My Seventy Year Old Eyes

Media Corporations of all sorts have been ablaze with coverage of Gaza and the West Bank, as well they should be. There have also been comparisons to The Holocaust and to Hitler’s Atrocities as he targeted Innocent Jewish Humans with Annihilation, which was an Evil Undertaking! However, we should not forget the Fact that, at the time, and while some in the World knew that a war was going on in Europe, very few realized what a Vile Crime Hitler was executing against the Jewish People. Today is a different story! With mobile phones, social media platforms, a connected and activist citizenry worldwide and many Brave Investigative Journalists the whole World is aware of the Genocide, the Crimes Against Humanity and the Lawlessness Galore with which Netanyahu’s Racist, Radical, Zealous Government is inflicting on Innocent Palestinian Humans.

Moreover, the Whole World is watching, listening and seeing so Many Palestinian Activists, Writers, Artists, Movie Producers, Pundits, Poets, Political Figures, Journalists, Academic Professors, Doctors, Nurses (many of whom have been assassinated in Gaza) et al who are impressively and loudly speaking out and much to the Stunned Surprise of the Israeli Government and the Bought-and-Paid for Western Media Outlets, as well as the shameless Arab Leaders. Never before, during the eighty years of our Nakba has there been this much coverage and support for Palestine and its People! However, it is also driving the Perpetrators of the atrocities to become even more vengeful and ferocious! Sometimes I wonder whether the Universe has kept me alive thus far just in order to witness how we Palestinians are even remotely Influencing US Elections? Who would have ever thought that even possible? Not me!

And, while AIPAC, the ADL, most of the Western World’s Politicians and Megaphones are scurrying to nauseatingly skew the Facts so as to Stress that it is all about Israel’s “self-defense” and Hamas’s crimes and Not About a Hundred Years of Occupation, Humiliation, Assassinations, Incarceration and Outright Human Rights Abuses of an Entire Palestinian Population, their efforts have not been successful. Moreover, the Heartbreaking and Infuriating Images of the Death and Destruction in Gaza and the West Bank are banned from Israeli News Outlets, thus keeping many Israeli Humans from seeing with their own eyes what their Lawless Government is doing in their name. However, the world is responding with: No! That Lawlessness has gone way too far! And, that same Lawlessness is being met with Protests, Marches and Demonstrations All Over The World much to the Chagrin of Netanyahu and his Posse, mainly because Lies, Deceit and Propaganda have been laid bare. Jeremy Scahill of The Intercept has brilliantly exposed some of those Lies, Deceit and Propaganda. Other Journalists, Thinkers and Writers have done so as well! The Lawlessness that Israel is perpetrating, and the Blind Complicity of the US, UK and other shameless Western, as well as Arab Politicians are setting a terrible example to the Whole World where wicked political leaders and unsavory characters are embracing that Lawlessness and daring Anyone to tell them not to! Just think of what’s happening in Haiti, Sudan and Palestine amongst other numerous places where Lawless interventions have been causing humongous horrors, pain, catastrophes and destitution due to our Irresponsible Foreign Policies! And, neither Biden nor Trump will be better on this front! Do we want Isolationism? Not really, but our Interventions and Meddling have only succeeded in causing calamities everywhere and across the globe. This Must Stop! We have, moreover, broken our touted rule-based global order on multiple occasions! Lawlessness Galore! Worldwide!

A while back, and before the horrendous atrocities on Gaza and the West Bank started, I read: The World For Sale, by Javier Bas and Jack Farchy. It had been sitting on my pile for ages, and I have no idea how I even came by it. It is one of the Scariest books that I have ever read, even more so than Stephen King’s novels that once scared me plenty! The book addresses the Billionaire Commodity Traders (those same ones who contribute to the corruption of our politics and politicians): Oil, Metals, Agricultural Products and Any of the Earth’s Resources. The Individuals, Intermediaries and Companies who participate in this are Never, Ever deterred by Wars, Sanctions, Embargoes, or any Laws Whatsoever. Their Only god is Money. They deal with Anyone Legit, or Otherwise. For instance, they will trade in Oil from any source despite any Sanctions and Embargo, and they have convoluted their payments, profits and the myriad companies that they trade under in such unscrupulous and corrupt methods that Nothing can be traced back to Them, or to their Companies as, for instance, their Oilers and shipping boats float in Lawless International Waters! They are more Powerful than Any Government on our Planet. Not only do they unscrupulously trade in all that stuff, they can also manipulate the market and prices, and do they ever!! This is Capitalism run amok, and, again, inviting Lawlessness Galore!

Together with the Commodity Traders, there are the Hedge-Fund Managers, another category who have their Greed-driven noses up almost every business, corporation (weapons manufacturers, lethal drugs and narcotics included) and enterprise on the Planet! Their Only god is Money too! They control the market and prices from Movies to Pharmaceuticals to Humans, and everything else that the Commodity Traders do not deal with. Whatever you can think of where you can stick a Price Tag on becomes their Target. They, too, are more Powerful than Any Government on our Planet. So when you wonder what contributes to Inflation, to the price of Fuel and Groceries, Housing etc. and to all other necessities look no further. Could anything be done about them? Not as long as we have Governments that work for Billionaires, Politicians (with Lobbyists padding their corrupt wallets), Runaway Capitalism and not for the People, and who are going about their aims and projects as if no war, no climate, no threats of any kind are on the horizon because they will be okay. We won’t. And that is plenty scary! There are so many Journalists, Scientists and Publications warning us about this! As one example: The Terrific Ralph Nader and Russel Mokhiber of Capitol Hill Citizen titled an article in their latest issue: Collectively Congress is a Weapon of Mass Destruction. So true! Is this simply an Alarmist Opinion? Unfortunately, it is not at all!

Scarier still is the fact that the United States and the United Kingdom, more than any other nations, have been Printing Money like there is no tomorrow, racking up Debt that not even our great grandchildren will be able to pay. This is what might cause these two nations, more than any others, to take the World to War – always an Evil though Profitable Money-maker – which, in this day and age, and considering the Incompetence, Knee-jerk Reactions and Arrogance of Political Leaders might have Very Dire Consequences on all of us. Infuriating!

As long as Money and Colonialism are god Lawlessness will be the New World Order!

During the months since October – oh, my! It’s been over four months already?! – I have been stressed, disconcerted and anguished! There has been so much going on that is distressing, to say the least! Some days start and end as if I am merely an onlooker, not really living the moment. I am not the only one, of course! So many of us are experiencing various forms of anxiety. However, I look forward to the evenings when I snuggle in bed with my hot water bottle and A Book! That hour of reading transports me to another world where I lose myself in the story and the characters. Against all the odds, and with my attention span diminished due to the circumstances surrounding us, I only managed to finish two novels since the War of Vengeance on Gaza started, which is way below my usual quota!

Anyway, the first novel is titled: The Edentians* by Gissele Trussell, and the second is: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See. I cannot describe enough the joy that they sprinkled on my sorrowful soul, and I really, really urge you to read both of these treasures. Some time ago I had made an arrangement with myself to give away one of the books on my crowded shelves for every one that I buy. But, I am holding on to these two novels!

Gissele Trussell’s writing is smooth, easy and enticing. She took me into a world of fantastical characters and an imaginary universe. The cosmic characters we encounter along the way are well-fleshed out; the imagery is delightful and the trajectory of the story so enjoyable. But these are not its only attributes, because after reading a chapter, let’s say, and allowing yourself to absorb it, you will find that this is not only a Gripping Fantasy of the astute author that compelled her to pen this, but that it has a much more profound meaning of our Eternal Battle as Humanity between Good and Evil, even more so when it’s characters and storyline are juxtapositioned with our Present Earthly Political Realities. At certain points it is an uncanny reminder of just how precarious a situation we humans are undergoing at this point in time. This excerpt is from the jacket of the book: “The Group – a nefarious consortium of planetary tycoons determined to implement a sinister plot that will not only enslave humanity but could obliterate the human race.” If this isn’t an eerie reminder of our present, I don’t know what could be! Hopefully we will surmount the humongous adversities we are encountering presently and bring on an era of Peace and Justice to our Planet! I loved every paragraph, page and chapter of The Edentians, and as happens when I love a novel, I wanted it to go on and on! I know that I will reread it again!

The second novel: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women transported me to yet another world, to China, a huge country about which we really know so little, because it has been designated as the West’s Rival? Competitor? Enemy? Frenemy? Who knows about the sordid machinations of the political world! However, China has a rich cultural heritage, deep traditional roots and a history of about 5000 years about which, and to our detriment, we are mostly unaware. This vivid novel by Lisa See, who has Chinese ancestry, is not the first one I have read from the wonderful details and meticulous writing of this author. It is about an incredible woman named Tan Yunxian during the Ming Dynasty, and her captivating journey from childhood through old age. Along the way she learns how to treat women’s medical conditions from her Grandparents utilizing an array of herbs and natural remedies, and, eventually earning her place as a respected authority on this subject – which was the strict domain of Men at that time – and despite the traditions that marginalized women like her and pigeon-holed them in the subordinate conventional role of being foot-bound slaves to their menfolk. Along with her role as Healer and Doctor, Lady Tan realizes the important role of cherishing “a circle of women” around her – despite the little spats, petty jealousies and competitions – and the invaluable love, support and guidance that are so vital to our overall well-being. What I found particularly fascinating were some of the words used by Chinese Women. For instance: “bed chamber affairs” mean the intimate relationships between spouses; “moon water” is a reference to our lunar monthly cycle; “child place” is our womb. Enchanting! A truly amazing world brought to life by this very talented author.

In both novels every human emotion you can think of is portrayed: from love to hate to jealousy to wickedness and on and on. It is our human story, and the sooner we all realize how numerous are our similarities as Human Beings the sooner we will be on the road to Peace and Justice in this very dangerous and unstable world we are in at this moment of history, because Empires come and go; war successes are short-lived; the battle between Good and Evil will continue as it has been and as long as we do not surmount our arrogance and learn how to coexist and respect the differences amongst all Earth’s Nations, as well as amongst our Human categories such as gender, ethnicity, religion and such.

And if you need a very easy read, a witty, funny and cheerful novel that would leave you closing your eyes with a smile on your face – and don’t we all need that!! – then Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley is a Must Medicine for the soul!

Finally, and repeating myself here, there is nothing that beats forgetting the depressing news all around us than snuggling with a great book and losing ourselves into its pages, characters and story while remembering that most good novels overtly, or covertly, always have an underlying message of wisdom that enlightens us, and one we should appreciate as these three novels eloquently tell us. Happy Reading!

* I published this review on Amazon