Amazing Grace

Americans who read this blog can be forgiven for thinking that I am some kind of an ISIL maniac minus the mindless violence and gory chunks. As ISIL hates, I dislike America.

But, nothing can be further from the truth. When I think of America or Americans, two words spring to my mind - "Amazing" and "Grace". And it's not just the Christmas spirit or season. It's something quite firmly lodged in my psyche. Those who have read my posts sensitively may have detected this disposition in me.

The amazing and gracious lists of things are endless and, for the moment here, I touch on the immediately most profound.

Each time I returned to Malaysia from a trip to the US, I am imbibed with a very generous and gracious mood. While the mood lingers, I tip exorbitantly and smile at everyone. Then, the overwhelmingly sour local drag repossesses me probably after about a month. 

Americans are amazingly open with their hearts and minds. They are not afraid to let others learn from them and they willing bare their warts and all in the teaching process. That's how many bloggers all over the world can feel at home and comment critically on America.

When we are at home, faults can be easily spotted around us. The grass always looks greener on the other side. Michael Moore has again capitalised on this type of situation which is themed in his coming movie: Where to Invade Next.

There is deliberately no question mark at the end of the sentence, Michael giggled, as this was not a question but a decision already taken, in the distinctive brash American fashion.

The very manner of framing this movie title shows that Americans can mock at their own faults in a self-deprecating way. This movie was shot entirely outside the US to point out how things that had gone seriously wrong in the US, are better handled elsewhere.

America always has its self-correcting mechanisms when it has gone into extremes as I reassured a fellow countryman of mine, who was unduly worried over an unsavoury American policy as touted, in my post: Trump irks Muhammad Ali.

As we go into the Christmas holidays, we can be rest assured in Amazingly Gracious America that the excesses of Fox News would be balanced by the likes of Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky.

On my side of the world, we are reassured of the harmonious validity of the Yin and Yang equilibrium firmly in place.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PEACE ON EARTH