My Seventy Year Old Eyes

Around this time every year I celebrate the anniversary of starting this blog. It all began in 2013, and here I am twelve years later! It has been one of my greatest pleasures to spout off as I do, and to have an average of about 150 Human Beings monthly taking the time to read my rants, or opinions, which isn’t much since my blog is restricted to Friends and Subscribers and that is very satisfactory for me. Moreover, I greatly appreciate every one of my readers, knowing that some might not agree with me, especially on my political slants. I also have a ritual that I indulge in around this anniversary date when I go over all my publications, especially those which still resonate. For today, I have picked out this writing from my About Page and, as I occasionally do, added an Update towards the end. Here goes what was Published on April 1, 2013 . . .

Seventy Years

Seventy years of life is cause for a celebration. Yet, many women my age are finding it to be a very daunting threshold. In fact, I am discovering that it is a very liberating time of life. Being an Arab woman living in the United States, I am realizing even more the exhilarating effects of that freedom. No doubt women of my era and all across this world have faced numerous challenges. We have surmounted many of those, and much more remain to be overcome. However, being an Arab woman has made my ground-breaking existence on so many different levels all the more challenging. In retrospect, and notwithstanding the heartaches, it makes it very worthwhile. Recently, Gloria Steinem when asked about feminism, and whether the women’s movement had succeeded or failed, responded that it will take a century for the effects of that revolution to be incorporated into all levels of society. A Century! That makes me even prouder to have been part of that revolution and to have played my very small role in effecting change. As I look around at my daughters and their contemporaries I am delighted to see what they have achieved, and I know that without my efforts and the efforts of Arab women like me, they would have been left behind as so many of their sisters in the Arab world are!

Living in the United States has had its many challenges. This country is immense and its population is very diverse. It has fantastic aspects and it can also drive a person nuts! It can be charming, amusing, bewildering and maddening. It is, at the end of the day, the New World: young, inexperienced, rich, arrogant, exuberant, innovative and malleable. The rest of the world by comparison seems to be old, grumpy, bored and set in its ways – no wonder that the young across the globe look to America!

At seventy, I realize that I did not see all the changes that I had hoped for come to fruition. Some did, of course. I also realize that I cannot change this chaotic world we all live in as much as I would like to, and that whilst sometimes I am so pessimistic about the future, at others I seem to be quite hopeful. However, I have always been an opinionated woman and maybe it’s just time for me, before I gracefully – and I do hope to do it gracefully! – exit the stage, to simply air out my opinions and share some of my experiences. Maybe one person, or two, or maybe more, will find an idea in there that they might relate to and know that they are not alone; or be inspired to do something that might bring on a positive change and, perhaps, in the fast-paced world of the younger generation, they can effect some of those changes more rapidly and more effectively! Perhaps!

Update on December of 2020: If Gloria Steinem is right – and I believe that she is – then 50 years have passed, and there’s fifty more to go! I will definitely not be around, but for those who will be: Hang In There!

Update on June 30, 2024: Sadly and Unfortunately, there are many women all across the world being daily murdered by their partners, gangs, or other violent acts. There are many being trafficked. Many others are being subjected to bullying, abuse and online crimes. We are not in a good place across the world and it pains me that rather than promoting Progressive Regulations we are seeing many countries promoting Repressive Agendas. It is disheartening, but more reason to continue demanding Equality and Humanity for All! And, yes, hang in there!

Update on February 28, 2025: As I look across the World I am finding that the situation of Women seems to be getting worse rather than better. Of course, one reason is that Technology and Social Media Platforms, plus Investigative Journalists with Integrity are Raising Our Awareness nowadays more than ever. The other reason is that the more Wars, Famines and Unsettling Conditions that Occur the higher the price that Women seem to be paying. The Dire Situations that many Women are finding themselves in are not only in nations where there are unsettling conditions, but are occurring in these United States and European Nations as well where we had all believed that Women had overcome Rape, Abuse, Disrespect, Inequality, Patriarchal Dominance and Subjugation. Not so, sadly! While many Women have made great strides, we are finding that there is a concerted effort by Radical Political, Cultural and Religious Ideologies to take back the gains that have been achieved and to replace those with Depriving Women of Independence and “put us back in our place” so to speak! What will Women do about that? Give Up, or Fight Back? I do not know, but what I do know is that our situation at this moment is not Continuing the Trajectory towards Equality and Freedom that Women like Gloria Steinem and so many others fought long and hard for! This is very disconcerting and worrisome! Moreover, Rape, Abuse and Subjugation are happening to many, many Boys and Men which is also Unacceptable. We are in a Turbulent, Chaotic Period Of Human History Politically, Culturally, Socially and on so many other levels, and we will All Be Suffering the Repercussions of that! I wish that I could impart a more positive outlook, but this is where we sadly are! Hang in there!

Sometimes we read a book and there are certain words or incidents in it that cling to our minds and never seem to fade away with time. One of those for me was a terrific book written by Chalmers Johnson in 2003 titled: The Sorrows Of Empire (which I have mentioned in a previous blog). He was one of the first authors I had read who spoke of the coming to end of the American Empire with its Imperialism and Militarism, and one of the sentences that adhered itself onto my brain was (my words): if you can afford it buy a condo in Canada. At the time of his writing the United States was in the process of a War on Afghanistan and another one on Iraq. Reading this book made me more anxious than I was at the time, yet I believed that this country would realize that it simply cannot continue with the Hubris it had developed after the two World Wars. I was wrong! More than being wrong, we have succeeded in alienating and upending so many Humans across the Planet. I was also very sad, because I once believed in America’s Ideals and Aspirations, and a small part of me still does!

During the past two weeks, more than at any time during the past years since I read Chalmer’s book, I have been feeling more anxiety and more bewilderment than ever before, and, in case you’re wondering how the fuck did we get here it is that exact same Hubris which had convinced us of remaking the World into our own Image that brought us all to where we are today, supported by most of our Bribable Corrupt Elected Politicians, Officials and the Corporate Media. So, while I cannot read the tea leaves, and anything can happen, or change, I feel that we are now in the grips of a Political Upheaval across the World whose effects will be lasting for at least a decade! Incredible!

The Overhaul and Purging of the Government and the dismantling of both our National and International Institutions is nothing more than dangerous, notwithstanding the fact that so much in our Government should have been Overhauled a long, long time ago. And, while I might not agree with Trump’s methodology, approach, tactics or braggadocio some of the things he’s saying and doing are ones that I agree with. Moreover, Anger and Blanket Opposition Of Everything Trump Is Not A Policy! Again though, we have arrived to this point mainly due to Corrupt, often Ignorant, Negligent, Arrogant and Smug Elected Politicians and Officials who, amongst other wrongs, allow Lobbyists to write the Laws that they barely read, and who have time to emote for TV cameras, but not for looking after the real concerns of the Nation and Ordinary Humans. Yes, our Democracy, Human Rights, Justice and Equality were never perfect in these United States, but at least we had them as Ideals and Aspirations that were A Work In Progress! No More as it seems! We are truly living in an Alternate Reality! Unbelievable!

What stood out for me more than anything else that has been happening recently is that Classless, Insensitive, Sinister and Depraved Gift of a A Golden Pager that Netanyahu inelegantly bestowed upon President Trump who should have been Insulted, not Flattered! Never in the history of gift exchanges between Leaders of Nations was anything more signifying of Pure Evil! What was this Gift meant to convey? That Netanyahu had rubbed our noses in the filth that he created and was now bragging about it? That he has vanquished his enemies? That he is victorious? That he can avail himself of every malicious instrument ever invented to deceive, humiliate, and dehumanize Palestinian, Lebanese and All Arab Humans? That his Power is Limitless? Really? Really?!!! It was truly much, much beyond Evil and more Proof – as if we needed it – of how utterly Inhumane that man is!! And what despicable behavior from a Head Of State that flaunts its Jewish values in our faces any way we turn! Shameless, and as Cruel as it can get!

Then there is that Sinister Decision by Trump of shuffling the Palestinian Humans out of their Homeland and, in that process, murdering thousands more than those that have already been sacrificed in order to render them unable to Resist an Occupation and Colonization foisted upon them by Colonist Powers that caused their Nakba in 1948, an Evil Plan that had been in the making since 1920 and that was planned with the ongoing Lies, Deceit and Propaganda that portrayed Palestinians as the Culprits and Terrorists and Israelis as the Victims thus turning Facts on their Miserable Heads and creating an Alternate Reality that conned the world. Moreover, Trump wants to stop the killings of Russians and Ukrainians, but ignores the hourly killings of Palestinians? Alternate Reality? Unbelievable!

Many of us will Never, Ever Forget that Genocide Joe could have stopped this War of Ruthless Vengeance back there when as did most of our Politicians and All the Colonist Powers across Europe! One of the results of Genocide Joe’s Complicity is that the Israeli Government’s Propaganda Machine is now trying to Silence Any Criticism of its Evil Doings by Labelling Anyone who voices such Criticism as a Terrorist! Really? Then I am a Terrorist? Free Speech is Dead? Criticism of the Israeli Government is not allowed, but criticism of Any Other Government, including our own, is okay? Alternate Reality again!

As I write this I do not know what will happen in the Middle East. Gaza? The West Bank? I fear that the worst is yet to come for this War is not over as more Alternate Realities get created and more Heartache and Misery get inflicted. And what will World Leaders do, because, sadly, truth is not in the Overt Press Conferences, but the Plots Taking Place Behind Closed Doors! Anyway, I doubt that they will do anything overtly except more Empty Words as Palestinian Humans writhe in Agony, Despair and Fury! Our Fate, or Doom I should say, is being decided by an Alternate Reality where Justice, Legality and Dignity are nowhere to be seen! And, I am sorry to say that I have never, ever felt more inconsolable, sorrowful, furious and utterly hopeless!

Condo in Canada Anyone? Oh wait! That is going to be our 51st. State! Damn it!