*From To Sathish* - Thread 3 - Page 77

Redemption 161

From darkness to light.From the dark of the womb to the light of the life we venture out,voyage and reach the shores of our final destination.But,even in the light of the breathing and living life,darkness can cover a soul and mind and in it we grope desperately to find a wall to lean on,a path in which to walk on.

It was still a few hours to a new dawn and yet Thenmozhi sat in the balcony overlooking the gentle flow of the Vaigai river and she sat waiting for a sign,a clue to her future and it came.The words,the chants came softly to her beautiful ears and they soothed her aching soul.She stood up and hurried to the edge of the balcony and her eyes caught the small group of boats of varying sizes coming towards in a neat row.The splash of oar were a composition that would put a wailing baby to sleep and the chants of the men would put a weeping adult to a much needed slumber.

Thenmozhi's powerful hearing picked up the chants

O? muni muni mahamuni sakyamuni svaha Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuni svaha
"Om wise one, wise one, greatly wise one, wise one of the Shakyans, Hail!"

and she knew that a large group of Buddhists were finally leaving the lands and sailing far away to new lands.

Thenmozhi closed her eyes and sank into a brief but deep trance like state.He had taught her this method one night in the forest and told her that when one was lost,the best way to find a way back to the path was shutting down all thoughts and connecting to the universe and to the power that breathed its life into all that is,that was and will ever be.

In her mind,she saw a man under a tree,meditating with a gentle smile on his lips.As if sensing her,he opened his eyes and Thenmozhi saw that they were the most gentle eyes she had ever see.

He whispered ' that is the sign and you need no one's permission to follow your heart.Take the path and remember that all things go round and round in a circle.Do not fear for those who you leave behind for you carry them safely in your soul and it is only the physical that you cast behind.Come child,for once again you begin a voyage towards the light.'

Thenmozhi's body trembled and with quivering lips ' my lord,are you who i think you are.'

The man under the tree smiled a bewitching smile ' I,you,us,them.Child,all of us are in one womb and that is the womb of mother earth.All of us breathe her air and drink from the waters of her milk and eat food from her flesh.learn this,realise this and understand this and you will know and be the light.'

Thenmozhi opened her eyes and without hesitation ran into her room and quickly changed her clothes into more simple ones.Just as she was about to leave,the edge of her saree caught on something and she turned and saw that it was stuck on the hilt of her sword and taking that too as a sign,she tied the sword around her tender,tiny waist and then took the quiver of arrows and tied it to her back with the long bow.She wrapped herself with an orange cloth made of coarse cotton and hurried down the steps that led to the river.

Thenmozhi gently let the vaigai river lap her feet and she turned towards the lords temple and seeing the light flickering on the Kalasam,raised her hands ' my lord,i offer myself to you and i lay myself in your care.Do as you please with me but promise you will watch over the people of these lands.'

She took some water and gently let it fall from her fingers 'mother vaigai,it is your blood that runs through these lands.It is your water that flows through all the plants and trees and through them you flow in all of us who depend on you.I stand in your waters and am about to venture into a new life.So bless me and carry me in your arms to safety and to a new beginning.'


The Vaigai river, daughter of the sky, wanders ever on the tongues of poets, who sing the generous gifts she bestows on the land she has blessed. Most cherished possession of the Pandya Kingdom, she resembles a noble and respected maiden. Her dress is woven of all the flowers that fall from the date tree,the vakulam,the kino,the white kadamba,the gamboge,the tilak,the jasmine,the myrobalan, the pear tree,the great champak, and the saffron plant. The broad belt she wears low around her hips is adorned with lovely flowers of kuru and golden jasmine, mixed with the mushundai's thick Lianas,the wild jasmine,the convolvulus,the bamboo,the volubilis,the pidavam, and Arabian jasmine. The sandbanks,edged by tress in blossom, are her youthful breasts. Her red lips are the trees that spread their red petals along the shore. Her lovely teeth are wild jasmine buds floating in the stream. Her long eyes are the carp, which playing in water,appear and vanish like a wink. Her tresses are the flowing waters filled with petals.

As if she knew the sad fate that lay in store for young Kannagi, the river Vaigai had put on her best veil made of precious flowers, and could not hold back the tears that filled her eyes. After passing along narrow paths through the woods, Kannagi and Kovalan reached the bank of the river. Both cried out in wonder:

"This is not a river but a stream in blossom."
Silapadigaram by Ilango Adikal-Translated by Alian Danielou



O? muni muni mahamuni sakyamuni svaha Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuni svaha
Shakyamuni (the sage of the Shakyan clan) is the historical Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama.

Hi,

I wish you all and your families a very happy Diwali.I wish,hope and pray for the very best for all of you.Many thanks for following my thoughts as they flow as articles,poems and stories.Lots of love.Be well.


satish

NO MEANS NO

I finally caught up with PINK starring Amitabh and co and liked it.I never believe the hype and hoopla that surrounds films and use reviews by the so called critics as one part of the standard and the other part is word of mouth.But i guess, any film with amitabh will be decent and i have to admit i sat through even those ponderous and predictable films of his and they were Wazir and TE3N.

But pink had all round good reviews and not one bad word about it and so i dived into it,feet first and mind you not head first.testing,foot one,foot two.

I guess with the tragic case of Nirbhaya,delhi had been put on the spot and i guess Pink is a film that comes with a message and it says " No means No" and as a man i respect that.The film also touches on loss of virginity,casual sex,multiple partners,drink and have a good time but don't take it as a cue that you are going to get laid.Fair enough and yet i wonder if this message will get through and sink into the thick skulls of those cretins who think women who drink and party are wh**es.

A guy screws around and he is titled a stud and yet if a woman does that she is called a wh**e and a piece of meat.Not fair,just not fair or right.

What a woman does with her body and mind is her business and when she wants to do it or not do it is her right and,nothing for that is it.

The film treads a fine line and juggles the topic and message for all it takes is someone to oppose it and damn it,the film will get banned.Yup,film business has become dangerous at least in bollywood.

Amitabh as usual does a neat job and my only grouse is his awful hair piece that passes off as a wig.Why can't you appear bald or a man with thinning hair.Oh crap,i forgot that you are amitabh.sorry.

Taapsee pannu has come a long way from AADUKALAM and delivers a nice and natural performance and so do the other ladies,Kirti kulhari and andrea tariang.I have to confess that kirti kulhari is really beautiful and i am thinking of letting go Nimrat kaur.

Sadly,everything is so predictable and lame since the topic is volatile and in india we don't talk about women and sex in the same breath but rather rape them and kill them mercilessly.

Still,the film is a glimmer of light that exposes cretins and Neanderthals to the rights of women and that even if she is your wife,she can say " NO"

SELFIE-1

I have never been truly unconscious,i mean by way of injury or anesthesia and apart from deep sleep when i have no idea what is going on around me,i have never been unconscious.

I titled this thought of mine as Selfie for i think and it is only my humble opinion that a true image of ones soul and their inner thoughts can be called selfie.I think apart from the skin,hair and limbs that reflect on the mirror,the real selfie of our mind and soul is rarely taken.But that is okay and each to his own i say and declare.

I dread this state of unconsciousness for somehow i fear it is a gateway to death,the final frontier and let me admit that i am scared of death,seriously,honestly,i am literally scared of death.Although the couple of times i nearly died,i didn't panic or give way to screams of fright and weakness and stared it directly in its face.

The first time when i nearly kicked it was when i was about four years old and i was in my mothers village or in some newly constructed two storeys building that belonged to her family and there i was leaning over the railing.

Little did i know that the railing was still not cemented and was just put in place and well i leaned to see the ground below and gravity took over and said ' what goes up must come down,what rises must fall' and i came falling down and i still remember those moments and those are moments that happened at the speed of light.

A pile of granite stones on one hand and a pile of sand next to it and well you guessed right for i plonked face down on the pile of sand and a lone piece of stone kissed my right side of my forehead and that is why you see that dent,scar that has healed badly and is also an identification mark in my passport.

So,what did kutty satish do? He got up,dusted himself and looked up and walked back the stairs with blood pouring down his face and body and then all hell broke loose and the funny thing was,rather than take me to the nearest clinic to stitch up the gash,my mum and her people put turmeric on the wound and marinated me like a skinned chicken.Needless to say,the would got infected and left behind the scar you see that reminds one of a meteor impact.

The second time death came calling and it failed again for i walked on water and stayed alive in that well for nearly ten minutes without drowning.

Summer holidays was winding down and the madrasi gang that included me,aruna,asha,sujatha,vanitha,bujju and bindu were all going to catch a train and steam our way back to school and cooum odra chennai.

Me,bujju,sunil kept our eyes on the kite as it floated,rose,dipped,swung that way and this way and then made a soft landing on the tiled terrace of the building that stood across the ten foot street or rather the gully lane.

Satish was not called Bal hanuman for chumma,chumma reasons and the kite on the terrace was like the many mangoes that dangled in trees on the way between school and home and off i went,leaping over the wall that would have put a leopard to shame and moments later i was on the terrace.I sat near the chimney of the house instinctively measuring the distance between me and the kite but not the risk and a gentle breeze lifted the tiny kite and it slithered slowly down towards the edge and then hung there beckoning me like the poisoned apple beckoned adam and eve and i nodded and stepped on to the tiles and slowly,gingerly like a cat went down to the edge and then i heard a voice of reason yell " those tiles are loose,be careful for there is a well right below" and well, as my luck would have it,the tiles let go in slow motion and i went over again pulled down by gravity and the first contact was the edge of the well to the rear of my head and then it was journey down the well like alice tumbling down the rabbit hole.A loud splash and i landed,limbs intact and immediately began the fight to stay afloat and paddled to stay alive.It was a pretty deep well for the world above was narrow beam of light and the well was pretty narrow and the walls smooth.

I did not try to hold or cling on to the walls and instead trusted my wiry,tiny arms and legs and paddled like a duckling and stayed alive for soon help came in the form of ravi my cousin brother who jumped in and the rest is history.

After all these years i still recoil in fear as i stand under the shower and my legs start to shiver and my insides become queasy but taking a deep breath i smile and say ' okay,i am ready for the next round.I flew,i walked on water and what next.'

Hi,

Gathering and giving form to all the information that i am using in this story drains me of all my energy.So much of data to sift through and to take only what i need is like an uphill climb.

But i am nearly done and the voyage of Thenmozhi from her birth waters of Vaigai across the salty seas has nearly begun.I am adding all the additional info so has to make sense and at the same time give a coherence to the travel of our warrior monk.

I wish you all a good day.Be well.

REDEMPTION-163


"The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose." ? Arnold Bennett


Thenmozhi waded slowly through the gently flowing waters of Vaigai and soon her feet lost touch with the ground and with a burst of energy,she swam strongly towards the large boat that was going towards the east and into the saltwater of the bay of bengal.

When she was about twenty feet away,her sharp senses warned her that she was being watched and treading water,she turned her eagle eyes towards the ship and saw a buddhist monk standing in the center of the ship watching her.He gently raised his hand that held prayer beads and beckoned her and Thenmozhi in quick strokes swam and reached the large boat and looked up wondering how she was going to board the vessel,when a rope dropped down from above and like a monkey going up a tree,she went up in a jiffy and with a burst of energy jumped over and landed on the ship.

The monk smiled at her with kind eyes ' Buddha has answered.'

Thenmozhi looked at him and his orange robes,that showed him as a buddhist monk and then without a word took the dry cloth that he offered and also a thick orange cloth to cover her wet body with a nod of her head,acknowledged his kind and thoughtful gesture.

Thenmozhi was a staunch shaivite and she did not think too highly about other religions and their followers coming into tamil lands and spreading their faith,especially among the poor and vulnerable with wild promises of happiness and heaven.But,she was not a fanatic and neither were her people and under both the cholas and pandyas,Buddhism along with jainism had flourished strongly.

But now,she now that they were leaving these shores in search of other lands to spread the word of buddha for word had come of a new religion called Islam and its god Allah that was rearing its head in the land of north.

Thenmozhi quickly scanned the entire ship in the still dim light of a new day and knew that the vessel she had boarded was a "Thirisadai" and it was so named for it was reported to be able to engage three vessels at one time hence the name Thirisadai, which means, three braids.

With all her senses on high alert,Thenmozhi took a deep breath and for a second thought she might have boarded the wrong ship for this class of ship usually had 300 to 400 elite warriors on board and that always meant trouble which she did not want to face for all she wished was for safe passage to anywhere,somewhere far away.

Thenmozhi looked at the monk ' where are you heading to?'

'To the lands of sri vijaya and beyond.But can i ask you where you are heading to?

Thenmozhi hurriedly looked away and the monk inclined his head as if in understanding ' being a woman,i think you better be on guard for the kalapathy of the ship Mugilan is a bully and a pirate.Now that the pandyans have taken control by defeating the cholas and since both the king and prince are dead,everyone is out to amass wealth and seize power over whatever that is in their reach.'

'How many soldiers are there aboard the ship and how many of you are civilians?'

The monk thought for a second ' i think there are about 40 to 50 armed soldiers with mugilan and down below another 50 are employed in the work of rowing when the winds die out and the sails are useless.As for us,we number about a dozen and before you can ask let me answer your question by saying that we had no choice but other than board this ship and we handed over what little gold we had to the captain and have also placed ourselves at his mercy.'

Thenmozhi looked sharply at the monk ' why do i sense a bit of doubt and fear in your words?'

' From the moment news of the death of their king Rajendra cholan reached the chola kingdom,there has been panic,chaos and looting all over the kingdom.Many are fleeing with their wealth for they are scared of what the victorious pandyans will do after having been ruled for so many centuries.And the memory of their coronation hall being burnt down and the shock of it crippling their late king Kulashekaran surely will give wings to the anger and vengeance of the pandyans.This war ships Kalapathy mugilan has decided to take ownership of this vessel which he was put in charge of and has decided to turn to piracy on the high seas.Most of the men who were with him backed out and left the ship and that is what only 40 of his men remain of the original 250 to 300 crew members.

But to answer your question,i am not sure if he is going to take us across the sea to the land we seek for i think he is planning to do away with all of us and go his own way with whatever little gold and money that he has taken from us.But now,here you are,the only woman on board and i need not tell you what that means in a ship full of rogues and wannabe pirates.And yet,the buddha whispers in my soul and his words are that you have come at the right time for us on this ship and at the right time for your journey's first steps.

We will talk more of that later for your arrival on the ship has been noticed and the captain has been informed.I am not a warrior and yet i will sacrifice my life if it comes to that and to defend your honor and life.'

Thenmozhi nodded ' monk,i thank you for your kind words and am humbled and honored that you a total stranger are willing to lay your life for me.But,i assure you that it will not come to that and if it does,i will take care of the matter and try to settle it in the best way possible.'

Thenmozhi wrapped herself with the orange cloth that the monk had given her and covered her still damp body and turned to face the man who was coming towards with a small group of men.

The tall,well built man with cruel and evil written clearly on his face was obviously the ships kalapathy mugilan and the rest were his band of bandits and Thenmozhi could read their intentions as well as their thoughts.

The group of men halted and only Mugilan advanced and stood facing Thenmozhi and the monk with a leery smile playing on his face.

' well,well,what do we have here? A woman who boards my ship like a thief in the dark.Who are you woman and what are you doing here dressed in the clothes of a monk.You look too young and beautiful to have discarded life and its luxuries for the sake of this buddhist way.'

Thenmozhi sighed for she knew that the situation was going to head only in one direction and yet she wanted to give peace a chance,slim though it was.

' I am just a woman seeking safe passage across the sea and am willing to pay for it with this pouch of gold coins and precious stones.'

Saying this,Thenmozhi offered a pouch to Mugilan ' i am not looking for trouble and am not going to make trouble for you or your men and just want to be left in peace.'

Mugilan laughed loudly and his men sniggered like a pack of jackals ' trouble woman.the only trouble you can make is in my bed when you resist my advances.Here i was,wondering how to spend my time on the high seas while i plundered trade ships that go to and from from this land and ceylon to the other lands of sri vijaya and god has answered my prayers and gifted me with a beautiful and bewitching woman straight into my lap.'

Thenmozhi was about to say something but the sound of the bells ringing on the shores of madurai announcing the first pooja of the day in shiva temple stopped her and she turned and looked in the direction and bowed and whispered a prayer.

At the same time the morning sun rose and came out mightily from the dawn clouds and shone down its light and illuminated everything it saw.

Thenmozhi turned her face to the light and she felt his love,his kisses,his gentle touch and with a smile filling her beautiful lips and soul turned to face mugilan and shrugged the orange robe away from her body.

The ships captain and his men gasped in shock and excitement for before them stood the most beautiful woman they had ever laid eyes on in their miserable life.

Mugilan was about to step forward when he saw the eyes of thenmozhi ' fire in her eyes and anger in her lips and attitude too.I am going to enjoy breaking you and bending you to my will.By the time i am finished, you will be begging for mercy and then i will cast you to these hungry men who will take turns with your body.'

Thenmozhi stood calmly facing mugilan ' my boarding this ship was done at his will.My being here is his will and my Redemption starts here,right at this moment.'

All those who witnessed saw everything in a blur and it would take years to understand that what they saw was not the act of a mere human but one who was bestowed with higher and heavenly powers.

Mugilan stepped forward in anger with his right hand reaching out to grab Thenmozhis shoulder and her right hand slipped to the left of her side and in lightning speed drew the sword out and in the same motion slashed at the right side of mugilans extended arm and in the same breath,reversed her stroke and slashed at mugilans neck from his left side and both limb and head fell on the ships floor at the same time.

The men who stood frozen were then faced with the charge of thenmozhi who sent most of them to their maker and many still jumped overboard screaming like frightened children who had seen their worst nightmare come true.

Everything had happened so quickly that it took the rest of the crew to hear and understand what had just happened and soon the top of the ship was crowded with all of them.The crew who had been in charge of the rowing department also ran up to the top of the ship and everyone stood in mute and deathly silence and stared at their dead captain and the deads and limbs of his group.

Thenmozhi without even a glance turned and went to the rear of the ship and stood facing the vanishing shores of madurai and folded her hands in reverence.

Madurai,my father,my mother
i am leaving now and yet i carry you and your light
in my body and soul
watch over my people and parents
and guide me safely to my destiny.

Sensing someone approaching her,she turned to see who it was and saw it was a veteran soldier of the chola navy.

He bowed in repsect ' my lady,i and we are not sure who you are but i gather from your persona that you belong to the court of Kulashekaran pandyan.I welcome you aboard and promise you that i will see you safely through to where ever it is you want to go.No one will harm you or trouble you further and i am glad that mugilan and his men are dead for it is not the custom of chola men to trouble and harass women,regardless to which caste or creed they belong to.Pray,tell me where you need to go and we will take you there.'

Thenmozhi nodded her thanks ' i am with this group of monks and i am going where they are going.'

The man now in charge accepted her words and just like that the passage to a new horizon was born and laid out for Thenmozhi and the large ship floated on as a sudden gust of wind filled its sails and it surged forward.

Thenmozhi stood facing the sun ' My lord,i don't know if you can hear me.But i want to believe that you can.So hear my words.I fell and forgot the path but i rise now and walk a new path.I hope that one day i can see you and my son again and ask both of you to forgive me for what i did.But until then i will live out my life in penance and will fight for those who need my strength and protection.'


I am Thenmozhi.These are the stories of my voyage to a new life and a new destiny.I am heaven and hell.I am fire and water and i will bring peace to you.



Dharani The primary weapons platform with extensive endurance (up to 3 months), they normally engaged in groups and avoided one on one encounters. Probably equivalent to modern-day Destroyers.

Lola They were lightly armored, fast attack vessels. Normally performed escort duties. They could not perform frontal assaults. Equivalent to modern-day Corvettes.

Vajara They were highly capable fast attack crafts, typically used to reinforce/rescue a stranded fleet. Probably equivalent to modern-day Frigates.

Thirisadai The heaviest class known, they had extensive war-fighting capabilities and endurance, with a dedicated marine force of around 400 Marines to board enemy vessels. They are reported to be able to engage three vessels of Dharani class, hence the name Thirisadai, which means, three braids. (Braid was also the time's name for oil-fire.)


The supreme commander :Chakravarthy - The emperor
The commander-in chief of navy :Jalathipathhi - roughly, the admiral of the navy.
The commander of the fleet : Pirivu+ Athipathy or Devar/n or Nayagan - The equivalent of an admiral
The commander of the fleet-squadron : Ganathipathy - roughly the equivalent of a rear-admiral
The commander of a group : Mandalathipathy#(refer below) - the equivalent of a vice-admiral
The commander of the ship : Kalapathy -The equivalent of a captain in modern navies.
The officer in-charge of arms in a ship : Kaapu - Roughly the executive officer and weapons officer rolled into one.
The officer in-charge of the oarsmen/masts : Seevai - roughly the equivalent of the master chief and engineering officer.
The officer in-charge of boarding party (marines) : Eeitimaar - major or captain in marines.


Srivijaya (also written Sri Vijaya, Indonesian/Malay: Sriwijaya, Javanese Siwichai, Sanskrit: , rvijaya, known by the Chinese as Shih-li-fo-shih and San-fo-ch'i) was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 8th to the 12th century. In Sanskrit, r means "fortunate", "prosperous", or "happy" and vijaya means "victorious" or "excellence".

Sabarna


Since i am a lifetime and permanent member of the TV actors union since 2002 when the idea of an union was just a seed and was shooting out leaves under the brief leadership of s.v.shekar and vijay athiraj and then that was quashed and the now and present union took full shape under the late actor vasanth and late director viduthalai and exists in a pretty chaotic state,what with petty politics and bitter rivalries ruining the whole union thing and now they are like the many layers of an onion and peel of very easily and leaving the core empty and void.

So,being a registered member i get constant updates about happenings,meetings,elections and sadly the death of fellow actors.Friday evening,i got a message saying that some actress Sabarna had passed away and as usual i squinted,strained and tried to remember the name but since it has been nearly 5 years that i have been away from tv serials i could not place the lady.But yesterday morning,as i was scanning the pages the photo of Sabarna triggered a faint memory and after a few minutes it came to me.

2004 Aanandham shooting and i was playing the role of a fashion photographer and for that days work,they brought in this young girl but tall and big built fleshy girl as the model and i rolled my eyes to the director nityanandam and said 'photographer white,model black,Ennada nadukkuthu inge'

Budget boss,do your best and as is my code i jumped in.The girl was sabarna and was probably in her late teens and as was the fashion of those days kept bending down constantly as if she was adjusting her jeans and kept revealing her thong of her inner wear and the low waist jeans was really low and also showed a flower tattoo on the back and low and i mean in a very low position and i thought to myself ' kids,what are they coming to these days'.

I worked with this girl a few times and as is my code,pleasant talk and pleasant good bye.

12 years later,i read about her death and whispered a prayer that all souls need and it does not matter what their lives were before death.

The tv industry seems to be taking hit after hit and earlier this year we had the shocking death of sai prasanth.

The news reported that they found this young lady's body with her wrists cut open and in a highly decomposed state after three days and i thought ' moonu naala unna pathi yaarum worry pannaliya.nee yenge iruke,yaaroda iruke,eppadi irukke' ennada ulagam ithu.

The lady lived in a flat and no one bothered or were aware of her lying dead inside and her parents and brother lived nearby and no one bothered to come and check if she was safe and doing okay.

So,this is all life is and this is how it ends for one and all and as i always say ' death is the greatest equality and the best leveler of young and old,rich and poor,educated and uneducated,man and woman'.

I hope and pray that the lady finds peace and happiness where ever she is.

I found this article thought provoking and honest and i am sharing it here with you all.

I'm Arab and Many of Us Are Glad That Trump Won

It's not that we see Trump any differently. Trump is an egotistical racist misogynist who, in a rational world, shouldn't be in any position of power. Then again, neither should Hillary Clinton.

We watched from afar (as afar' as the internet allows anyhow) as the 2016 presidential campaign rolled on, and, at first, we wanted Bernie Sanders to win, and were very glad to see just how much support he managed to get, but then, Bernie did two Very Bad Things; he said he was okay with Obama's Blacklist and his usage of drone strikes, and he said that he'd support Clinton if he didn't get the nomination. Some people held on to Bernie, but for many of us, for me, that was it. Bernie might still have claimed to be better', but he certainly couldn't claim to be good'.

We also watched the political establishment ignore Bernie and shove Clinton ahead of the self described socialist'. We watched as even people like John Oliver and the entire cast of Saturday Night Live attacked Trump viciously and tried to pave the way to a Clinton victory. Oliver even took it upon himself to attack and ridicule minor candidates like Stein & Johnson, but not Clinton. We watched as so-called liberals and so-called democrats made Clinton out to be a hero. We watched as all those people bent over backwards and pretended that Clinton was one of the good guys because they felt compelled to pick between the lesser of two evils'.

It was pathetic.

There's a bit of fatality involved here, to be sure, and a deep level of cynicism. Many of us feel that if America could not choose the best option, then it deserved the worst. Also, there's a harsh desire for rough truth, rather than hypocritical garnish. In a sense, many Americans are Trump, but most of them like to think of themselves as closer in character to who Clinton (falsely) claims to be; liberal, democratic, leftist, humane, charitable, kind. There are some who faced the facts honestly, and admitted that, for all intents and purposes, Clinton was a criminal and a manipulator who plays ball with the worst human rights offenders on the planet (Saudi Arabia and Israel, for example) and relies on their financial and political support. They understood that when promising to continue Obama's legacy, Clinton is in fact promising to kill another 4,000 innocent Pakistanis by drone strikes in an illegal attempt to murder untried terrorists'. They understand that this is a woman for whom Madeline Albright is a role model, and Kissinger is an icon, a woman who started out Republican before swapping sides and acting as though she were a Democrat, most likely because she realized that, as a woman, she could go farther as a Democrat. This is a liar who claims to have been dodging sniper fire in a foreign land when she was being greeted with flowers.

Throughout the campaign, Clinton supporters have turned a blind eye to her failings. Somehow they were more horrified by what Trump may do than what Clinton already has done.

So yeah, we weren't very excited about a Clinton victory. Nothing would change. America would continue to think itself a progressive democracy that voted in first a black man, and then a woman. The demon would continue to wear a passable face, remain...presentable.

We do not think Trump is any better, but we think a Trump victory would force the USA to admit to what it has become, and would allow other countries around the world to react appropriately now that the cover has been blown.

JFK put on a good mask but behind the mask he was a lying adulterer who lifted the weapons embargo on Israel, allowing the US to supply it with the weapons used against Palestinians. The so-called Special Relationship' between the USA and Israel began with JFK. His smile and charm, however, make people, even in the Arab world, look back on him with fondness. Bill Clinton was the same, all charm and smiles while he signed off on the use of military force against Americans on American soil (in Waco), and pushed the Palestinians through Oslo, and then later, in his impeachment hearings, pretended the word is' was ambiguous. The Bill Clinton I remember was an arrogant liar and a murderer, not a charming man at all. The latest in this series of supposed good guys is Obama, proudly black, but closer to what Malcolm X referred to as a house nigger'. Obama did not stop the war machine, and did not close down Guantanamo. Drone usage during Obama's time has gone up exponentially, but...he performs beautifully; he cries when school shootings take place, he laughs at himself with an anger translating sketch, he dances and raps to your pleasure, he seems cool and laid back, a great dad, a fun guy.

To tens of thousands of Pakistanis though, Obama is nothing but a cold blooded murderer. To Egyptians he is just another in a long line of US presidents who support a military dictatorship, supplying it with money and weapons. To people in Yemen (the poorest Arab country), he is the man who has helped supply Saudi Arabia (ostensibly the most fascist country on Earth) with more than $100 billion in weapons with which they have destroyed Yemen. To millions of people around the world he is a bomb that happens to have a smile painted on it.

And now, finally, rather than suffer the pretense of progress under a female president, America has voted for Trump.

Good.

Lay bare the racism, lay bare the arrogance, lay bare the lies and the brutalities.

Face yourselves, see yourselves, and then maybe, maybe, things will change...

Omar Kamel


https://medium.com/@omarkamel/im-arab-and-many-of-us-are-glad-that-trump-won-c98e1c6ae891#.5b5lfy434