The Arc Of Evil's Inevitability

The conceit of many journalists, who think in terms of daily events, is that nothing is inevitable until it actually occurs. That's absurd of course, though it usually takes hindsight to demonstrate that the course of human history, like a runaway train, was going to crash at foreseeable points.
Just as the national media in the United States bought into the Liar-in-Chief's bullshit that Israel 'unilaterally' attacked Iran, they accepted the cant that US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities was 'undecided' until the bunker busting B-2's were on their way to Fordow. The truth is that this was a hand-in-glove operation between Netanyahu and Trump all along.
And so once again, 'the US has gone to war in the Middle East on the back of a lie, on disputed, faulty intelligence purposefully distorted for political reasons.' However, prior impunity without accountability brings increasing consequences at home and abroad.
Trump suffers from even greater delusion than Bush-Cheney, since he believes not only is the USA all-powerful, he is all-powerful. He actually thinks that dropping 30,000-pound bombs and launching dozens of cruise missiles can be a one-off, and that Iran will 'negotiate' while he demands their 'unconditional surrender.'
It's risible to repeat the narrative, 'Trump, the isolationist president who vowed to avoid foreign wars, has walked slap bang into a trap prepared by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu.' What point is there in debating which demon is more cunning?
Yes, POTUS looked like the dumb ass he is wearing his red, Make America Great Again hat in the Situation Room, his glowering face caked with tanning makeup as 'my generals' fulfilled their illegal orders to launch an unprovoked attack on another nation.
But when dealing with two conduits of evil admittedly collaborating, it's witless to hew to a narrative of one leading and the other resisting. Netanyahu and Trump are both puppets of collective and personal darkness, two of the worst excreta of human nature and history, no more in control of events than they are of their diarrhetic minds.
As usual, Trump told the truth after a blizzard of lies. 'I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,' he said. 'We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.'
Netanyahu echoed, 'Congratulations, President Trump, your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.'
Even as this farcical charade unfolded in an arc of evil inevitability, the cable and legacy media kept repeating, 'no one knows what's going to happen next.'
Sure we do. Every non-nuclear nation that doesn't want to be attacked by a nuclear nation will secretly race to get nuclear weapons. After all, Iran's hawks in the Revolutionary Guard were proven right: they wouldn't have been attacked if they hadn't been a member of the NPT, as Israel isn't, and had developed nuclear weapons, as Israel has.
And as nukes will now inevitably proliferate, they will inevitably be used at some point in the foreseeable future.
The next step on the 'ladder of escalation' is less certain. But Iran has nothing to lose. Israel didn't even pause its bombing campaign after Trump unleashed the biggest bombs the US has other than nukes. Now the two bastards are talking about regime change.
Since America won't launch a ground war over a few dead sailors or soldiers if Iran retaliates against American bases or warships in the region, what will the dope and dupe in the White House do next?
The coward may well launch every bomber and cruise missile the US can deliver from its forces in the region. And if Iran withstands the bombing and is resupplied with missiles from Russia? Trump will again threaten Tehran will nuclear annihilation. But as stupid as he is, he isn't suicidal, since that would start a third world war.
In terms of conventional weapons, militarily depleted or not, Iran's network of alliances with regional militias remain dangerous. Indeed, which is more dangerous, a sunning rattlesnake with all its venom, or a cornered rattler with half its venom?
Ironically then, Iran now holds the cards. Israel and America have done their worst, and will keep doing it. At minimum, Iran is coordinating with its allies and proxies in the region and beyond, planning a sustained campaign against American and Israeli targets.
For example, a Tehran-backed Shia militia in Iraq, Kata'ib Hezbollah, has threatened to target US interests in the Middle East in response to Washington's participation in Israel's support. One of its commanders, Abu Ali al-Askari, was quoted on CNN as saying that US bases in the region 'will become akin to duck-hunting grounds.'
Netanyahu and Trump are total puppets of man's darkest subconscious impulses. They only believe they have choices, when in truth they cannot help but act out of their demented evil.
Movements and protests make no difference. Man's demons will continue to rule until enough human beings awaken and negate the darkness within without resistance, conflict or violence.
At present, that appears to be a long way off, if ever.
Martin LeFevre - Meditations
Scoop Contributor
Martin LeFevre is a contemplative and philosopher.
His sui generis 'Meditations' explore spiritual, philosophical and political questions relating to the polycrisis facing humanity.
lefevremartin77@gmail

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Newsroom

2 hours ago

• Newsroom

US attacks on Iran further unnerve already volatile markets

US President Donald Trump's decision over the weekend to join Israel in launching missile strikes on Iran creates yet another serious headwind for the global economy already dealing with the fallout from the recent imposition of tariffs on goods entering the US and rapidly weakening business and consumer confidence. Equity markets are expected to sell-off on the news given the increased geopolitical risks and a likely spike in the price of oil with the NZ sharemarket being the first to indicate the extent of the fall when it begins trading at 10am today. Politically, the decision to strike Iran marks a dramatic turning point in Trump's presidency after campaigning for his second term on a pledge to be a peacemaker who ends 'forever wars'. The decision to launch military action will result in a range of potentially dramatic outcomes for financial markets to consider including the possible blocking of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes each day, the risk of attacks on US ships and bases in the Middle East, not to mention the possibility for retaliatory terrorist attacks given the now elevated threat level. And then there are always the unforeseen consequences that result from these hasty military actions, including the potential for the destruction of the Fordow nuclear plant to permanently contaminate local water sources. But foremost on investors minds will be the impact on the all-important oil price. Brent crude oil closed on Friday at US$77 a barrel, a five-month high, up almost 4 percent for the week and a whopping 33 percent since early May when it fell to a low of US$58 a barrel. It's fair to say investors have been surprisingly complacent in recent weeks about the growing instability in the Middle East and the threat of Israel launching attacks on Iran. Expect petrol prices at the pump to respond rapidly this week to reflect the growing geopolitical turmoil putting further pressure on already stretched household budgets. And a continued spike in oil prices and their inflationary impact is just what central banks didn't want and haven't factored into their forecasts. Given slightly better-than-expected Q1 GDP data locally last week the combination will likely mean the RBNZ will opt to pause on a further cut in the OCR next month. The question now is how much could we see oil prices spike and, more importantly, how will Iran respond to the US attacks? Moreover, could this latest action potentially lead to a regime change with the additional risks that would entail for the price of oil? Historically, regime changes in major oil-producing countries such as Iran have had a significant impact on global oil prices, according to US investment banking group JPMorgan. In a recent note to clients it said further political destabilisation in Iran 'could lead to significantly higher oil prices sustained over extended periods'. There have been eight cases of regime change in major oil-producing countries since 1979, according to the bank. It noted oil prices spiked 76 percent on average at their peak in the wake of these changes, before pulling back to stabilise at a price about 30 percent higher compared with pre-crisis levels. It cited the example of oil prices nearly tripling from mid-1979 to mid-1980 after the Iranian revolution deposed the Shah and brought the Islamic Republic to power. That triggered a worldwide economic recession. More recently, the revolution in Libya that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi jolted oil prices from US$93 per barrel in January 2011 to US$130 per barrel by April that year. That price spike coincided with the European debt crisis and almost resulted in a global recession, according to the bank. However, regime change in Iran would have a much bigger impact on the global oil market than the 2011 revolution in Libya because it is a significantly bigger producer. If the market were to price in up to three million barrels a day going offline that would have a dramatic increase on oil prices, according to analysts. Moreover, if the regime in Iran believes it is facing an existential crisis, it could use its stockpile of short-range missiles to target energy facilities in the wider region and oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told business news network CNBC over the weekend. Tehran could also try to mine the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow body of water between Iran and Oman through which about 20 percent of the world's oil flows daily, Croft said. There are already reports that Iran is jamming ship transponders and impeding GPS services which will further interrupt the flow of shipping traffic with several government ministries already warning their vessels to avoid the strait as much as possible. In a worst-case scenario, oil prices could easily surge above US$100 per barrel if Iran fully mobilises to disrupt shipping in the strait, according to Bob McNally, a former energy advisor to President George W Bush. 'They could potentially disrupt shipping through Hormuz by a lot longer than the market thinks.' Shipping could be interrupted for weeks or months, McNally told CNBC, rather than the oil market's view that the United States Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, would resolve the situation in hours or days. 'It would not be a cakewalk,' McNally said. NZ corporate governance standards called into question While the US has its 'Magnificent Seven' stocks that have been responsible for powering the market ever higher, NZ has a collection of prominent listed companies that might be termed the 'Shabby Five' for having done the complete opposite, according to a new report. Highlighting multiple areas of weak corporate governance including a lack of strategic vision, poor capital allocation and insufficient self-reflection, the report from investment advisors Forsyth Barr should be compulsory reading for all directors serving on company boards. Focusing on five underperforming companies in particular – Fletcher Building, Ryman Healthcare, SkyCity Entertainment, The Warehouse Group and Synlait Milk – the report makes for depressing reading, while noting there were several other potential candidates that could also have been included in the mix, most notably Spark and Kathmandu. Though the combination of the Covid-19 pandemic followed by a painful recession have created challenging conditions for many businesses, the report notes several red flags that were evident along the way that should have acted as a warning for shareholders. And as the following table highlights, those shareholders in each of the five companies covered in the report have every reason to feel aggrieved after suffering a significant deterioration in the value of their investments in recent years. The report's lead author, Katie Beith, a corporate governance specialist, said a growing concern about the underperformance of a number of listed companies led to the commissioning of the report. And rather than seeking to lay blame, she said the intention was to highlight areas of weakness that needed to be improved and to learn from those experiences. 'My curiosity was initially sparked around examining the effectiveness of good corporate governance and working with our analysts to identify if there were common themes where things were going wrong that could be improved upon.' And on that point, the report indeed highlights multiple areas of weakness in the performance of each of the companies, which Beith says should act as an early warning sign for shareholders, most notably poor cash conversion and capital discipline. 'All of the five case studies showed weak financial discipline – overpaid dividends, rising debt, or growth spending without clear returns, often disconnected from the business cycle,' the report notes. In addition, financial restatements and impairments in all cases (with the exception of SkyCity) signalled overvaluations or misjudged expectations, while long-standing relationships with auditors were seen as reducing auditor independence or normalising incremental risk over time. But perhaps the most concerning finding was the fact three of the five companies – Fletcher Building, Ryman and Synlait – do not conduct annual board assessments, which are seen as an important element of supporting accountability and providing stronger governance. So does this suggest boards themselves should be subject to some form of audit with these findings included in annual reports? Beith believes it's something that should be considered, though perhaps without the need for a formal audit. 'I hope that's one of the evolutions that we would see from this report. Annual assessments foster accountability and identify areas of weakness for development. It also enhances decision making.' Though it is rarely straightforward to pinpoint a single cause when a company experiences a major share price decline, the report noted each of the five companies had faced serious challenges in recent years, many of which were self-inflicted. Fletcher Building dealt poorly with problems in its construction division with inadequate internal systems and a one-size-fits-all reporting structure that failed to reflect the complexity of what were 20+ separate and distinct business units. Additionally, a number of poor capital allocation decisions were made that did not reflect the cyclical nature of its business. 'Management shifted focus to growth before historical construction problems were fully addressed,' the report notes. Ryman Healthcare's debt was built to an unsustainable level culminating in two capital raises within two years. The company failed to take into consideration the impact falling property prices would have on its cashflow position as well as not taking into account the risks in relying on government funding when its cost base was not directly linked to it. Though SkyCity Entertainment has arguably suffered the most as a result of Covid and a dramatic falloff in visitor numbers, particularly from China, the report notes that it too experienced serious governance deficiencies given that it failed to anticipate and act on increased regulatory scrutiny both here and in Australia that has cost it dearly in terms of fines and its corporate reputation more broadly. Synlait Milk's primary challenge has been poor capital allocation – most notably the investment in its Pokeno facility which remains significantly loss making – and an over reliance on a single customer, a2 Milk, with the board appearing to be dismissive of the risks associated with a2s growth prospects leaving it heavily exposed. The report notes the company pursued an aggressive growth strategy based on a 'build it and they will come' rather than taking a more measured 'what if' approach that considered potential threats. When it comes to The Warehouse Group the report notes multiple missteps over more than two decades. These have included a failed expansion into Australia, a costly foray into consumer finance that was eventually shut down, a disastrous venture into sporting goods retailing resulting in a $60 million writedown of its investment in Torpedo 7, and the failure of its integrated online platform which it closed last year after failing to find a buyer. As the report notes, rather than consolidating and strengthening its competitive positions, WHS allocated significant capital toward multiple inorganic ventures most of which failed to deliver, ultimately undermining long-term shareholder value. Shareholders though also need to up their game, according to the report. As anyone who has attended company AGMs knows only too well, the standard of questions generally leaves a lot to be desired. Beith encourages shareholders not to shy away from asking the hard questions including asking about capital allocation decisions, fully explaining the rationale behind strategy and, perhaps most importantly, questioning how risk is being managed 'Don't settle for surface-level answers; probe for clarity on returns, accountability, and alignment with long-term value.' But perhaps the single most important question shareholders constantly need to be asking themselves: is the board demonstrating accountability and engagement? Poor communication with stakeholders – particularly during periods of underperformance – is a definite red flag. Coming up this week Tuesday • Credit Card Spending & Balances (May) – RBNZ • NZ Windfarms SSM Wednesday • Overseas Merchandise Trade (May) – Stats NZ Thursday • Serko AGM Friday • ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Survey • Residential Mortgage Lending (May) – RBNZ • ERoad AGM • Oceania Healthcare AGM

RNZ News

3 hours ago

• RNZ News

NZDF Hercules heading to Middle East to help evacuate Kiwis

A defence force hercules is on route to an undisclosed location in the Middle East, to help evacuate New Zealanders from the conflict zone if its able to. Some air space has been closed since the bombing started between Israel and Iran. The plane will remain on standby in the region to assist if and when possible. President Trump claims US stealth bombers have "totally obliterated" key iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has warned of dangerous consequences. International law expert Associate Professor Anna Hood from the University of Auckland spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.

1News

4 hours ago

• 1News

US signals willingness to renew Iran talks to avoid prolonged war

The Trump administration has signalled a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war in the aftermath of a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites as US officials assessed Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the threat of retaliation against American interests. US President Donald Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night (Washington time), allowed his national security team to speak for him the next morning, staying quiet on social media and scheduling no public appearances. The coordinated messaging by his vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout from the attack would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. This image provided by the Department of Defense shows a chart that was displayed during a news conference by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine at the Pentagon in Washington (Source: Associated Press) Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. ADVERTISEMENT 'Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and deception and met with no Iranian resistance, according to Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth added. Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Caine said. Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss 'sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground,' he felt 'very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon.' Pressed further, he told NBC's Meet the Press that 'I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon.' The vice president said the US had 'negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting 'in good faith.' "I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors, not to a threat to the United States and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears,' Vance said. ADVERTISEMENT Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS's Face the Nation that "there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack" US interests. Maxar satellite image reveals multiple buildings damaged or destroyed at the Isfahan nuclear technology center after US airstrikes (Source: Maxar Technologies) Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the US inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Airstrikes that began earlier this month by Israel targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals, prompting retaliation from Iran and creating a series of events that contributed to the US attack. While US officials urged for caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticized the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities," he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' ADVERTISEMENT China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices have increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. 'Iran found out" that when Trump "says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation," Hegseth said. "Otherwise, that nuclear program, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it.' ADVERTISEMENT That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the US benefited from Iran's weakened air defences as it was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission," Caine said. Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. He added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped a total of 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's sites at Fordo and Natanz. The strikes occurred Saturday between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. in Washington, or roughly 2:10 a.m. on Sunday in Iran.