Partly-Apocalyptic with a Chance of Rain
Everyday when I get started—before I check the news—I say, “Please let today not be an apocalypse day.” Bombshell news is always a distraction. That's just how it has to be. I watched the attack on the World Trade Center, as it happened, from my workplace window. I shall never be the same. Today—luckily—was not a day of apocalypse. That is to say—to be exact—it was not a totally apocalyptic day. It was more like an half-an-apocalypse day. It was even a mildly funny day. Amid the other dire events of the morning only one stood-out; the whole (media) world got a good look at Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the (late) Ayatollah Khamenei.
I am going by the photo on his Wikipedia page because I lost the initial story. At first I brushed it off as less than apocalyptic and, therefore, not worthy of concern. Never-the-less, if you know me, I can't sleep at night because of a random scandal reported in the day's news. My day got as far as lunch when I had to go back and re-read the morning's story. Couldn't find the story with Mojtaba's picture (which caused me to turn the page, this morning), because it was not what I would call a “good” picture of anybody, certainly not a hero (which Mojtaba certainly is not). That made me suspicious and alert to conspiracy, and I jumped to the conclusion it was being “scrubbed.” Look at it from Mojtaba's point-of-view: would you want your mug pasted all over the Internet like an FBI most wanted poster? I wouldn't.
That's being charitable to Mr. Mojtaba. I assume he hasn't been made a full-fledged Ayatollah (for now). Another story says Trump is against it. Not that the regime in Iran cares what Trump wants; what Mojtaba wants (or, doesn't want) is possibly a consideration. He would likely relocate to Los Angeles, where the beautiful people of Iran sought refuge after the fall of the Shah, if his “handlers” allowed. The pertinent question-of-the-day thus is who is now in charge, in Iran, and presumably acting as regent over the son. Nothing personal, but if the reader detects in my commentary a facetious tone, excuse me. Realistically, it won't matter in the long run who is crowned, as whomever it should be shall be deposed. In the meantime, who do you want wagging your finger at the world?
This is where it gets personal. Any one of the Republican Guard hierarchy I've seen would do; their finger-wagging doesn't get my goat. What burns my camera lens is a bearded, zealot-in-clerical-robes, giving the world the finger. The Iranian military consists of professionals doing their jobs. They may seethe at the Ayatollah. If so, they don't show it, and not because of hypocrisy. Their only concern is court-marshal, up to the possibility of being accused of war crimes, unlike the clerical leadership, which only follows Allah's orders. It's not over-stating conditions on the ground to suggest the Iranian theocracy is totally discredited. The rest of the Muslim world does not support the Iranian religious revolution; neither (so far) does the militant Islamic State. I'd be willing to bet any supporters of Iran outside Iran are Iranian assets.
What made today's news only half-apocalyptic was meeting the face of the son of the world's greatest religious charlatan and false messiah: Mojtaba Khamenei. I almost laughed out loudly. Would he were a nobody, a pretender, bluffing because he's got nothing to back it up. Mojtaba Khamenei cannot be so easily dismissed. His appearance comes like the Joker in a card game. As long as he lives he's a wild card in the game. My intention is not to weigh-in on his life-or-death. His visage touched a nerve. Given the foregoing prelude, may I be excused from being accused of taking a cheap shot, if I point out that Mojtaba Khamenei resembles the venerable Commedia dell'Arte character, il Vecchio? Or, Pantalone, perhaps? Certainly not, however, the brusque Scapin. His father, the (late) Ayatollah, would better wear the mask of Scapin, given his energetic—even “kinetic”—personality.
Returning to the subject of Pantalone, one of the “old men” or, vecchi (in Italian), playing the part of avaricious swindler, without scruples, and yet charming, fiery, charismatic, a crowd-pleaser. “Boo, hiss!” -the audience gets a workout, participates in the drama. Mojtaba could never play the part of Barber of Seville. The Barber will do anything -for a price. The Pantalone will rob you of your purse, do the opposite of what you desire, and prevent anyone from assisting for your temerity in dealing with him. Without intending to be judgmental, Pantalone's role is that of the Devil—Satan—also the Ayatollah's hated nemesis. Relity check: are we on the same page, semantically? We might leave the matter there; Mojtaba Khamenei bears a striking resemblance to the character Pantalone, of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, except the comparison has a twist.
The free-for-all that is (was) 4chan_pol repeated and re-posted ad nauseam the cliché, beak-nose image intended as the quintessential Jew, in his Merchant of Venice/Shylock manifestation, to the point at which I could no longer ignore the background of the “meme”, and probed its origin using AI chat. The tone of the chat was noticeably defensive. Talking about “The Jews” is discouraged, as all such insinuating gossip about every cultural identity is downplayed. The chat finally referred my question to the Commedia dell'Arte, as much to make me go away, as to further my cultural exposure. Since my initial exposure to Commedia dell'Arte, I can say without exaggeration that it was one of the most delightful discoveries of my life! References to Commedia dell'Arte are essential knowledge for complete understanding of European civilization—not only that of Italy—including its politics and governments.
Macron would make a great Barber of Seville. Trump could be an incomparable il Dottore, (Italian) Doctor; any of the women who head the various levels of European government would fit well the costume of Columbine. How about Zelinskyy in the role of Pagliaccio, with his long sleeves, bungling everything he touches? Your turn: which world leaders play the role of Harlequin? And so on, as for each role, there is a public figure. It's a wicked game, the Commedia dell'Arte, that is. Accordingly, it comes as a shock to see the heir-apparent of the dynasty of Ayatollahs looking like the very image of Shylock, the avaricious Jew. Of course, there is not one drop of Jewish blood in the line of the Ayatollahs, God forbid. I hereby swear that I am not a Jew-hater, and yet, I must say, he looks the spitting image of the target of the Iranian theocracy's hate: A Scapin-masked Shylock. Some diplomat needs to feel-out Mojtaba Khamenei for his attitude towards Jews. His father is dead. He doesn't have to make obeisance to Moloch. He can be his own man. I hope he comes down on the right side.