The Rebirth Of The Axis of Evil

Guest Post by Moon of Alabama

Twenty years ago the U.S. launched its war on Iraq. This proceeded by a massive propaganda campaign payed for and directed by the Pentagon.

Selling the Iraq War: a How-to Guide – Mar 23, 2023 – Jeffrey St. Clair / Counterpunch

According to the trade publication PR Week, the Rumsfeld Group sent “messaging advice” to the Pentagon. The group told Clarke and Rumsfeld that in order to get the American public to buy into the war on terrorism, they needed to suggest a link to nation states, not just nebulous groups such as al-Qaeda. In other words, there needed to be a fixed target for the military campaigns, some distant place to drop cruise missiles and cluster bombs. They suggested the notion (already embedded in Rumsfeld’s mind) of playing up the notion of so-called rogue states as the real masters of terrorism. Thus was born the Axis of Evil, which, of course, wasn’t an “axis” at all, since two of the states, Iran and Iraq, hated each other, and neither had anything at all to do with the third, North Korea.

Twenty years later we see the rebirth of that propaganda meme. First as a drip drip in rarely read magazines, then in rightwing mass media and into Congress. That then legitimates librul media to pick it up.

• Iran, Russia and China Constitute ‘Axis of Evil,’ Former US State Department Official Says – May 12, 2022 – Kayen Live
  > Iran, China and Russia constitute an “axis of evil” which aims to destabilize global security, former US State Department official Ellie Cohanim said. <
• China, Russia, North Korea: Corruption Brings ‘New Axis of Evil’ Together – May 31, 2022 – Japan Forward
• The Axis of Russia, Iran, and China: Birth of a New World Order? – Jul 28, 2022 – Modern Diplomacy
• DOUGLAS MURRAY Isolated Russia’s growing links with sinister states like North Korea, Iran and China is evidence of a new Axis of Evil – Aug 16, 2022 – The Sun
• ANOTHER US politician lands in Taiwan: Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn – who called China the ‘Axis of Evil‘ – touches down in Taipei in defiance of rising anger by Beijing – Aug 25, 2022 – Daily Mail
• China is divided on Russia – let’s keep it that way – Sep 15, 2022 – Clingendael
  > Much has been made of the Xi-Putin statement on February 4th, giving rise to a new Axis-of-Evil narrative and concerns that China has chosen to side with Russia. <
• The U.S. can’t get cocky about Putin – Sep 16, 2022 – NBCNews
  > [Q]uietly, Putin is succeeding in assembling a coalition of the autocratic. Who is in Putin’s “axis of evil,” as President George W. Bush famously called a similar collection? […] From more traditionally autocratic leaders — China’s Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and the ayatollahs of Iran — to leaders of illiberal democracies in India, Turkey and Hungary, a host of countries are prepared to offer their good will, manufacturing muscle or markets to the Putin war machine. <
• Cartoon of the Day: China and Russia’s ailing ‘Axis of Evil‘ – Sep 20, 2022 – Taiwan News
• 20 years later, the ‘Axis of Evil’ is bigger, bolder — and more evil – Nov 11, 2022 – The Hill
  > Which countries make up the current Axis of Evil? My list includes China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as the primary belligerents. <
• Is the ‘axis of evil’ beginning to implode? – Dec 8, 2022 – The Hill
  > Russia, meanwhile, under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, has gradually elected to embrace the “axis of evil” as global partners against what Moscow perceives to be unipolar Washington dominance — and in the process, given its faltering “special military operation” in Ukraine, has transformed the growing partnership into the Kremlin’s “arsenals of evil.” <
• A new axis of evil? – Feb 9, 2023 – WNG
  IN THE NEWS | In its war on Ukraine, Russia is increasingly relying on Iran and other pariah nations for weapons
• DARK SUPERPOWERS Zelensky warns new evil axis of China and Russia could spark World War 3 as Xi backs bloodthirsty Putin – Feb 20, 2023 – The U.S. Sun
• We Have a New Axis of Evil – Feb 23, 2023 – Townhall
• China, Russia and Iran: Axis of Tyrannies presents enormous challenge to free nations – Mar 14, 2023 – Washington Times
• Russia-China alliance would be ’21st Century axis of evil‘ in World War 3 – Mar 17, 2023 – Daily Star
• Graham accuses DeSantis of ‘taking the Chinese position’ on Ukraine in calling war a ‘territorial dispute’ – Mar 19, 2023 – Foxnews
  > “China is a communist dictatorship. Putin is one of the most notorious foreign criminals of the 21st century,” Graham said. “It’s an axis of evil in its own way, when you throw Iran in there.” <
• Is the United States Creating a ‘Legion of Doom’? – Mar 19, 2023 – Politico
  The emerging China-Russia-Iran axis may force the United States to choose between some unappealing options.
• GOOD TO XI YOU Twitchy-footed Putin squirms as Xi presents Ukraine peace deal in historic axis of evil meeting between despot pals – Mar 20, 2023 – The U.S. Sun
• Xi and Putin are building a new axis of evil – Mar 22, 2023 – Telegraph

P.S.: Just as I launch this I see that Caitlin Johnstone picked up the same scheme with lots of additional sources:

They’re Rebooting “Axis Of Evil” On The 20th Anniversary Of The Iraq Invasion

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