The Houthis are hitting Aramco facilities, airports and Riyadh itself, and Saudi Arabia is calling everyone for help: 200 US advisors, British refueling, French air defense, troops from Turkey and Pakistan under a Mecca defense pact that so far looks symbolic. Peter Erickson explains why this coalition is impressive on paper and probably worthless on the ground. Taiz is encircled and about to fall, the claimed capture of Mocha has no evidence behind it, and the richest country in the Arab world is losing to the poorest for one reason the money cannot buy: the Houthis were the only ones who stood up for Gaza, and the whole region knows it.Then the Strait of Hormuz. American accounts say oil flow is back to pre war levels and the US has won. Peter walks through the Kpler and TankerTrackers numbers, why Iran may have deliberately let tankers through for a price, and why sneaking oil out at $15 to $33 a barrel in extra costs is no victory when Iran was charging one dollar. Either Washington accepts Iranian control of the strait or the region's energy infrastructure burns. We discuss the rosy scenario (petrodollar collapse, midterm wipeout, MBS switching sides) and whether China is the only power that can broker a way out.Finally Europe. Is the fastest route to World War Three a NATO grab at Kaliningrad? Russia has told NATO governments in writing that it will defend the exclave by all means up to nuclear weapons, while Sikorski and Merz keep talking it up. We trace the line from Versailles and Woodrow Wilson to today's leaders who never learned that lesson, revisit Nord Stream and the German politicians still funding the people who may have blown up their own pipeline, and look at the first real crack in Kiev: the most followed member of the Rada now openly says Ukraine is losing and must accept neutrality. Charlie's verdict: he would call the Houthis before he called NATO.00:00 Good morning00:07 Saudi Arabia under fire: who is actually helping MBS10:04 Richest Arab country vs poorest, and why MBS cannot understand it14:42 The Houthis' moral high ground is the weapon18:15 Did the US win the Strait of Hormuz? Reading the tanker numbers26:58 Two paths: accept Iranian control or the whole Gulf burns30:21 The rosy scenario: petrodollar collapse, midterms, MBS switches sides34:08 Can China broker a new Middle East security architecture?36:51 Kaliningrad: the fastest way to start World War Three38:25 Versailles, Woodrow Wilson and the wars we never understood45:30 Sikorski's threats and Russia's nuclear warning on Kaliningrad53:02 Nord Stream: Scholz, Biden and the governments still paying Kiev57:29 The most popular man in the Rada says Ukraine is losing1:02:32 Neutrality vs NATO: call the Houthis first1:07:29 How the West keeps electing delusional leadersGo Deeper: https://ruinsreport.com/Substack: https://conversationsamongtheruins.substack.com/

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