This is not a topic that is of particular interest to me but
there are some noteworthy aspects to the story. I am referring of course to the
virus outbreak on the American aircraft carrier, the leaking of the captain's communiqués,
his being relieved and now the fallout.
First, it must be understood that to the strategic thinkers
in Washington, a US Carrier Battle Group is crucial, all the more given its location
in the Asian theatre and at this specific time. The global pandemic has also
created a crisis in information and perception. Each side (both Beijing and
Washington) is sizing the other up and trying to decide if it's time to make a
move or if the other side might be preparing to make a move. I wrote about some
of this previously.
In light of this reality, you can be certain the Pentagon did
not want this ship to go offline. By way of a chess analogy this is like losing
a queen.
But there are additional considerations. This is a nuclear
powered vessel with a tremendous arsenal of both conventional and nuclear
weaponry. Thus, it's no easy thing for the ship to simply go off-line. It
requires a massive effort and it's complicated. It's not a cruise ship. It
cannot be simply evacuated and cleaned. I'm sure there are some who are simply
glad all of this occurred in Guam (a US territory) as opposed to some other
foreign port. That would have only amplified the disaster.
Given the importance of the carrier and its battle group, a
question has to be asked. Would the Pentagon be willing for a few hundred
sailors to die in order to keep the group on line, battle ready and a
functional element of its strategic footprint? The answer is an unequivocal
'yes'. That said, this is not something that can be publically affirmed as it
would severely harm the perception of the Navy and its ethos. From the
military's standpoint these people signed up to serve the country and must be
willing to die in that cause. It's an unpleasant reality and not one that is
usually couched in such stark terms but it is nevertheless true.
And yet clearly many in both the military and civilian worlds
do not realise this and have never delved deep into the governing philosophies and
yea, even the calculus that military leaders must embrace. The ship's captain
was right to notify Washington of his situation but he (seemingly) wanted the
information to get out and be made public when the Pentagon clearly had no
interest is taking the ship off-line to deal with the virus. He knew that a
public revelation of the outbreak would force Washington to act, and he was
right.
And it was the public revelation of this internal dilemma and
process that so angered the higher-ups within the Pentagon and the White House.
Now, their dirty laundry was on display for all to see and because of the
potential public relations disaster they had little choice but to take the ship
off-line.
Of course these revelations opened the eyes of the crew and
thus in protest they applauded the captain even as he was being relieved and sent
off the ship in disgrace – his career brought to an ignoble end. Indeed I do
not doubt that in the eyes of some his actions were tantamount to treason. From
their perspective as tortured and erroneous as it might be, he put a few
hundred lives over and above the security of the nation. For the captain
himself, he decided that his obligation to his crew trumped his strategic
mandate and the chain of command. I'm sure he wrestled with the problem, a veritable
Catch-22 from his standpoint. No matter which way he turned he was being forced
to violate a core commitment.
But there was more drama to come. The insubordinate jeers and
cursing that met the acting Navy Secretary a few days later was pretty shocking
and has only added fuel to the already embarrassing fire. His irritated commentary
and insults directed toward the captain were also made public and as a result
he has now been forced to step down. His angry response to the events made a
bad situation even worse.
The United States Navy has been riddled with scandal over the
past decade. Numerous accidents and incidents of seeming incompetence and even
criminal negligence point to some deeply seated problems within the organisation.
Many believe it is stressed and has been pushed to the breaking point. As a
Christian the status and readiness of the US Navy doesn't concern me but there
is a powerful lesson here.
I cannot condone the rather vitriolic response of the crew
but I find it interesting. Upon witnessing the process of the captain's actions
and removal (some of them at least) finally came to understand that they are
not 'heroes' in the eyes of the Pentagon (that's just propaganda for the masses)
but fodder, fools and as Kissinger reputedly said – little more than dumb stupid animals to be used.
One hopes that many of these crewmembers will reconsider
their position, see US power for what it really is and in light of that personal
(and for some existential crisis) – repent and turn to Christ. And then of
course get out of the navy and find some kind of honourable employment worthy
of a Christian.
For the captain who has been deposed and probably feels
betrayed, all I can say is you gave your life to an immoral and violent
organisation, attained high rank and yet apparently never understood what it
was all about. The 'values' you think the United States Navy stands for are a
romanticised fiction, the pipe dreams of those who have drunk deep from the
wells of propaganda or perhaps (more rightly) the cup of poisoned Kool-Aid.
After all the military is in the end little more than a cult of death. The
thief on the cross came to understand that he had wasted his life and repented
of it. Perhaps that captain can do the same and find some honour and purpose in
his remaining years and undo the shame of a murderous career in the service of
Babylon.
The fallout and energy that has resulted from this incident
also reveal that the stakes are high. The US fears that China may make a move
in the South China Sea. China for its part is likely obscuring its Covid-19
realities, seeking to hide any hint of weakness, fearful of a Trump-led
Washington that's posturing to do something reckless.
See also:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.