Few days back I took my car to the same mechanic I have been seeing over several years. A huge Trump supporter and a staunch Republican, he has already made up his mind whom to vote for the Republican nominee. At same time, seeing the writing on the wall, he has consigned himself to live with at least 4 more years of Hillary
"This tainted bi*ch is going to destroy our great nation built by our founding fathers. Along with her philandering husband Bill Clinton, the duo are going to convert the sacrosanct White House into a Whore House", he lamented.
I told him to look back into history and the days of JFK as President. Jack Kennedy was a Casanova of his time and his affairs included Interns inside the White House. "Do you know JFK once surprised his Brtish counterpart Harold McMillan by telling the later, that if he doesn't have s*x everyday, he gets a headache", I told him. "Oh, Is it so ? "- my car mechanic buddy burst into laughter, as he took a drag from his Marlboro, complimenting me with his Southern drawl "Awhh Myaan, you know a hell Lotta stuff".
Shaking his head, he replied - " See the hypocrisy here ! They ain't say nothing about the Kennedys, but they are after Trump's ass". But he acknowledged, "Kennedys, though Democrats were Patriots who loved our country and fought for it. This Son of a Gun Bill Clinton is a draft dodger predator and pedophile. (Son of a Gun is the accolade reserved for the progeny of pleasure ladies who used to accompany Sailors during their long sojourns during Medieval times). He added, "Can't fault the Kennedy brothers as their dad Joseph Kennedy was a notorious womanizer and his sons inherited their father's quality."
Never knew that womanizing is part of genes and gets inherited. But he did have a point. We humans are champion hypocrites, always lenient towards the celebrities we worship, turning a blind eye towards their shortcomings, pushing their lacunae under the carpet. At same time, we lose no opportunity to chide and mock at others who do exactly the same. Kennedys were after all the Camelot family, no less than Royalty, a cult figure whom the Americans still adore.
It reminded me of Aparti, the coconut plucker from our village, who tilled our paddy fields near Puri. A staunch supporter of Congress party, he believed Indira Gandhi always fought for poor. In between tying a rope knot around his legs and waist before climbing tall coconut trees, he will take in drags from his BIDI (thin cigars of raw tobacco) while extolling the pro poor virtues of Indira Congress. No matter what I say, not withstanding any visible change in his economic status, he had unflinching loyalty to the "Hand" symbol of Congress party.
It is another matter that until 1991, with Gandhis at helm, India was bracketed with sub-Saharan Africa, as far as povery goes. It took a non-Gandhi to rescue India from economic doldrums by opening up India's economy with liberalization, which since has moved 10s of millions out of poverty.
Aparti (also addressed as Apartia) has never driven anything beyond his dusty bicycle, with a hanging, perforated leather seat, its two wheels with multiple patches barely able to hold enough air, the tube almost touching the ground. My auto mechanic drives a swanky Chavy Trailblazer with Michellin tires glistening under a bright Fall sun.
The best brand Apartia ever smoked in his life is New Odisha BIDI. My mechanic friend intermittently pops up a Marboro from his pocket and drags in smoke and puffs out smoke and frustration with these liberal Democrats who are hell bent on snatching away his gun and freedom.
Reiterating again what I opined earlier - it's the saga of two MUNDAs (an Odia diatribe for diehard morons). Both Aparti back home in India and my car mechanic in US, are common people separated by two worlds on the opposite sides globe. One illiterate and poor, the other literate and economically better off - yet both with unwavering loyalty to their political parties, MUNDAs nevertheless.
"This tainted bi*ch is going to destroy our great nation built by our founding fathers. Along with her philandering husband Bill Clinton, the duo are going to convert the sacrosanct White House into a Whore House", he lamented.
I told him to look back into history and the days of JFK as President. Jack Kennedy was a Casanova of his time and his affairs included Interns inside the White House. "Do you know JFK once surprised his Brtish counterpart Harold McMillan by telling the later, that if he doesn't have s*x everyday, he gets a headache", I told him. "Oh, Is it so ? "- my car mechanic buddy burst into laughter, as he took a drag from his Marlboro, complimenting me with his Southern drawl "Awhh Myaan, you know a hell Lotta stuff".
Shaking his head, he replied - " See the hypocrisy here ! They ain't say nothing about the Kennedys, but they are after Trump's ass". But he acknowledged, "Kennedys, though Democrats were Patriots who loved our country and fought for it. This Son of a Gun Bill Clinton is a draft dodger predator and pedophile. (Son of a Gun is the accolade reserved for the progeny of pleasure ladies who used to accompany Sailors during their long sojourns during Medieval times). He added, "Can't fault the Kennedy brothers as their dad Joseph Kennedy was a notorious womanizer and his sons inherited their father's quality."
Never knew that womanizing is part of genes and gets inherited. But he did have a point. We humans are champion hypocrites, always lenient towards the celebrities we worship, turning a blind eye towards their shortcomings, pushing their lacunae under the carpet. At same time, we lose no opportunity to chide and mock at others who do exactly the same. Kennedys were after all the Camelot family, no less than Royalty, a cult figure whom the Americans still adore.
It reminded me of Aparti, the coconut plucker from our village, who tilled our paddy fields near Puri. A staunch supporter of Congress party, he believed Indira Gandhi always fought for poor. In between tying a rope knot around his legs and waist before climbing tall coconut trees, he will take in drags from his BIDI (thin cigars of raw tobacco) while extolling the pro poor virtues of Indira Congress. No matter what I say, not withstanding any visible change in his economic status, he had unflinching loyalty to the "Hand" symbol of Congress party.
It is another matter that until 1991, with Gandhis at helm, India was bracketed with sub-Saharan Africa, as far as povery goes. It took a non-Gandhi to rescue India from economic doldrums by opening up India's economy with liberalization, which since has moved 10s of millions out of poverty.
Aparti (also addressed as Apartia) has never driven anything beyond his dusty bicycle, with a hanging, perforated leather seat, its two wheels with multiple patches barely able to hold enough air, the tube almost touching the ground. My auto mechanic drives a swanky Chavy Trailblazer with Michellin tires glistening under a bright Fall sun.
The best brand Apartia ever smoked in his life is New Odisha BIDI. My mechanic friend intermittently pops up a Marboro from his pocket and drags in smoke and puffs out smoke and frustration with these liberal Democrats who are hell bent on snatching away his gun and freedom.
Reiterating again what I opined earlier - it's the saga of two MUNDAs (an Odia diatribe for diehard morons). Both Aparti back home in India and my car mechanic in US, are common people separated by two worlds on the opposite sides globe. One illiterate and poor, the other literate and economically better off - yet both with unwavering loyalty to their political parties, MUNDAs nevertheless.
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