THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

GMA: “Locals flee occupied south Ukraine as hunger deepens.” A few months after the war started in February 2022, Russia had sent ceasefire feelers and/or proposals for peace negotiation. Each time, Ukraine rejected it, as the U.S. (under Joe Biden) and the EU continued to toss billions$ in military aid to Volodymyr Zelensky.

      Recall that before this crisis, Mr Zelensky was linked to a dubious network of offshore companies in the 2021 Pandora Papers investigation. His stash was reportedly "stored" in Cyprus, Belize, and the British Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, how much foreign aid Kyiv has already received? Numbers vary but still unbelievably high. From the U.S., $135.5 billion; from the EU, $84.4 billion. (Committed or already given? I also get confused. But still “lavish,” considering that the aid is taxpayer money.)

      Currently, Ukraine has been conducting active, high-profile internal corruption investigations led by its so-called independent bodies. Of course, Mr Z sort of leads this probe. Anyhow, I assume that Washington (especially under Donald Trump) has been doing its own digging. So while this is going on, Volo continues to attack Russia, and so Russia responds. Clearly, a continuing war means Ukraine continues to ask for aid. And Zelensky stays in power, no election. Insane!

      Meanwhile, Ukrainians face a severe cost-of-living crisis driven by high inflation, currency devaluation, and ongoing wartime destruction. In fact, many have turned to prostitution and pornography to survive. And now this news. Washington Post: “Ukraine weighs legalizing pornography to raise tax revenue and buy drones.” Wild, isn’t it? ☮️🇺🇦☮️

BBC: “27 killed in Johannesburg, Cape Town mass shootings.” Police stated the attack may have been a targeted retaliation, in connection with an incident at the same tavern the previous month that left one person dead and another wounded. No specific (civilian) suspects have been arrested or publicly named yet. No known terrorist group has claimed responsibility either. 

       South Africa is primarily used by international extremist networks as a logistics, recruitment, and financial hub rather than a base for major domestic attacks. But localized threats from domestic groups are also active, notably the Crusaders or NCRM and the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging. Add affiliates of ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

       Eight gunmen armed with AK-47 assault rifles and pistols stormed the site. Consider that South Africa has a relatively low percentage of gun ownership: 9.7 civilian firearms per 100 people. (The U.S. is 120.5 per 100.) But the country’s homicide rate is astoundingly high: 43.72 per 100,000 people. The global per capita average: 5.8. The U.S. annual homicide rate is 3.0, down from over 5 percent in 2023.

       Anyhow this Johannesburg carnage is way below the world record in human wastage by a civilian with no known political or ideological intent. The 2017 Las Vegas shooting was the worst: 61 dead. Next? The 1982 Woo Bum-kon incident in Uiryeong County, South Korea: 56 deaths, following a personal domestic dispute. 🇿🇦💝☮️

BBC: “Inside the FBI hack: Agents fearful and angry after 'dangerous' data breach.” Almost automatically, when matters like this happen, official reactions blame the “usual suspects.” Foreign entities: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea etc etcetera. The media and the public usually “second the motion.” Foreign terrorists!

      This fact though is the truth: Domestic terrorism and homegrown violent extremism make up the vast majority of terrorist plots and attacks in the U.S. compared to foreign-directed terrorism. Research databases (such as those tracked by Center for Strategic and International Studies and New America) show that domestic actors and U.S. citizens/legal residents have accounted for roughly 80 percent or more of terrorist attacks and plots in American soil since September 11, 2001. (Visual: Home Bank of CA.) 🏛🗽🏛

Yahoo Sports: “Stephen Curry’s new $116 million deal puts a rare NBA milestone within reach.” That’d be a two-year contract, with the Golden State Warriors. Around $58 million this season, or $4.8 million a month? Unbelievable! Considering as well that Mr Curry, hobbled by intermittent injuries, nears retirement. He is 38 years old, now into his 18th season in the league. 

      Meanwhile, the NBA salary scale is already stunningly huge! The average NBA player salary for the 2026-27 season is $11.95 million! The average first-year salary for a rookie ranges from roughly $3 million to over $15.2 million, depending on their draft position. Anyhow, whoever is (or are) paying Mr Curry, I wonder if they’re that generous with their employees and workers? Of course not. The average annual salary in the U.S. is $69,846.57 (monthly, over $5k). 🏀⛹️💰

Yahoo Life: “The internet judged her husband from a 30-second clip. Then she explained.” Yup, that’s what “internet/cellphone” high people do these days, whether the subject is a celebrity, politician, or an ordinary individual. Once you are tossed in Social Media, you are “judged”  by the universe–everybody is a shrink, expert, or moral crusader. Worse, in case you are ICE or kin of an ICE agent, you are auto-cancelled for the world to profusely mock. 

       In a parallel thought, in regards to “fakes” online and what they could instigate or motivate, I remember a 1983 political movie, “Under Fire.” Those were pre-internet/cellphone days, of course. In the Nick Nolte-topbilled movie, Nicaraguan revolutionary Augusto César Sandino (versus dictator Anastasio Somoza) was the historical reference. Here, he was named Rafael, and was killed. Guerrillas faked his death with his photo scattered in towns to tell people that “their leader” is alive and the revolution is still ongoing. 

       These days, and with AI sliding into human existence, “fakes” don’t just serve political ends and commercial (marketing) dubiousness. They also serve nonsensical frolic (sic) or people just do it because they can. (Visual: The Holly Spirit.) 🤨😞🤨