By David Stephen
Sedona, AZ –There is a new [March 21, 2026] report on NBC News, Iran fires missiles at remote U.K.-U.S. base, claiming long-range capabilities it previously denied, stating that, “Iran has fired missiles at the joint U.K.-U.S. Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, claiming the strike shows it is capable of longer-distance attacks than previously known.”
“The distance of the attempted strike could indicate that Iran has capabilities for long-distance attacks that it has previously denied, with the base the same distance from Iran as much of central Europe. It is unclear, however, if the missiles carried a payload or how far such an attack could truly reach, as neither missile reached its target.”
Iran is not as powerful as the United States militarily, but in this war, Iran is showing that it has the capacity to hurt. And it is still unclear, to what extent, as the conflict ploughs on.
If Iran is able to hit specific targets in the Middle East, causing damages, losses and disruptions, it indicates that the protective coverage of a military superpower may not be as thorough, as sophisticated weapons become more ubiquitous.
There are several nations in a number of continents that the United States can hit, and they would not be able to respond in any consequential way, which may result in them surrendering early enough.
However, for Iran, that is not the case, given its military facilities and coveted geography of overseeing a chokepoint — the Strait of Hormuz.
If precision missiles are leveling up countries that should not stand a chance against a superpower, what does it mean in an era of artificial intelligence?
AI
There are lots of governments and corporations that can now build AI base models, with capabilities of all kinds — positive or otherwise. This means that all the risks that major AI companies warn about can be obtained by some AI model of some country or company, even if they do not allow access [for public use.]
So, it is possible to have private AI models [be able to] do many of the things [that are not allowed] under guardrails by the leading AI chatbots.
It means those private AIs can suggest, recommend, refer, connect dots and do so much negativity, without any regulation or outrage.
The datasets to build AI models are already public. The processors to build it are obtainable one way or the other. The architecture and deep learning libraries are public knowledge, so there is nothing that says it cannot be done, however intensive, so long the team has resources.
Now, while there is often an outcry, when some AI model is misused in public, and then adjustments follow, it does not seem like there is a need to make any AI model safe or aligned to certain values, if it will not be used in public. So, the raison d’être, for AI safety and alignment are principally business prudent.
Also, there is no safety architecture that means that an AI base model cannot be trained unless it is safe or aligned. Most safety and alignment are done, post-training.
This makes it obvious that general AI safety and alignment may not exist.
Is AI Safety and Alignment Futile?
AI is already used in war and will continue to be a tool of combat. Humans have factions. Tensions will often flare sometimes resulting in conflagrations like the Iran war.
Because there is no foundation training architecture for safety for AI, it cannot refuse to be used at war, as its decision [or its non-existent agency]. Also, there are ways to have misaligned and unsafe AI cause problems, if suddenly made accessible to the public, in some situations.
The erstwhile rush towards benchmarks and evaluations may not be as necessary, since even lower tier AI can cause substantial damage when unsafe, unaligned and used as targets for certain outcomes.
The whole AI safety interest has been largely driven commercially and now, it is shown that except some new innovation can match training with safety, track AI models that connect to the internet for certain safety marks or have advanced models seek out unsafe models, using a fresh technique that checks against those on a leaderboard, then AI safety and alignment maybe futile.
Conceptual Brain Science
The possibility for general AI safety could stem from explorations of improbable architectures, taking cues from conceptual brain science.
It is possible to look at new ways for penalty data, weakening from certain algorithms where there is no safety and then the need to have some base model time out if unconnected to the internet, where it may get vetted.
These could be established, and explored, as paths towards general AI safety and alignment, because what unsafe AIs maybe used to do between enemy nations in the coming era, could be devastating.
It is possible to underscore the approach from the postulation in Conceptual Biomarkers and Theoretical Biological Factors for Psychiatric and Intelligence Nosology.
10 Comments
“Iran is not as powerful as the United States militarily, but in this war, Iran is showing that it has the capacity to hurt. And it is still unclear, to what extent, as the conflict ploughs on.”
The NVA and VC were not “as powerful as the United States” in the opinions and minds of arrogant American leadership and looky what they were able to do to the so called “most powerful nation on earth.” Didn’t take long for them to learn how to shoot our aircraft out of the sky and demoralize our ground troops with punji sticks and other rudimentary booby traps. The Somali’s, Serbs, Taliban and Mujahideen have also taught us that our arrogance is our weakness just as the IRGC and their proxies are doing and will continue to do. Ukraine has 1/1000th the military, weapons and equipment that Putin’s criminal military has at their disposal. And yet they have kicked some major fascist Russian ass with ingenuity, determination and steadfastness.
Having all the toys (toys that are prone to abysmal failure)may look impressive in a DICKtators military parade but they are easily manipulated and defeated in reality.
strange,
there’s actual superiority, but modern war machines give some equality,
by some measure
but like smartphones are almost similar for most people, maybe
I’ve been on 6 battlefields. One in South America, Two in the Middle East, Two in African nations and one in Eastern Europe. Every single one disproved the superiority of our Buck Roger’s Bullshit just as quickly as they could learn our (the US Military and Government) incredibly predictable patterns. Superiority is a fools venture just as it was for the Romans and every other culture/country who thought to be or have superiority. In Vietnam we thought to be superior to the inferior “little Gooks” (as our troops referred to them. Those little gooks taught many of those troops just how inferior and ineffective they actually were. In Somalia a handful of Technicals armed with Soviet era small arms and a few old RPG’s took the fight to our 75th Ranger Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Delta Force and a few UN Forces like Pakistan and taught them what a band of determined soldiers and civilians can do to a so called “superpower!” During the war on Bosnia Herzegovina Capt Scott O’ Grady had his hi tech F-16 Falcon blown out of the sky by Serbian ground troops with a Soviet era SAM missile, them 3 years later they blew one of our F117 Nighthawk Stealth Bombers out of they sky using the same type of SAM battery by learning and predicting it’s flight pattern. The lessons are plenty even in Ukraine today where ingenuity and determination has defeated hi tech bull crap used by Rusher out of the same arrogance we have failed o learn. Of shiney toys won battles quickly and decisively, Ukraine would be part of Rusher, Vietnam part of the US etc.
A “defeated” Iranian IRGC missile battery just proved my point by shooting down a US F-16 over their land and behind enemy lines utilizing a missile battery that does not exist anymore according to our Orange Draft Dodging Mental Tactician who declared the “war won” and Iranian military “destroyed” and “ineffective.” That hi tech weapons platform with all of its hi tech imaging and targeting gadgetry couldn’t see or evade the missile that blew it to smithereens? Tell me it ain’t so! Capt Scott O’Grady shot down in the same manner over Bosnia Herzegovina must be in absolute shock seeing history repeating itself again again!
what are your recommendations to win a war as this, tactically?
Start over and do it properly, legally and ethically and have a real justification for it not a dozen made up lies that hold no water or credibility. Exhaust Diplomacy and actually talk to those in charge rather than lying and claiming we are doing so. Come clean about our own murders and atrocities committed by our forces during all of our past conflicts in the region and stop pointing fingers for what we as a country have done to hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians we’ve blown “into the Stone Age.” Do far more to gain the support of the Iranian people and do far less killing of them whether intentional or accidental and focus upon killing IRGC leadership with precision strikes rather than dumping 40 KT stupid bombs upon residential areas where one or two of them may or may not be hiding. And most importantly, show the world that this was about the freedom of the Iranian people and leave their oil, natural gas, water and electrical facilities they depend upon intact rather than killing them slowly like we helped Israel do to the Gazan’s by taking away their life essentials and leveling their entire civilization. Decimating country after country without doing jack to help those who are truly victims of these atrocities and crimes against humanity is only creating future enemies of America and Israel when America had a bigly chance to win the hearts and minds of both the Gazan’s and Iranians but we took an orange dump upon them instead. I’d give one warning to Trump’s BFF Putin about being involved in Iran and if he didn’t listen I’d give Ukraine any and every long range weapon available to put him in check rather than praise, lust after and lie for him while colluding with him in plots against M’erica, US Troops and our Democracy. If we are to ever regain any semblance of respect from the rest of the world we should stop attempting to force our will upon them, while being exactly the same as what we claim to be attempting to eliminate- A Criminal Regime with our own legal and Constitutionally protesting Citizen’s blood upon it’s own hands!
And BTW- there is credible reporting that Pentagon Peter and Trump Inc. heavily invested in companies of the US Military Industrial Complex just prior to starting their illegal war. Which is why they have kept it going this long $$$!
Democratic senators demand answers from Hegseth over reported defense investment inquiry ahead of Iran war
https://abcnews.com/Politics/democratic-senators-demand-answers-hegseth-reported-defense-investment/story?id=131623430
If you want to talk pure tactics without politics- I’m a fan of the Art of War, ambushes and flanking maneuvers. “When the enemy retreats we advance” “When the enemy advances we retreat” tactics. And I am 100% against wasting time, lives and resources upon “Show of Force” farces.
Cont.-
I was a FISTER in an Airborne Combat Team Regiment. Basically a Scout with the heavy hammer of mortars, artillery, missile, drone and attack helicopters at my disposal after confirming the the location, time, target type (what if any troops are in the open vs in bunkers or armored vehicles), are there any significant enemy threats such as anti aircraft weapons, what type of ordinance can and should be used and if any fuse delays need be made to ensure maximum destruction of the target. My unit trained to conduct Airfield Seizure Operations, Embassy takeovers, Long Range Reconnaissance, URBAN, Mountain, Desert and Jungle Operations.
If I were leading a RECON Team into Iranian territory I would do so at night and during the shittiest acclimate weather conditions possible by doing an on foot incursion (likely from the far North Kush Mountain Region) so there would be no engine noise giving us away as has happened all too often in recent years like the failed covert coup attempt upon Venezuela during Trump’s first term of insurrectionist crimes against the country where the teams foolishly thought they could just do another Bay of Pigs by boat failed attack rather than going stealth underwater or by HALO jump into a remote area of the country with pre arranged opposition support (the US and Israel have long had inside Iran) providing intelligence, arms and ammunition to us after our insertion. From there we’d train with opposition groups and formulate plans to do Vodoo upon the oppressors using local opposition forces supported by troops and aircraft on standby to support us in taking out the targets the opposition identified to us rather than our ASSuMEing targets are legit and not a girls elementary school. If you don’t have eyes and ears on the ground you are blind! We should not have American eyes and ears on the ground in Iran but we most most likely do. Probably in Burkas or wearing a man’s dish dash while sporting a full beard and long hair. This was done in Baghdad by members of my old unit during the first Gulf War of lies. Believe it or not, the Taliban we’re actually quite helpful to our forces in combatting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Just as many Viet Cong Hardcore Regulars we captured in the war on Vietnam helped our forces target and kill their own with more willingness than most ARVN soldiers would.
I would not have incited civil disobedience that resulted in some 30k of the opposition being killed by the IRGC. I would have taken the fight underground and had the opposition be our eyes and ears rather than our meat shield ground into hamburger. There would be a far more opportune time to encourage such an uprising after the IRGC had been completely neutered and was on the run the cowardly Serbian War Criminals of the Balkans were for years.
I most certainly would not be bombing civilian population centers or infrastructure with the goal of “leveling Iran into a parking lot” (as I’ve heard many a never having served idiot say since the 70’s) and then expect cooperation from the people whose homes we flattened and family and friends we killed. Not how it works! Ask any child survivor of war and they will tell you to the kid that they want revenge against X people for having murdered their Y family and friends. It’s a never ending cycle unless someone steps in and shows them a better way as we did with the Germans, Italians and Japanese post WWII. We could’ve left Germany, Italy and Japan looking the way Israel and our complicit government left the entirety of Gaza (which will result in more never ending cycles of violence and death), instead we tried to punish those who committed atrocities rather than punishing the victims of their ignorance no matter how many of them shared the hate and hateful ideologies of those they enabled to commit them.
Oh and I’d have listened to my Generals rather than berating and firing them without cause just because they are upholding their Oaths to the Country and Constitution and refuse to be complicit in criminality especially war crimes and atrocities like the bombing of suspected drug boats, shooting of peacefully protesting citizens, inciting violence and insurrection upon the US Capitol or conducting The King Idiots illegal self profit making war crime-“the Excursion on Iran.” I wouldn’t treat our allies like shit and then berate them for not coming to my rescue because I got the country into a war illegally and there’s no foreseeable end to it which is why he gave a written in bigly sharpee for him to read history lesson on the lengths of wars nobody in his draft dodging family has ever served in. And why he is asking for the Bigliest defense spending bill in history. He knows it will persist and he wants to ensure he and all his cronies know which contracts will be awarded to the defense industry so they can manipulate the stocks in them to their criminal benefit.
And lastly, I’d never start a war just to cover up my criminal culpability in the Epstein Coverup.
do you think the UN has any viable role in peace in ME? Or anywhere for that matter?
Especially when what some sometimes call rogue states are involved.
The UN is a viable ground option for peacekeeping between warring factions like the Serbs/Croats/Bosniaks were. They would be a useful option in Ukraine but Trump will never allow that nor will his overlord Putin. In regard to Iran there is no role for the UN to play. Israel is already targeting them in Lebanon since they observed and reported upon Israeli military atrocities.My best friend is a 10th Bn di Nonni Incursori Italian SF alpha team leader who served alongside me at checkpoint pasta (a colonial era barilla pasta warehouse) where he and 8 of his fellow soldiers were ambushed by Adid’s Militia posing as local police. As the FO on the ground I called for air and troops support but was told to stand down that the Italians were on their own. Not long afterward US Troops were engaged in the ambush and battle is known as Black Hawk Down. This time we called for Italian air and armored support (they were smart enough to deploy with armored vehicles) and Italian General Bruno Loi commander of Italian forces told us to pound sand and rightfully so. My former brother in law who was in Somalia (Mogadishu center) and Bosnia (Sarajevo) the same time frames I was. He is a Carabinieri di Toscania aka a Leatherhead of the rescue of Brigadier General Dozier kidnapped and held captive by Red Brigade Terrorist in the early 80’s, he was also in Beruit when our Marines were targeted by Hezbollah suicide bombers. He helped dig out French and American corpses that fateful day. And he told me how he saw a Marine pulling guard duty with a broomstick and a homage bullseye taped to his chest while standing guard at a remote checkpoint outside the airport the day prior. This was Ronnie Raygun’s watch and responsibility. It was also midway into the Iran Contra crimes committed by the Raygun administration. They have as much US Marine blood on their hands as Hezbollah does for hamstring them with some of the most ridiculous ROE of any deployment yet.
Anyway, I know and have deployed with Paratroopers and Special Operations folks from both the UN and NATO and they all seemed well trained, well equipped and knowledgeable of the history and militaries of the countries they deployed to. UN Forces tend to get hand me down vehicles, aircraft and equipment so I wouldn’t consider them any sort of Quick Reaction Force. They are more Defensive than Offensive in mission and mandate. Iran is NOT something they would have a mission they are trained in unless it was to keep peace between MAGA, the Otzma Yehudit and and the IRGC zealots and fanatics of M’erica, Israel and Iran. Which I find absolutely hilarious and amazing, 3 racist fascist groups and ideologies who share more in common with one another then they have differences slugging it out while pointing fingers at one another for the things they all do and have done. Criminals every last one of them! I’d trust a NATO/UN soldier over any of those involved in this war any day anytime. Anyone who has spent real time with them knows how most of them would do or give one of our soldiers anything they could want for without asking for anything in return ever. At least that was then and this is the time of our National Leaders insulting them and tariffing them for not kissing ass and supporting Trump’s crimes against humanity to include Americans!
Apologies for bringing Trump up frequently in my responses. He is after all the one who lied and got us into another Foreign War and must be held accountable for every life and limb lost, multi billion dollar aircraft we lose and every future enemy he has created.