The X and Y Axis of Evil


Those of us who read the newspapers, which tend to be focused on more details than Tv news, have read the stories that neither the administration nor Tv news have focused too much on: Iran was cooperating with the USA after 11 Sept 2001. They were helping us go after the Taliban and catching terrorists. Of course, I’ve learned recently they also had a self-interested motive in doing so as the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan was [along with Iraq] one of their long-time rivals. However, they were helping us. Then Bush named Iraq, Iran, and North Korea in the Axis of Evil in the 2002 State of the Union. Besides providing a lot of fodder for SNL and other Late Night Shows, this had the effect of Iran ceasing to help us. They were thinking, “Axis of Evil? You SoB, we were just helping you in Afghanistan!”

Yesterday I learned on “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”, an NPR news quiz show, that the only reason the Axis of Evil was created is that the Administration didn’t want it to seem that they were focusing too much on just Iraq. So Condeleeza Rice told them to add Iran and North Korea. So these countries were arbitrarily added just to pad their justification for the Iraq war and have led to all kinds of unforeseen consequences. I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but perhaps if Iran had not been named we wouldn’t be in as much of a situation right now over their nuclear program. I know they were doing it covertly anyway, but perhaps we would have been able to negotiate a little better and there wouldn’t be so much rhetoric back and forth.

I hope the next President is surrounded by less ineptitude.

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2 responses to “The X and Y Axis of Evil”

  1. Regardless of their Axis of Evil status, I don’t think Iran would be negotiating over their nuclear program simply because what we’re going through with Iran is, I think, going the direction of biblical prophecy.

    In the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel speaks of the War of Gog and Magog. If you run down the list of countries and compare the Biblical names with the modern countries, you find that there’s two current players who’re standing out: Persia (Iran) and Magog (Russia). There’s an alliance of several countries, but regardless they come against Israel (and God wipes them out).

    Iran’s been enriching uranium, provided by Russia. Iran’s president has called for “The destruction of Israel”. Putin’s been essentially setting himself up as the next great dictator of Russia (switching the regional governors from elected to Kremlin-appointed, and journalists who investigate his pet projects have a nasty habit of dying. Let’s not forget, the man’s ex-KGB…). It’s scary when you look at what’s going on over there.

    Oh, and did I mention Iran captured 15 British sailors for “entering Iranian waters” (they thought the ship was smuggling cars and were taken at gunpoint)

  2. Yeah, it’s not so much that things would be peachy, but that perhaps they wouldn’t be AS bad or perhaps we’d at least have the moral high ground. We could say that we tried to cooperate, they’re the jerks.

    As far as Putin and Biblical Prophecy, I certainly feel that way some days, but the truth will come if he allows elections and whatnot.

    Personally, perhaps I’m a selfish bastard, but I’d prefer for the stuff in Revelations not to happen in my lifetime. Sure, some people believe in a pre-“bad stuff” Rapture, but some people believe in a mid-“bad stuff” rapture. Therefore, it’s not clear if we’d have to go through at least some of it. And the Bible IS clear that it’s going to be a real PITA to be alive during that time.

    We’ll see – there’ve been signs that the end was near since right after Jesus ascended. Surely people though that Nero was the Antichrist or even Hitler. Well, maybe not Nero, but Hitler was certainly charming in the early years – which fits the profile – sweet talk them then become evil. People originally equated credit cards with the mark of the beast and now they think of implantable RFIDs as the sign.

    Frankly, the Bible is very clear that it will be a surprise; like a “thief in the night”. So I think if you think we’re getting close – it means we’re not. The logic would seem to say that the more it looks like Armageddon is around the corner, the more it’s not – or it WOULDN’T be like a thief in the night. I’m a big fan of the idea that Bush would be the Antichrist. Not because I don’t like him (although I don’t), but because it’d DEFINITELY be like a thief in the night. He’s like the uber-Christian president, so I think it’d be fascinating for him to the be anti-Christ.