Well the first order of business is to decide where the locus of the threat is? To name the danger. Historically an “Axis of Evil” doesn’t have a central mastermind, a Dr. Evil lurking in some bunker. Rather it usually consists of coalitions of malevelont regimes whose purposes happen to coincide and who form alliances to serve their purposes. The “good guys” are the same — they ally to fight the bad guys and then as often squabble among themselves.

But having said that, what is today’s axis of evil? Can we use the term meaningfully? Does it consist of countries? Or is countries plus religions? Or even countries plus religions plus ideologies plus trends? Is there a man or men in that axis who through some transcendant malice has risen to become an historical force?