QUESTION OF THE WEEK
HALF-FULL REPORT 10/13/23
Welcome to Cocos-Keeling Islands, a bit of Australia lost in the Indian Ocean. As I write this, I’m sitting in that chair you see watching a glorious sunset in solitude – and yes, with a very good oversized vodka mango juice tonic. This is an exceedingly funky place with just 600 friendly people. No crime whatever, relaxed and peaceful.
I’ve wanted to come here for years for its fascinating history (see the Wiki link above). So Rebel gave this experience as a birthday present. As you may imagine, though, an internet connection is very intermittent. So I better get to the HFR as quick as I can. Here we go…
CARAVAGGIO’S MEDUSA
This masterpiece, of Rennaisance painter Caravaggio (1571-1610) was completed in 1597 and hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence where I took this picture. It is a genius portrayal of one of the most legendary Greek myths, the demigod hero Perseus slaying the gorgon monster Medusa. She was thought unconquerable with her head of snakes, for anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone. Yet Perseus chose to battle her with a shield that was a bronze mirror on the outside. Thus when they fought, she saw herself in the shield’s reflection, turning herself into stone. The painting depicts the moment of horror she realizes what has happened, which Caravaggio painted on a simulated shield.
A visit to the Uffizi is an absolute must should you ever visit Florence. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #279 photo ©Jack Wheeler)
SKYE’S LINKS 10/12/23
Is Elon Musk a Superhero or Supervillain? He could be either depending on the issue. But here’s once case where no doubt he’s the former. The Federalies have declared war on Elon Musk, and Elon has declared war back. This is a war all freedom advocates want Elon to win!
That sums it up doesn’t it? Yet, while there’s plenty more evidence of Federalie perfidy this week, there’s plenty of good uplifting news as well. And we’ll close with something special to celebrate on this day. So come on, jump right in, the water’s fine!
A FATHER IN CHAD
This is the most anti-Marxist picture I have ever taken. I am a White American. He is a Black African in N’Djamena, Chad. And those differences mean nothing compared to our both being fathers.
Look into his soul through his eyes. Look at the tranquility and peaceful joy his soul feels in being the father of his two beautiful children. It is the same with me.
The Left’s purpose is to divide us into tribal differences of hate – white vs. “people of color,” rich vs. poor, employers vs. workers, exploiters vs. exploited, victimizers vs. victims, the anti-white racist hate of Critical Race Theory. Always, always, they focus exclusively on differences, to separate people apart, to hate other different than them. All in the ancient “divide and conquer” scheme to control people’s lives.
Yet the differences between us are so unimportant compared to what we all have in common, our basic humanity. The bond that I have with this man from Chad is so much greater than anything that separates us. Focusing on what we all have in common with our fellow human beings is the way to rid the world of the anti-human hate of the Marxist Left. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #157, photo ©Jack Wheeler)
THE ESTABLISHMENT’S ALTERNATE REALITIES
One common denominator that explains why previously successful societies implode is their descent into fantasies. A collective denial prevents even discussion of existential threats and their solutions.
Something like that is happening in the United States. Eight million illegal immigrants have entered the United States by the deliberate erasure of the southern border.
Apparently, the Biden administration sees some unstated advantage in destroying U.S. immigration law and welcoming in would-be new constituents.
Yet, the more the millions arrive, the more Joe Biden and his Homeland Security director Alejandro Mayorkas flat out lie that “the border is secure.”
They both live in a world of make-believe, passed off to the American people as reality.
PURE EVIL PAID FOR BY JOE BIDEN
On Saturday (10/07), Hamas attacked Israel, making it the bloodiest day in the country's history and resulting in more Jews dead since the end of the Holocaust. Meanwhile, the Biden administration's response was less than ideal in many ways.
This is especially with regards to the $6 billion that the United States released to Iran as part of a prisoner exchange, a move that was announced on the anniversary of September 11, no less. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in his Monday edition of "The Verdict," was among those calling out the administration for this, but also other, moves.
"This attack this massacre, this horrific assault on Israel, was funded by Iran. Hamas and Hezbollah are Iranian proxies. They work for Iran. They work under the direction of Iran. They are funded by Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend that these attacks were planned, were signed off on by the Iranian government," Cruz shared.
The role that the Biden administration played does not merely have to do with that $6 billion payment, though.
"The $6 billion is just a fraction of the cash that Joe Biden has flooded into Iran. Because a few weeks before the $6 billion, the Biden administration allowed $10 billion from Iraq to flow into Iran. That brings it up to $16 billion in cash that directly flowed into Iran. But that doesn't cover it all.
THE IRAN GAZA WAR
Israeli civilian taken hostage to Gaza
It is a rampage of unspeakable cruelty, the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. It is also a security catastrophe of unprecedented proportions for Israel’s military and political class. Much time will be spent figuring out the causes and responsibility. For now, some broader observations:
First, call it the Iran-Gaza War. To be sure, Hamas bears responsibility, and any serious Israeli response will involve its total, unconditional defeat. But Hamas is an ally and instrument of Iran. An operation of such scale and complexity is unlike anything Hamas has previously attempted and strongly shows significant Iranian involvement. Hamas has publicly thanked Iran for its support, and Iran’s supreme leader applauded the invasion.
This is the war with Israel that it wants—on Israeli soil, through once-removed marauding militias. Thus: Any serious response must go through Tehran.
If the U.S. and the international community are truly outraged by the scenes of senior citizens gunned down on the street and women and children abducted, they must not only refrain from limiting Israel’s operation in Gaza but resolve to oust the genocidal regime in Tehran.
DID BIDEN WITHHOLD INTEL FROM ISRAEL?
Biden and Ayatollah Khamenei
Hamas terrorists in Gaza launched a massive and highly coordinated attack on Israel with incursions by land, air and sea. From a thousand miles away, Iran was funding and coordinating it. There had to be a lot of cyber chatter preceding the attack.
Yet Israel was apparently caught by complete surprise.
The question being rightly asked is, how could Israel’s intel operations – one of the most sophisticated in the world – have been caught so off-guard?
The answer may be in Washington. The Biden administration has never gotten along with the Israeli government, nor did the Obama administration where Biden was Vice President. Biden and Obama have both seemed determined to let Iran – a terrorist state that has vowed to destroy Israel – get a nuclear bomb, and experts think that at any given moment they could have one in a matter of months.
And as is well known, Biden just gave Iran six billion dollars in exchange for American hostages that Iran had taken.
THE PARADISE OF ZIHUATANEJO
Once a small Mexican fishing village far from everything, Zihuatanejo (zee-wah-tan-ay-ho) – Zee-wat to locals – has become a paradisical escape hatch for many seeking refuge from our pressure-cooker world. 150 miles up the northwest coast of Acapulco, Zee-wat is its own world of peace and serenity.
Stroll on the beach or along the Paseo del Pescador (Fisherman’s Path) with its shops, bars, and restaurants unbothered. Just relax surrounded by flowers, warm water, and blue sky. All the worries elsewhere in Mexico, much less in the US or anywhere else are not here.
The time to come is now, the dry season November-May. Prices are a bargain with the dollar way up on the peso. Non-stop flights from multiple cities in the US and Canada. Just a few days here will do wonders for your soul. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #182 photo ©Jack Wheeler)