Or maybe it’s been a bluff all along? For months we’ve been hearing from the ever truthful, would never kid you, Netanyahu that Israel is just about to “finish the job” in Gaza—did he rip off Trump, or vice versa?—and pivot to destroy Hezbollah up to the River, the Litani River. For months it’s been, we pivot tomorrow, or the next day, the day after for sure. And it never seems to happen.
Israel releases Shifa hospital's Director, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, after 7 months of kidnapping & detention.
Releasing him without any charges or trial destroys Israel's claim of al-Shifa being used as a Hamas headquarters for tunnels, weapons, hostage keeping & hiding leaders.
Simplicius posted one of his characteristically lengthy Ukraine 'sitreps' yesterday where he systematically takes down and apart the numerous Western narratives supporting the war...from operations to weapons to strategy to manpower to finance. In Simplicius' view, its all one big lie and Ukraine can never, ever win this war.
I agree. Even if the West were to empty its pockets tomorrow in some last ditch offensive effort to supply the men and materiel necessary to stop, or even crush, the Russian advance, what then? Why would Russia then simply admit defeat, retreat and leave the field, allow Ukraine to recover its lost territories, join the EU and NATO and invite the Neocons to station nuclear weapons on the Ukrainian marches, 350 miles or so from Moscow? It wouldn't. Isn't it beyond doubt by this time that Russia is 'in it to win it'?
Simplicius pretty much makes the case for Russia. He concludes with a video excerpt from a Danish-Swedish peace advocate named Jan Oberg, who neither Simplicius (nor, FWIW, I) have ever heard of. Oberg explains what he sees as the fall of the American Empire due to its over-reliance on militarization rather than cooperation. I can't find the exact 9 minute segment which Simplicius posted anywhere online, but here is a link to Oberg's longer video which includes (beginning around 7:10) the 9 minute segment.
Its pretty hard for me to disagree with Oberg. Its seems to me we are very much committed to the wrong track and it is threatening to blow up the entire world.
Who knows, maybe by some freak turn of events there'll be peace in both the Levant and Ukraine by year end. I'm not altogether sure how durable peace can be without resolving the underlying issues, but even so it's kinda hard to wage war without munitions and manpower. Maybe this is where they bring in the mass use of robots and land based autonomous vehicles from behind the curtain.
The situation with the Ike and our carrier fleet in general puts me in mind of Andrei Martyanov's observations in his book, Disintegration, where he writes that basing naval power on aircraft carriers that "provide excellent visuals" won't survive in the modern battlefield.
He opines that aircraft carriers are merely "prestigious targets" to modern hypersonic missile strikes, that "the arrival of hypersonic missiles has changed warfare forever and made the 100,000 ton displacement mastodons of the US Navy obsolete and very expensive sacrificial lambs in any real war."
He further observes that that these missiles exceed sometimes significantly the range of carrier aircraft, including airborne early-warning aircraft. Thus, this iteration of missile technology disintermediates the primary (and primarily "visual") tools of American power projection.
Whether the Ike has been disabled or there is another explanation, it appears that American naval doctrine may be in for a rough time as technology changes the game.
We still don't know what really happened to the Ike. Except it left the Red Sea in stealth and shadows. SOMETHING happened to it.
Be very interesting to see if CDR Chowda gets another command or is summarily retired.
I think the rarefied air of Command just doesn't believe the Houthis or Russia/Iran/ China would hit/ sink a US Carrier. More fools they. They are playing with hundreds if innocent lives on that ship
The Grand Chess Master Putin is making good on his red line pronouncements and moving his chess pieces into motion.
If true that Putin has given the Houthis advanced weaponry, it makes it all the more possible.
Putin did say he would be giving allies ( his not ours 😁) advanced weapons to in essence be used against the Empire.
Also it appears the Ike *may* in Crete getting a paint job on the starboard side. This from the X account of the CDR of the Ike Strike group. His X handle is ChowdahHill
Chowdah posted a photo of the carrier in port..
The reason I say may be in Crete, is because commentators seemed to recognize the landscape as being Souda Bay, Crete
Cool. This is the Russian Su-35 that Iran is getting.
https://x.com/IranMilitaryNet/status/1808456672655913344
The IOF did this without telling Netanyahu:
Muhammad Shehada @muhammadshehad2 Jul 1

Israel releases Shifa hospital's Director, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, after 7 months of kidnapping & detention.
Releasing him without any charges or trial destroys Israel's claim of al-Shifa being used as a Hamas headquarters for tunnels, weapons, hostage keeping & hiding leaders.
Simplicius posted one of his characteristically lengthy Ukraine 'sitreps' yesterday where he systematically takes down and apart the numerous Western narratives supporting the war...from operations to weapons to strategy to manpower to finance. In Simplicius' view, its all one big lie and Ukraine can never, ever win this war.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/sitrep-7224-ukraine-bleeds-troops
I agree. Even if the West were to empty its pockets tomorrow in some last ditch offensive effort to supply the men and materiel necessary to stop, or even crush, the Russian advance, what then? Why would Russia then simply admit defeat, retreat and leave the field, allow Ukraine to recover its lost territories, join the EU and NATO and invite the Neocons to station nuclear weapons on the Ukrainian marches, 350 miles or so from Moscow? It wouldn't. Isn't it beyond doubt by this time that Russia is 'in it to win it'?
Simplicius pretty much makes the case for Russia. He concludes with a video excerpt from a Danish-Swedish peace advocate named Jan Oberg, who neither Simplicius (nor, FWIW, I) have ever heard of. Oberg explains what he sees as the fall of the American Empire due to its over-reliance on militarization rather than cooperation. I can't find the exact 9 minute segment which Simplicius posted anywhere online, but here is a link to Oberg's longer video which includes (beginning around 7:10) the 9 minute segment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJx7xoR70h4
Its pretty hard for me to disagree with Oberg. Its seems to me we are very much committed to the wrong track and it is threatening to blow up the entire world.
Who knows, maybe by some freak turn of events there'll be peace in both the Levant and Ukraine by year end. I'm not altogether sure how durable peace can be without resolving the underlying issues, but even so it's kinda hard to wage war without munitions and manpower. Maybe this is where they bring in the mass use of robots and land based autonomous vehicles from behind the curtain.
I fear that the war in that fake country, Ukraine, and the war in the fake country, Israel, will merge into one big war. I hope I am wrong. 😔
Am I just being overly cynical or are we actively trying to get one of our carriers turned into an man made reef?
The situation with the Ike and our carrier fleet in general puts me in mind of Andrei Martyanov's observations in his book, Disintegration, where he writes that basing naval power on aircraft carriers that "provide excellent visuals" won't survive in the modern battlefield.
He opines that aircraft carriers are merely "prestigious targets" to modern hypersonic missile strikes, that "the arrival of hypersonic missiles has changed warfare forever and made the 100,000 ton displacement mastodons of the US Navy obsolete and very expensive sacrificial lambs in any real war."
He further observes that that these missiles exceed sometimes significantly the range of carrier aircraft, including airborne early-warning aircraft. Thus, this iteration of missile technology disintermediates the primary (and primarily "visual") tools of American power projection.
Whether the Ike has been disabled or there is another explanation, it appears that American naval doctrine may be in for a rough time as technology changes the game.
We still don't know what really happened to the Ike. Except it left the Red Sea in stealth and shadows. SOMETHING happened to it.
Be very interesting to see if CDR Chowda gets another command or is summarily retired.
I think the rarefied air of Command just doesn't believe the Houthis or Russia/Iran/ China would hit/ sink a US Carrier. More fools they. They are playing with hundreds if innocent lives on that ship
The Grand Chess Master Putin is making good on his red line pronouncements and moving his chess pieces into motion.
Well at least we’ve got Laurel and Hardy keeping a watchful eye on things, so we got that going for us. 🙄
MK Bhdrakumar of Indian Punchline has a reports on X the Houthis being supplied with advanced weaponry by Russia
Sputnik via X released a video by the Houthis in which they claim the Theodore Roosevelt will be targeted if it enters the Red Sea.
I heard someone talking along those lines today, LJ? The Houthis have definitely said they'd target any carrier that came there.
If true that Putin has given the Houthis advanced weaponry, it makes it all the more possible.
Putin did say he would be giving allies ( his not ours 😁) advanced weapons to in essence be used against the Empire.
Also it appears the Ike *may* in Crete getting a paint job on the starboard side. This from the X account of the CDR of the Ike Strike group. His X handle is ChowdahHill
Chowdah posted a photo of the carrier in port..
The reason I say may be in Crete, is because commentators seemed to recognize the landscape as being Souda Bay, Crete
I can foresee many crew members of the Theodore Roosevelt applying for compassionate leave or getting pregnant over the next few weeks.
“getting pregnant”
Speaks volumes about the state of the U.S. Navy.