Tannishblog

Increasingly over the past year, lyrics from an old Elvis Costello song arise, unbidden, from my sub conscience. The concept of the End of Days is becoming more real to me.

I’m no born-again evangelist - far from it; I don’t see a Christian Rapture in our future. I can’t help feeling, though, that people inclined to such concepts may be stacking the deck toward Armageddon just so they can stand in the ashes of civilization and scream "I told you so!"

Our teetering toward disaster coincides well with the rise in power of the Christian Right in America. Indeed, it is the policies and business interests of the God-fearing that brought us fiscal insolvency of banking institutions and corporate socialism, two un-winnable wars and a bankrupt nation. I am reminded of George Warmonger Bush in 2000 telling the press he answers to a higher father than his biological sire. I think he got his deities confused. Based upon the decisions made, our Despot-in-Chief may be chatting up the wrong dude.

Being the self-proclaimed "Decider," GWB has become the fall guy for failed policy, but he’s had plenty of help. Since November 2006, when the Democrats in congress became the majority again, I have painfully witnessed the duplicity of my Party-of-Choice. As exemplified by Nancy Pelosi’s treasonous refusal to hold our government accountable for demonstrable criminal tactics, I acknowledge the hard truth: We’re Doomed.

Even our media’s Favorite Son cannot deliver redemption to our broken civilization. Not without hard sacrifices by every American can we expect our nation to repair itself. Given the willful self-delusion of most of us, the self-absorption and greed, I can’t see that happening. no-one will sacrifice they’re lifestyle, if we can continue to pretend that lifestyle is not bourn upon the backs of the poorest nations on earth. As much as I like, and will vote for, Obama, redemption is not in his power.

I can hear the distant screams of the steeds of the four horsemen. You can too if you listen…

While the world and its media beasts are distracted by the Olympic spirit, complete with it’s altruistic dream of human coexistence, a joint fleet of US and British ships are on their way to form a blockade of Iran.

An Illegal blockade mean to provoke Iranian hostilities further:

The build up of naval forces in the Gulf will be one of the largest multi-national naval armadas since the First and Second Gulf Wars. The intent is to create a US/EU naval blockade (which is an Act of War under international law) around Iran (with supporting air and land elements) to prevent the shipment of benzene and certain other refined oil products headed to Iranian ports. Iran has limited domestic oil refining capacity and imports 40% of its benzene. Cutting off benzene and other key products would cripple the Iranian economy. The neo-cons are counting on such a blockade launching a war with Iran.

The "largest multi-national naval armada" is not hyperbole:

The US Naval forces being assembled include the following:

Carrier Strike Group Nine
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing Two
Destroyer Squadron Nine:
USS Mobile Bay (CG53) guided missile cruiser
USS Russell (DDG59) guided missile destroyer
USS Momsen (DDG92) guided missile destroyer
USS Shoup (DDG86) guided missile destroyer
USS Ford (FFG54) guided missile frigate
USS Ingraham (FFG61) guided missile frigate
USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG60) guided missile frigate
USS Curts (FFG38) guided missile frigate
Plus one or more nuclear hunter-killer submarines

Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group
USS Peleliu (LHA-5) a Tarawa-class amphibious assault carrier
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) assult ship
USS Dubuque (LPD8) assult ship/landing dock
USS Cape St. George (CG71) guided missile cruiser
USS Halsey (DDG97) guided missile destroyer
USS Benfold (DDG65) guided missile destroyer

Carrier Strike Group Two
USS Theodore Roosevelt (DVN71) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing Eight
Destroyer Squadron 22
USS Monterey (CG61) guided missile cruiser
USS Mason (DDG87) guided missile destroyer
USS Nitze (DDG94) guided missile destroyer
USS Sullivans (DDG68) guided missile destroyer

USS Springfield (SSN761) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine

IWO ESG ~ Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group
USS Iwo Jima (LHD7) amphibious assault carrier
with its Amphibious Squadron Four
and with its 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
USS San Antonio (LPD17) assault ship
USS Velia Gulf (CG72) guided missile cruiser
USS Ramage (DDG61) guided missile destroyer
USS Carter Hall (LSD50) assault ship
USS Roosevelt (DDG80) guided missile destroyer

USS Hartfore (SSN768) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine

Carrier Strike Group Seven
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing 14
Destroyer Squadron 7
USS Chancellorsville (CG62) guided missile cruiser
USS Howard (DDG83) guided missile destroyer
USS Gridley (DDG101) guided missile destroyer
USS Decatur (DDG73) guided missile destroyer
USS Thach (FFG43) guided missile frigate
USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) fast combat support ship

Also likely to join the battle armada:

UK Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal Carrier Strike Group with assorted guided missile destroyers and frigates, nuclear hunter-killer submarines and support ships

French Navy nuclear powered hunter-killer submarines (likely the Amethyste and perhaps others), plus French Naval Rafale fighter jets operating off of the USS Theodore Roosevelt as the French Carrier Charles de Gaulle is in dry dock, and assorted surface warships

Various other US Navy warships and submarines and support ships. The following USN ships took part (as the "enemy" forces) in Operation Brimstone and several may join in:

USS San Jacinto (CG56) guided missile cruiser
USS Anzio (CG68) guided missile cruiser
USS Normandy (CG60) guided missile cruiser
USS Carney (DDG64) guided missile destroyer
USS Oscar Austin (DDG79) guided missile destroyer
USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG81) guided missile destroyer
USS Carr (FFG52) guided missile frigate

This news is startling, to be sure, Even US friend and beneficiary, Kuwait is worried, issuing a "War Alert" in preparation for the hostilities.

And what are the NeoCon Christian Dominuists overlords calling this new escalation? Operation Brimstone. Now that the joint training in the Atlantic is finished, it’s time to start the fires of hell.