Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Madness around the world and magic at home.

The world is a vampire
Sent to drain
Secret destroyers
Hold you up to the flames
And what do I get
For my pain?
Betrayed desires
And a piece of the game

Writer: Billy Corgan.

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Now you’re just getting defensive.

Some days, particularly when parliament is in recess, it’s hard to find a political topic to write about. It’s not like there’s a lack of things going on, but making sense of them is another matter.

This morning, for instance, I see that the US Minister of War, or whatever they call him these days, insists that a ceasefire is still in place, despite the fact that the US is shooting at Iranian craft in the Strait of Hormuz.

Image: X

President Trump has declared the war over yet again and says the US is now in a “defensive operation,” not because that has any resemblance to reality, the war isn’t over, and the US are the aggressor, but to avoid having to ask the US Congress to fund more futility.

Which is somewhat at odds with the messages he is posting on his social media network:

Like Sharks with Laser Beams.

At the same time, the level of propaganda has stepped it up a notch with rumours of kamikaze dolphins carrying mines:

Needless to say, this came as quite a surprise to some in the US military who hadn’t yet learned to follow the script:

Back here, the NZ media were all excited about Kiwis buying US butter, as if it was unpatriotic, and the morning DJs on radio lobotomy were telling us that you can make L&P by mixing nine parts Sprite with one part Coke and a squeeze of lemon. Great to know, or you could just buy L&P because that’s a bit mental.

In the UK and in Australia, there is alarm at the rise of anti-semitism, which is understandable, but what I find weird is that they pretend they don’t know what’s causing it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, any physical violence is unacceptable, but telling people you’re going to crack down on anti-semitism, but not Islamophobia, is part of the reason we’re having such a problem.

There is nothing good to be achieved by murdering an old aged pensioner in Golders Green, just as there was nothing to be gained from killing completely innocent families on a beach in Sydney. But we’re being dishonest if we deny that the rise we see in such attacks, grotesquely misplaced as they are, is caused by anything other than the genocide in Gaza.

If you want to address anti-semitism, then don’t ban people from holding placards saying “Free Palestine”, which only makes them angrier. Instead hold Israel accountable for its war crimes, including anyone who took part, and anyone who has spoken in favour of the ethnic cleansing we have seen.

Until there is justice for Gaza it is hard to see an end to such hatred and it looks as if things is Israel are going from bad to worse.

Ex-US spy for Israel calls for Gaza ethnic cleansing as he seeks Knesset seat. So inhuman is the mindset of some Israelis that Jonathan Pollard is running on a pro ethnic-cleansing platform.

Israeli army chief says West Bank troops ‘killing like we haven’t killed since 1967’ Maj Gen Avi Bluth, head of the army’s central command, said, “These people don’t see Arabs as human beings and think it’s possible to burn people alive, to burn houses down with their occupants inside, and unfortunately, they do this frequently,”

Bluth admitted that policing was discriminatory, that Palestinians are subjected to military law in the West Bank and extended detention without trial, while Israelis are judged by civilian courts.

To me the best way to reduce antisemitism would be for Jewish people around the world who don’t agree with genocide to demand justice and an end to the barbaric Israeli regime.

A different kind of holiday.

We have another virus-cruise ship, the MV Hondius, looking for somewhere to dock so people infected with hantavirus can be treated. People with an infection for which there is no vaccine or cure. It is so reminiscent of Covid, when cruise ships had such high casualty rates that deaths and cases were reported as if they were an independent country.

Back here in Aotearoa it was an early start in the Rockel household with the youngest member Matty heading off to the capital with his girlfriend to see the world premier of the movie Caterpillar that he was acting in back when the hīkoi arrived in Wellington, which some of you might remember reading.

Having now arrived in Wellington they drove past the theatre which is displaying billboards about tonight:

I feel immensely proud of this young man who works so hard in whatever he puts his mind to and a bit envious at not being there tonight. Tomorrow we get our turn with the Auckland premiere.

Here is the trailer:

So that was a bit of a higgledy-piggledy newsletter, I hope you don’t mind the randomness. Have a good Wednesday all you lovely people, and take care. ❤️

Ngā mihi,
Nick.

To end today it’s Smashing Pumpkins and Bullet with Butterfly Wings: