this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2024
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[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

It has to be said: considering how many chaotic and relatively recent things are going on in the world that are negatively impacting both Russia’s and China’s geopolitical adversaries, this reads as mighty fuckin’ suspicious, and raises more than a few pointed questions.

[–] random_character_a 21 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Iran is really busy starting shit up. Making west put up their guard and decreasing arms export to Ukraine. Pretty sure Putin is just around the corner pulling strings.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

Iran has been backstopped by the USSR and later Russia since very shortly after the Iranian Revolution concluded. There were good reasons for that (the government they rebelled against was US-friendly, and in fact essentially installed by the US during the Iranian coup back in 1953), but the fact remains that they’ve had significant geopolitical ties for a long time, both overt and covert.

[–] Relo 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Russia started their latest meat wave assault on Awdijiwka just hours after Hamas attacked Israel.

This marked the start of the russian winter offense. Putin was able to distract the media attention for a few weeks but he wasn't able to actually take Awdijiwka.

Iran had massive public banners unrolled just hours after the Hamas attacks. They are all in it.

As long as putin is a free man, governments like North Korea and Venezuela are encouraged to use their military or at least try to blackmail their neighbours.

[–] JustZ 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

What is suspicious about it? What questions?

This is the Axis of Evil. Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, and their proxies, it includes Hamas and Houthis.

I would understand if you've been confused by all the pro Houthis comments here on Lemmee, which is absolutely insane and probably the result of an Iranian influence campaign.

Iran and North Korea funded the tunnels in Gaza.

[–] Jaderick 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

There’s few differences between the state structure of North Korea and Saudi Arabia yet SA doesn’t show up on that list. Also this axis of evil is very funny to me because it’s just clearly from the American perspective, even though the US is to blame (UK is too) for the current shitty Iranian government because they reinstated and propped up the unpopular shah after a democratically elected revolution in the 50s, thus creating the environment the Islamic Revolution used to thrive.

IIRC houthis are Shia and their goal was to overthrow the presumably Sunni SA-backed Yemeni government. They have support from Iran due to Shia ties and are a thorn in SAs power projection in the region. The US is allied to SA and Israel and clashes with Iran so it’s not surprising they’re being used to disrupt western interests. They would clearly have no love for the US because of its weapon provisions to SA.

China and Russia, both adversarial to the US, love this and are clearly using anti-US / west sentiments to their benefit, even though they both are trash authoritarian governments. This is all, likely, a ripple effect from colonialism. China and Russia benefit from the US / the west having to fight the consequences of their colonialism, though both are neo-colonialists themselves.

TLDR: this is all not really that surprising.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

this axis of evil is very funny to me because it's just clearly from the American perspective...

I hope America isn't the only country that sees rampant human rights violations, state sponsored starvation, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of female rights as evil. But if that's truly the case, I'll go ahead and subscribe to that criticism. I'm not sure taking a "That's rich coming from the US!" stance here is the gotcha moment you think it is. The US isn't without fault but, defending these groups from the labels they've been given by the West is like saying the term "death squads" is funny when referring to the Einsatzgruppen because the Allied powers also used toxic gasses during the first world war.

[–] Jaderick 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I think giving a moniker like “Axis of evil” is just silly. The implication is that there’s an “Axis of good”, but good for who? A Houthi could call the West the “axis of evil” and it’s as valid a moniker. You and I both probably agree on a similar morality and the US /Europe are definitely better places for science, intellectualism, and morality; but not as a monolith.

The US currently undergoes rampant human rights violations (border/migrants), state sponsored starvation (ending meal programs) and the destruction of female rights (abortion), coincidentally all exemplified by the One Star state of Texas.

So I wouldn’t call the US as a monolith good. It’s better than Russia, China, Iran, N Korea and others, but we could be doing so much better. Our problem is that we’re fighting anti-imperialist/occupier sentiments from within living memory abroad as well as our own stupids at home.

[–] Relo -2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You could likewise say that it's a ripple effect from russian and Chinese colonialism/imperialism.

[–] Jaderick 2 points 10 months ago

Neocolonialism, but yes indeed! The West’s history of colonialism plays well into Russian and Chinese neocolonialism narratives.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Why is China included in your Axis of Evil? Their leadership might be shit right now but they haven’t started a war and nor are they anything like North Korea. I can visit Shanghai and have a lovely day but I can’t even legally go to Pyongyang, Tehran, or St. Petersburg right now.

Not endorsing the CCP or anything. I condemn Hamas, etc. China just seems like it’s a few notches below the others.

[–] JustZ 0 points 10 months ago

That's a fair point, they could be worse than they have been lately. They are there for their abysmal human rights record, their refusal to recognize basic rights, their annexation of nearby peaceful countries, treatment of dissidents, sectarian violence, their threats and reckless behavior in the South China Sea, corrupt trade practices, exploitation of desperate nations, total lack of transparency or democratic accountability, and for directly supporting the other shithole authoritarian states on my list that who are fantasizing about a China or Russia dominated new world order. Nothing against the people of China and I don't claim the US and the West has been perfect beacons of freedom and human rights but we try and sometimes we come close. China never comes close.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

State run concentration/reeducation camps and almost complete lack of civil liberties sure seems fitting for the description 'evil'.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres 1 points 10 months ago

I’m not saying China is a force for good. I’m saying one could have a relatively normal life in China whereas North Korea is on a different level. China, despite its ambitions and obnoxiousness in the South China Sea, isn’t funding several proxy militias like Iran. It hasn’t invaded Mongolia or even Taiwan.

What Modi and Hindu nationalists are doing in India is despicable. Four fifths of the world’s starving people are currently in Gaza. The Rohingya ethnic cleansing is ongoing. The Horn of Africa is a hot mess. There’s a lot of evil in the world right now. I wouldn’t put China 4th worst.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Not sure what you mean re: “pro-Houthi comments” - I am not seeing much of that. At least in the communities I frequent, there doesn’t seem to be too much sympathy for a non-state actor who’s simply bandwagoning on the whole “let’s shoot missiles at Israel and see what happens” thing.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The closest I’ve seen are leftists annoyed that we’re willing to protect shipping lanes but not human life in Gaza and elsewhere. No one considers Houthis shooting missiles at civilian ships a legitimate form of protest or anything, though.

It’s sort of like how no one supports Hamas but people are like, “Do you condemn Hamas?” if you criticize Israel. Yes, motherfucker! I condemn Hamas. I just hate Netanyahu too.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It’s super frustrating how most people are locked into a zero-sum mindset, and fail to understand that two sides fighting each other can both be bad in different ways such that there’s not really a “good guy”.

[–] Buddahriffic 2 points 10 months ago

Don't assume everyone who makes those arguments believes them. Also don't assume they see "good" and "bad" the same way you do.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

"Axis of evil" bruh no. These are all pretty horrible states, but don't act like the West isn't currently funding and protecting a genocide. They're not any more evil than the West.

[–] JustZ 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

How far did you go in school? I'm genuinely curious and mean no disrespect.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I... Have no idea how to respond to this, but I guess I'm in college?

[–] JustZ 0 points 10 months ago

Well stick with it. Learn how you learn.