The Mecca-Medina conflict

 

Styx is experiencing some turbulence right now, but the latest rumor takes the prize. Apparently, some people somewhere claim that he is a Muslim or is becoming one. Eh? The reason seems to be that he wants to end Trump´s war with Iran. So presumably Styx is now a Twelver Shia Muslim, then. As opposed to a Christian Protestant Nationalist? Or what? 

He seems to be an occultic libertarian. As he has been for the past two decades or so. 

And btw, I´m aware of the "Mecca-Medina conflict" and have read the Tibetan Book of the Dead. There!

Hoppsan

 

Pinsamt för det finländska företaget, men varför gjorde shia-muslimerna detta? Är det inte lika pinsamt för dem? Eller bryr de sig inte? Karbala i Irak är förresten shia-islams heligaste stad...

Ayatollan färdas mot sin grav - i en finländsk kylbil

In other news

 

My traditional "Wednesday pic" of Ganesh again, LOL. In other news, Trump has resumed Operation Epic Shitstorm. Stay tuned, I suppose.  

How´s it goin´?

 

What´s up with the peace negotiations between the Iranian non-regime regime and the Trump administration non-administration? Does anyone know? More importantly, does anyone even care?

It´s interesting to note that the United States has become the world´s largest exporter of oil due to the Hormuz crisis. Very interesting indeed. Maybe that´s why finding a solution to the situation isn´t the first priority of this administration...

The era of "great" power brigandage has begun. Perhaps we should all care about *that*, at least! 

From Kabul to Hormuz

 

Very little about Iran on pro-Trump "news site" Breitbart News just now. Sure wonder why. Imagine if Biden had fucked up this hard somewhere in the Greater Middle East, I mean, Breitbart would have been all over the place attacking him for betraying Amerika, sounding almost like bellicose Neo-Cons in the process...

I *know* they would sound like that. Because, you see, they did...in 2021, at the fall of Kabul. But now, radio silence is apparently the more prudent course of action.

Oh, and I sure wonder who negotiated that take-over deal with the Taliban in the first place? Right.

What Lindsey Graham doing?

 

Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio to break with Trump and Vance...when? 

Abductive reasoning

 

Remover of obstacles?

So the United States abducted one foreign head of state and killed another one. So far, the success rate seems to be 50/50. It worked in Venezuela, but the jury is still out on Iran. It certainly doesn´t *seem* to be working. 

Still, a 50% success rate is pretty high. Especially since the succesful example was in the US sphere of influence (a.k.a. backyard). Sure wonder how the Russians and Chinese are calculating the odds right now. For instance, would killing or abducting Zelensky work if your last name is Putin? What about Taiwan? 

Of course, the opposite is true as well. Could killing *Putin* work for Ukraine, for instance? And, more importantly, Ukraine´s backers...

How long before somebody starts calculating whether or not a direct hit at a certain white house close to the Potomac might yield geopolitical dividends? But thanx for the crude oil, I suppose. 

Las Malvinas Argentinas

 

I told you the UK can´t fight a shooting war. Is this why they voluntarily handed over Chagos to Mauritius? Hardly a military great power, LOL. Until the King in Orange stopped them. But maybe Port Louis is paying attention to *that* guys recent contretemps in a certain waterway further to the northwest?

If Argentina wants to retake the Falkland Islands, pardon, Las Islas Malvinas, this is the time. Just an empirical observation. 

Warring states and interesting times

 

So Russia can´t defeat Ukraine in a real war, and the US (you know, NATO´s supposed top doggie) can´t defeat Iran in a phoney war. Sure wonder if there´s a great power which can take advantage of this little situation? 

China, maybe...?

Maybe the PRC can "take over the world" through a combination of heavy handed diplomacy and very lucrative trade deals / investment opportunities. I mean, I *can* see it happening. They have rare earth minerals and gold reserves, too.

Until somebody decides to test China´s resolve to send in the People´s Liberation Army outside its Near Abroad.

I suppose we live in interesting times...

It´s over

 

Credit: Alnus

Trump can´t even win a PHONEY war. Conclusions are currently being drawn in all national capitals of the world...

Peace in our time

 

The United States and Iran have agreed on a peace agreement. Supposedly. Nobody knows what it entails, and it won´t be signed until Friday. In other words, plenty of time to fuck everything up. And plenty of tacos and nachos, perchance! 

Nedräkning

 

Ryssland kan som bekant inte besegra Ukraina. Om några timmar kommer vi tydligen att få reda på om USA åtminstone kan besegra Iran...

Praise be to Allah

 

Probably not worshipping Allah 
Credit: Jean-Marie Hullot

Trump says the war with Iran is over! Wow!!!

Oh

 

Apparently, Iran is about to close the Strait of Hormuz. Again. I didn´t realize it was supposed to be open? The reason is Israel´s offensive in Lebanon against Iran´s allies Hizbollah. Again. 

So I suppose Vance has to strut all the way to Islamabad again for another round of negotiations with the defeated, overthrown and non-existent Iranian regime...

Again.

Nu blommar asfalten

 

Credit: böhringer friedrich

*Ytterst* anmärkningsvärt, måste jag säga!

Trumps okända plan för Iran efter kriget

The XYZ files

 

- I don´t know, Zorgon-Globb, I think these released UFO files are a nothing-burger, probably a diversion from the Strait of Hormuz situation. Besides, everyone already believes in aliens after that unfortunate little incident of yours at Roswell...

- Nah, my dear Amida, that wasn´t us, it was a human weather balloon!

Från TACO till NACHO

 

Credit: Chee Hong

Förkortningen "NACHO" var ju faktiskt fyndig. Annars? Tja, i värsta fall blir det väl akut brist på verkliga nachos framöver. Och tacos. 

Klockan tickar - en attack mot hela världen

Goodbye

 

- Nah, I´m cool.

So Trump will withdraw 5,000 American troops (or more) from Germany since the Gerries don´t want to help him against the Iranian regime yada yada. OK, so will these troops be sent to the Strait of Hormuz, then?

Or no?

I suppose the French Foreign Legion can replace the US servicemen, so I won´t lose much sleep over it, Even apart from the fact that the erratic POTUS will just change his mind next week away, LOL. 

Havsdrönare

 

Credit: Jarkko Järvinen

Ryssland har inte lyckats knäcka Ukraina trots fyra år av krig, och nu exporterar Ukraina nya generationer av drönare till Gulfstaterna! Intressant.

Zelenskyj vill öppna Hormuzsundet med havsdrönare

The next 60 days

 

So the Phoney War with Iran is resuming. I think...