Too Many Axes To Be Evil?
No doubt, you're aware that the "Axis of Evil" label popularized by Bush Jr. has resurfaced, though the recent iteration dropped Iraq and added China and Russia, the last two having proven themselves Satan's nations by opting for paths that depend on "collaboration" rather the usual "subjugation". Putin and Xi are the new devils, as they, along with their evil buddies, Iran and North Korea, aim to influence a confused and developing world to accept a fairly-applied and globally-universal (oxymoron?) law-based order rather than the... sigh: Rules-Based one and the US hegemony that comes with it.
I'm sure the Old Testament warned us of these people.
Actually, Iran is already part of another Axis, called the "Axis of Resistance"; it actually leads it, we are told.
How many axes can one have and not be considered a serial killer is the logical conclusion. For some.
This seems like more manipulation to get us all to hate Iran.
Sigh.
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Iran's primary axis refers to what Wikipedia describes as "an informal anti-Israeli and anti-Western political and military coalition led by Iran. It includes militant groups in Palestine, the Syrian Government, and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Pro-Syrian Ba'athist militias, Iraqi Shia militias that are part of the Iraqi government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Houthi movement in Yemen are also considered part of the alliance."
In short, everyone in the region that the West has some beef with.
And what some have realised and some seem to overlook, is that, today, this fact becoming a firmly cemented reality if Tel-Aviv's savagery continues or the ground invasion proceeds in any manner that it promises to be, is that the Axis of Resistance will widen to include far more than those groups, the vast majority of Arabs and Persians coming together.
To "resist"? Or to be "evil"?
If you can't see that only the first makes sense, then you know damn well that you're a neocon.
And no, that wasn't a Jeff Foxworthy bit.
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The Axis of Evil Resistance, you say?
Sigh.
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Presently, four US Carrier groups are active.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) left the Norfolk Naval Station, in Virginia, US, on 14-Oct-2023; its destination—which it has now reached—is alongside the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
In a statement released by the Pentagon late Saturday, 14-Oct, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said:
“The Eisenhower CSG will join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which arrived earlier this week.
"The increases to U.S. force posture signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.”
This seems to contradict some claims that the Eisenhower would be replacing the Ford, due for a retrofit. Or maybe I'm getting the ships referenced confused?
On 19-Oct-2023, without previous mention or an official announcement, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) left Naval Air Station North Island, California, for a “deployment to the Indo-Pacific."
A spokesperson for US 3rd Fleet provided a statement confirming Vinson was underway but did not disclose the carrier’s deployment status.
“USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is currently underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet are of operations. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.”
Don't forget, "security" means "to the US' benefit, or that of its loyal allies", hence how the US justifies stealing millions of barrels from Iranian ships on their way to China for bogus reasons it invented. Add to that the looniness of US sanctions and no one wanted to unload the barrels once the ship was forced into a US dock, fearing sanctions for unloading all that stolen Iranian oil if they set foot on the ship or handled any barrel. It took 7 months or there about to find a crew willing to come down to the US to finally unload the oil. Imagine the cost for the ship owners. Unbelievable. And the US did the same with arms.
Meanwhile, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) "returned to San Diego October 27, after completing 10 days of sea trials and carrier qualifications." (Source)
Lincoln just set sail today. Unclear where to. But past the western part of the Indo-Pacific would be my guess.
Lastly, let's not forget USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) which is considered "deployed" and is engaged in "fleet activities" in Yokosuka, Japan.
That brings up the count of deployed Carrier Strike Groups to five.
How can Washington not have "war" on its mind?
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Each aircraft carrier is a part of what’s referred to as a carrier strike group (CSG), which is an "operational formation" composed of roughly 7,500 personnel; navigating along an aircraft carrier and its carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft, including drones, the formation usually includes at least one cruiser and a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers or frigates.
As well, one or two attack submarines. Maybe. Can you spot them? Then shut up!
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China has moved a fleet of six ships into the area as a message. These boats should not be laughed at even if, on their own, they may not pose a real threat to the US Navy.
Russia now has Kinzhal-armed Migs continually patrolling an area that's within their territory but well within a range allowing them to target the US fleets in the Mediterranean sea, rendering the US carriers massively expensive sitting ducks.
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One thing that the Biden Bunch's turn in office made evident is how entitled Washington believes itself to be and how lazy its players have become, having not only lost all sense of diplomacy but also the willingness to do what's right about that, and to make a real effort, not pander, only saying what's deemed to be the current in thing to appease a restless Global South as Biden continues his ridiculous sanctions and bans and bullying ways as the US struggles all the more to grab complete dominion over the tech world and its chip needs. Because Capitalism is only fair and secure if totally under a US control.
All of those efforts have failed miserably, from putting a hold on the lithography machines needed to produce chips, maneuvers jeopardising access to gallium and germanium, through to screwing Apple royally in the smartphone market.
And did you hear the one about the EU Witch, Ursula wonda if Lyin' officially stating that the West should be given full control of China's rare earth minerals, those being too valuable to the manufacturing world... in a US hegemonic world. No joke.
Sadly, on the fossil fuel front, Washington's efforts are proving to be mostly costly duds as well if not environmental catastrophes, though the problem there, too, is really one that stems out of the Western mindset that's applied, as it's still what leads the West. Blindly, nowadays.
With that, having failed to weaken Russia as hoped and fearing what a hot war with China truly entails but still being arrogant enough to go after Iran is what's taking shape.
The primary reason, besides all the value fluff offered and the empty-but-flowery BS-smelling rhetoric delivered?
Oil, of course.
As Wall Street has suggested, hurting Iran's oil production would be good for the US.
Plus, destroying Iran is such a long-time US-imperialist dream and think how happy Lindsay Graham will be.
To any sane folk: It's complete and utter madness.
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Image credit: - www.defense.gov (hence, Public Domain of the US)
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