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The Porcupine's Quill: A Satire Column
by Arshad M. Khan
by Arshad M. Khan
Please scroll down for
the satire column
Porcupine's Quill
the satire column
Porcupine's Quill
October 30, 2011
THE FIRST LOUSE -- A TOP DOWN VIEW OF THE WORLD
My family and I have always been at the head of things. We have a top down
view of the world. From where we are now, one could say, we have a
commanding view of the world. We are at the center of great happenings,
right in the middle of great events, at the head of everyone at the table,
where the fate of millions of people rest on words of persuasion --
sometimes even whether they live or die.
All I can say -- having hopped back and forth for variety -- just about all
leaders taste the same: power hungry, especially once they have tasted
power; manipulative, loaded with charm -- watch that smile; duplicitous --
"trust but verify" as one of them put it so pithily, and so on. I don't have to
give you the list, you know it already.
As far as my family goes, we have been through -- how should I put it -- thick
and thin: through the lush Afro days of a young firebrand, when we could
nest a large extended family, to the sparse crew of an urbane politician,
supporting very few of us. We understand. The voters don't like too overt
black. But we have hopped around, and my relatives are all over the world
-- though I hear it's awfully claustrophobic under a turban.
I have to tell you we like our present surroundings -- luxury at taxpayer
expense is hard to give up. And the power -- it's addictive. No wonder they
want to stay as long as possible. Some of us will hop on to the next
occupant -- must have friends and relatives in high places, you know. It's
how the world goes around. The Superrich, of course, just buy them -- the
high places that is. That's life.
THE FIRST LOUSE -- A TOP DOWN VIEW OF THE WORLD
My family and I have always been at the head of things. We have a top down
view of the world. From where we are now, one could say, we have a
commanding view of the world. We are at the center of great happenings,
right in the middle of great events, at the head of everyone at the table,
where the fate of millions of people rest on words of persuasion --
sometimes even whether they live or die.
All I can say -- having hopped back and forth for variety -- just about all
leaders taste the same: power hungry, especially once they have tasted
power; manipulative, loaded with charm -- watch that smile; duplicitous --
"trust but verify" as one of them put it so pithily, and so on. I don't have to
give you the list, you know it already.
As far as my family goes, we have been through -- how should I put it -- thick
and thin: through the lush Afro days of a young firebrand, when we could
nest a large extended family, to the sparse crew of an urbane politician,
supporting very few of us. We understand. The voters don't like too overt
black. But we have hopped around, and my relatives are all over the world
-- though I hear it's awfully claustrophobic under a turban.
I have to tell you we like our present surroundings -- luxury at taxpayer
expense is hard to give up. And the power -- it's addictive. No wonder they
want to stay as long as possible. Some of us will hop on to the next
occupant -- must have friends and relatives in high places, you know. It's
how the world goes around. The Superrich, of course, just buy them -- the
high places that is. That's life.