Friday, May 22, 2015

God Help Us All

I don't know which is the biggest threat - Iran, or China. I do know, however, that the SCoaMF currently wasting oxygen in the White House is clueless when it comes to dealing with either one.

First, China:

Pentagon goes public with latest dust-up in South China Sea
The U.S. military has begun to carefully but publicly challenge Chinese island-building on disputed reefs and shoals in the South China Sea, creating fresh tension in a potential global tinderbox as both countries shift forces into the area.

In the latest incident, a Chinese military dispatcher demanded repeatedly that a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft leave as it flew near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands, where China has dredged hundreds of yards of coral and sand and built an airstrip on what it claims is sovereign territory.

"Foreign military aircraft, this is Chinese navy. You are approaching our military alert zone. Leave immediately," the Chinese dispatcher said in a radio transmission, the Navy recounted Thursday.

When the U.S. crew responded that it was flying in international airspace, the Chinese dispatcher answered, "This is the Chinese navy.... You go!"
Thankfully, the Navy aircrew is more professional than me. I would have responded with something along the lines of "This is the U.S. Navy - You blow me!"
Regional tension has grown since President Obama announced a so-called U.S. strategic pivot to Asia four years ago, in part to keep an eye on a fast-rising China. The administration has shifted ships and troops to the Western Pacific and expanded military ties with several countries worried about China's growing clout, including Japan, the Philippines, Australia and, to a lesser extent, Vietnam.

The renewed American focus on the region appears to have led to unintended consequences, however. Beijing has become more aggressive in asserting its maritime and territorial claims in the South China and East China seas.
Gee, what a surprise. An obama foreign policy initiative has resulted in 'unintended consequences.'

Kind of like in the Mid East.
Iran's supreme leader vowed Wednesday he will not allow international inspection of Iran's military sites or access to Iranian scientists under any nuclear agreement with world powers.
As if that's not bad enough, here's the other shoe dropping.

US presses Israel on talks for Middle East nuclear-free zone
The United States has sent a top official to Israel in an effort to revive talks on a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, a central issue of a nuclear treaty review conference that some fear will end Friday without progress on global disarmament.

Secretary of State John Kerry this month called the proposed zone an "ambitious goal and fraught with challenges" but worth pursuing.

Iran, a party to the treaty and engaged in talks with world powers on its own nuclear program, this month spoke on behalf of more than 100 mostly developing countries in calling for Israel to give up its nuclear weapons, calling them a regional threat.
So according to obama, it's okay for a theocracy that openly calls for the destruction of Western civilization to have nukes, but not the only true democracy in the region?!?

Oh my aching back...

3 comments:

Old NFO said...

Everybody is jumping on the piss on America bandwagon...

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Hope we can survive the next two years.

CenTexTim said...

NFO - It's getting pretty crowded, that's for sure.

WSF - It's gonna be tough, but I think we'll make it.