance to the Court,” he wrote, according to the Journal.

The Nelson are far from the only ones who have become victims of a practice known as “civil asset forfeiture,” Reason reported.

Americans across the country have had funds or possessions seized by federal officials without being charged with a crime in recent years, and Institute for Justice attorney Dan Alban said the practice has plenty of...