© Reuters
James Bond creator and British intelligence agent, Ian Fleming, famously wrote "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action." Robert Ludlum's fictional spy, Jason Bourne, said, "Coincidence is rarely a factor."
For the U.S. Navy, the collision on August 21 of the
USS John S. McCain, a guided missile destroyer, with the Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker
Alnic MC in the eastern Malacca Straits, is
the fourth such incident this year. Ten sailors on board the
McCain were reported missing. The corporate media is reporting that the collision of the
McCain with the tanker is the second such collision of a Navy ship with a civilian vessel in recent months. While it is the second collision resulting in the loss of life aboard a U.S. Navy ship, the
McCain collision is the fourth such collision of a U.S. naval vessel possessing advanced navigational systems with a commercial vessel since January 31. Using Fleming's calculation, the United States Navy has had four navigational mishaps in six months, including a ship running aground,
one more than what Fleming would consider "enemy action."On June 17, the
USS Fitzgerald, which, like the
McCain, is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, collided with the Philippines-flagged container ship,
ACX Crystal. The container ship is three times the size of the
Fitzgerald. The damage to the
Fitzgerald on the starboard side flooded berthing compartments, resulting in the drowning of seven crewmen. On May 9, the
USS Lake Champlain, a guided missile cruiser, collided with the South Korean fishing vessel
502 Namyang in the Sea of Japan. There was no loss of life after the collision, which resulted in damage to the
Lake Champlain's port side. The collision occurred in calm seas. On January 31, the guided missile cruiser
USS Antietam ran aground in Tokyo Bay, an incident that damaged the ship's propellers and caused an oil spill.
Comment: Where's the outrage from US officials over the widespread Nazi violence in Ukraine? Their silence, at the very least, goes to show how shallow and meaningless their current 'condemnations' are. Readers may also remember that the US has repeatedly voted against UN resolutions condemning Nazism:
West looks away while fascism returns to Europe