Axis of evil expands!

[uh Clem]

SatireWire wasn't that far off when they ran this last January...two out of three...

[Saint Marcus]

yeah indeed. I read that article too.

[Saint Marcus]

Any predictions on who will be the next 3 nations to join the Axis of Evil? Apart from the obvious choice of Belgium.

[chequita guevara]

Russia, China, and Vietnam?

[- Groucho -]

I don't think you get the criteria, Che. They have to be:

1. Not a real serious threat, but enough of a threat that you can imagine the US feeling justified in bombing the crap out of them
2. Strategically important to the US.

How about, with their leaders getting just a little more overtly anti-american: Venezuela, Indonesia and Algeria?

They missed you the first time, Hugo ... you won't be so lucky twice.

[DinoDoc]

I don't even know why they call it an axis of evil anymore. I think the name Sinister Six describes the group much better.

BTW, Cuba was probably added to the "axis" as an indirect attempt to taint Chavez who counts Castro as on of his closest allies.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus


So because a country *might* be developing WOM, and because a country *might* someday use them against the USA, makes them "evil"? Pretty stupid definition of "evil".

Also, China has WOM and is at times openly hostile towards the USA. Why isn't China a member of the Axis of Evil? They are more of a threath than Cuba.

And lets not forget other nations developping WOMs. Pakistan, India, Israel...besides China, Russia, France, Britain and the USA that is.

USA develops WOMs = Good
Cuba develops WOMs= Evil

Ok, let me ask you if you are in favor of arming terrorists with WoMD so that instead of killing 4000 and taking out a few blocks of New York, the whole city is wiped off the planet?

Let us not forget that if we defend New York effectively, the terrorists just might instead attack Amsterdam or some other major Western city.

Ned

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Echinda
I don't think you get the criteria, Che.

I was being silly. I considered putting Lichtenstein.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
BTW, Cuba was probably added to the "axis" as an indirect attempt to taint Chavez who counts Castro as on of his closest allies.

I'm impressed. Good analysis.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I'm impressed. Good analysis.

I got it from a stratfor article while it was free and it seemed to make more sense to me than the Cuban voter angle.

[KrazyHorse]

Does anybody else find it amusing that the US' open door to Cuban refugees has had, quite simply, the effect of significantly reducing opposition to Castro by enticing dissidents to leave?

Wouldn't the US want anti-Castroites staying in Cuba and causing problems?

[rah]

Naw, we're stockpiling them for the next "bay of pigs" adventure.

RAH

[KrazyHorse]

Please do. I can always use a good laugh at the States' expense.

[Saint Marcus]

Ok, let me ask you if you are in favor of arming terrorists with WoMD so that instead of killing 4000 and taking out a few blocks of New York, the whole city is wiped off the planet?

We all know about those Cuban and North Korean suicide bombers, don't we?

It makes no sense, no sense at all, to put Cuba and North Korea in the same league as terrorist supporting nations like Iran and Libya.

And let's not forget that the only nation who has ever used WoMDs has been the USA, who indeed wiped out two cities, and who still has the largest stockpile of those WoMDs.

Now you tell me: why are Cuba and North Korea put together with terrorists? Why do you hate Cuba so much, since hardly any nation has a quarral with them? What makes all those nations "evil"?

On the last question, wrong answers would be:

1. "because they have repressive governements." If that's the criteria, half the world would be in the Axis of Evil.
2. "because they are developping WoMDs." If that's the criteria, China, Russia, Israel, France, Britain, India, Pakistan and the USA should be part of the Axis of Evil as well.
3. "because they train terrorists". If that's the criteria, many other nations should be added to the Axis of Evil, and Cuba and North Korea should be taken of it.
4. "because they hate the USA". So if you hate the US you are evil, and if you like the US (but still oppress your people, and you still develop WoMDs) you are "good"?

Now I leave it to you to find a good answer. Explain to me why those 6 nations are on, and others aren't.

Of course, the real reason is: domestic politics. Calling enemies of the USA evil always sells well with the general uneducated public.

[Ned]

Saint Marcus, North Korea and Cuba clearly are different to the extent they are not "terrorist" countries.

I believe we have had a very long prohibition on WoMD in Cuba, dating from Kennedy. We virtually have no defense against short range missiles launched from Cuba.

We put NK in the same category because they seem to like shooting missiles at Japan. We have insisted that Japan not develop nuclear weapons of its own. So we protect them.

Ned