Yeah-yeah, some folks inherit star-spangled eyes
Hoo, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask ’em, “How much should we give?”
Hoo, they only answer, “More, more, more, more”
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no military son, son, Lord
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one,
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fortunate Son.
‘Fortunate Son’ was written about Vietnam and touches on how warmongers never send their own children to war. It was relevant in 1969 and it’s still relevant now.
The World War Three dress rehearsal; you couldn’t possibly have missed it. Israel attacked #Yemen, #Lebanon and Palestine all on the same day. Ballistic missiles cut through the skies while I was talking to my friends based in Aqaba, Jordan. A beautiful destination on the edge of the #RedSea and ringside seats to the retaliation attacks on Israel by Iran.
Iran fired 100 ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in the first major retaliation in one year. Why? Because Israel killed #Nasrahallah the head of Hezbollah along with an Iranian official (who the media has not identified). Israel, well, not Israel, #Netanyahu, who, drunk with power, arrived at the UN General Assembly shortly before this happened. He stood up to address the organisation who’s charter he had shredded into tiny pieces in front of the whole world only a few weeks ago. Obviously the entire hall walked out except the US and Israeli delegates. Not the standing ovation he was hoping for, given the fact that he had brought along his own props this time: two boards, one marked “the blessing” and the other marked “the curse”. I don’t make this stuff up; I watch the news so you don’t have to. The “blessing” showed a green map that removed all of Palestinian land, and covered Syria, Lebanon and even Turkey. Here he proudly pointed out a great pipeline to the Europe. The curse prop was coloured in black and highlighted Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Iran as an amalgamated curse. It was not long after this charade that the string of assassinations started and the Israeli ground troops began pushing across the Lebanese border into a country that has neither Hamas nor hostages. We then witnessed Israel’s ability to execute precision attacks across Lebanon. And we asked why they are unable to use the same technology to free their hostages or to stop thousands of civilians being killed in a genocidal war in Gaza and the West Bank.
During the Iranian retaliatory attack, we saw #Satanyahu run to his bunker. Why do all these moneyed bad guys have bunkers and others have their starving children’s heads ripped off by shrapnel while surrounded by obliterated buildings and covered in white phosphorous. In the time it took him to run, almost two thousand civilians were killed in Beirut; #Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, not the border, the capital. Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Palestine and Iran have the right to defend themselves. “The right to defend themselves”, that was the throwaway line of the Zionist rhetoric used to justify the killing and starving of millions of Palestinians. And now that Israel has crossed a “red line” into Lebanon, the rhetoric has swung to the be utilised against Bibi. We even heard that Mossad’s head office is safely tucked behind “human shields” in the centre of Tel Aviv. How does that rhetoric land now?
No Israeli civilians were killed in Iran’s attack and Israel will have you believe it was a failed attack. Iran, on the other hand, would call it a “precision attack” that deliberately didn’t target civilians but targeted key infrastructure.
Back to my friends stuck in Jordan (a supposedly neutral space in the region). I watched images from their balcony as the airstrikes ploughed across the sky. Shortly after, airports were shut and there is no other way out of the area. Jordan is wedged between Syria and Israel. Jordan confirmed last night that it intercepted missiles from Iran in Israel’s defence and at the same time we learnt the most frightening thing of all: Israel attacked a Russian military base in Syria. It really does look like we have a curtain raiser to a world war. And all because a man, kept in power through twenty-one coalitions, has run out of options. If he steps down now he will be arrested for war crimes. The world doesn’t like watching the death of 170 journalists and thousands of aid workers. The only option: push forward until someone stops him. That’s how it works. #UnfortunateSons
The US came out to say they are “fully fully fully” behind Israel, this after their deathly silence over the attack on Lebanon. They were silent when one million Lebanese people were displaced in a week. This is not Gaza, they realise that right? This is a country that has nothing to do with Israel. Then Iran started chanting “Death to America”. Time to be afraid, be very afraid especially as Putin gives a side eye to the damage to its artillery in Syria all the while bombing the life out of Ukraine. Two madmen on the battlefield? May God save the innocents.
Hoo, they’re red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
Credence Clearwater Revival
What a week. It’s safe to say we all deserve a weekend.
That’s the top story and it’s terrifying, but then we look around us here on home ground and it too is a battlefield. We discovered eighteen bodies gunned down in #Lusikisiki, a town that is also close to my heart. It’s very close to Port St Johns, the Wild Coast destination and home of the #SardineRun. Of the eighteen murdered, fifteen were women and children. Sounds like a statistic out of #Gaza doesn’t it? But no, this war is right here, on SA soil. The political parties and cops descended like vultures on the media hype, picking at attention as they stepped over bodies. No one really knows what happened here unless you speak to #SenzoMchunu who believes he is hot on the trail of the perpetrator and has one of the suspects in custody. I don’t believe him, just like I didn’t believe the cops when they said they knew who killed Senzo. Just like I rolled my eyes when they said they were about to arrest AKA’s assassin and they still have no idea where #JoshlinSmith is. There is a war zone right here and we are powerless. #ForgottenSons
There is a tonne of other news, none as important as the fact that we are running out of water, fast. This should be the headline on every media platform, and we should be putting massive resources behind this life threatening doomsday casually referred to as #DayZero. We haven’t though, we roll on with water tanker tenders and buckets on our heads. Get this statistic: 17 million people have applied for the R370 grant. That’s a third of our country, unemployed yet eligible for employment. It’s out of control South Africa.
In politrix, the DA have threated to leave the GNU because of the ousting of #CilliersBrink as #TshwaneMayor. I’m confused, didn’t the DA leave the GNU already? Minister of Alles, Fikile #Mbalula, said that Helen must not be a “cry baby”. I’m beginning to like this character more each day. Not because he’s any good but because of the entertainment value he brings. If you ask cupcake, the Prez will tell you that the first 100 days of the GNU has been a tremendous success. That the GNU will not only survive, it will thrive. Sounds a bit like #ChairmanMao (although he managed to march 9 000km). Yes the emperor still has no clothes. And then #Simelane (the VBS chick) has admitted to an illicit coffee shop, and it looks like her goose is cooked as #ActionSA lays criminal charges against her. #ItAintMe. This is the same Action SA that turned their backs on their voters and aligned themselves with the ANC to unseat Brink, the unfortunate son.
Busi, Madam, #Mkhwabane had her attempt to loot a further million rand out of our judiciary chopped, and in return, her counsel, #DaliWordsmithMpofu, got an earful from the authorities. It was nice to see Dali quiet for a change.
MK are still finding their feet; they woke up and realised they had work to do and the first item on the new agenda is none other than dethroned ex-Judge Hlope and the reasons why he cannot join the JSC interviews to appoint new judges. How many shall we give? “More, more, more” #ItAintYou.
Let’s wrap up SA media as my words get scoffed before I even make my point. Crazy #PastorMboro said he never meant to hurt anyone, he just wanted to frighten them by wielding a panga at a kid’s school. How unfortunate, son. The man who rode over a kid for taking an orange said that he never meant to hurt the child. The child’s legs are smashed and that kid’s life will never be the same. An orange? Come on! The story of the women who went looking for food in a pigsty and was shot and fed to the pigs is all over international news. Great for #BrandSouthAfrica. What are we doing here? And where are we going? Then, a drug mule at Oliver Tambo was found with 110 bullets of cocaine inside her. How is that even possible? Extortionists were shot and killed – the cops are not taking prisoners and #Eskom has not paid salaries. No surprises there. #ZiziKodwa’s case was postponed, and a baby boy was left severely brain-damaged because staff at the Themba Hospital left a woman in labour for five hours. Can someone call #TomLondon? Finally, just when you think you’ve got through all the crazy headlines, Tiger Brands tried to kill us again, this time with #TopScore porridge (which was quickly been removed from the shelves). Whatever happened to that #Listeriosis case?
Between weather warnings and a summer that never arrived, South Africans fired up their braais in the cold as the #Springboks tore chunks out of Argentina. They won the cup and no one wins like South Africans. We had streakers on the pitch, not one but a good few. When the victory pictures were taken, Gayton MacKenzie, the nation’s darling, dive bombed the shot. The crowd roared in appreciation. #Etzebeth took the title of most capped in the history of the Springboks and our smiles were so broad, our voices so loud and our pride shone through all the nasty stuff we’ve had to endure. Thank you gents, for making our week bearable. Nando’s came out with a belter of an advert just in time with “Hulle eet nie wat ons eet nie”. This had South Africa howling.
Back in the USA we saw the Vice President’s debate which was immensely boring; skip it, I watched it for you. And probably the biggest story across America this week was #PDiddy and the nasties that are coming out of the woodwork. Tunnels under his mansion, bottles of GHB, drugging girls and shoving them in suitcases onto planes, kids as young as six. It is revolting to watch and it is impossible to look away. Over 100 people have come together with their cases to launch their own legal attack on the Diddler. What do you think comes next? There is a list of names that will make your eyes water, many of the world’s fortunate sons are on that list. More on this next week I’m sure.
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, Lord?
It Aint Me.
Credence Clearwater Revival
I’m Tonya Khoury and thank you for scratching the surface of a horrendous media week. Stay safe, stay warm and be kind to your fellow humans.
Sources: Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fortunate Son. Willy and the Poor Boys, Fantasy Records, 1969.