Born free, do we have control over our lives. Are we the masters of our fate or are our lives already pre-determined by a higher power we call fate, destiny, kismet, etc? This classic debate of the ages has come to the fore since the shocking victory of Donald Trump as president of the US. Are we autonomous human beings, responsible for our actions, right or wrong, obliged to accept the consequences of our decisions. Do we prevail or does destiny? Will Trump's steel lead him to winning against the most powerful opponent or was it already written in the stars. With the progress of science and the age of reason the idea of fate and destiny took a backseat over intelligence and knowledge, but the question of mystical forces remains a question. After unprecedented vicious attacks, criticism, mockery and insults, a historic upset that is still incomprehensible occurred. Hillary lost her quest for the presidency for the second time. Trump's dominance of the electoral vote, (306-228), is earth-shaking…who is responsible? How could this brassy, billowing businessman, hated by all the country's elites---the press, the media, the left, the right, the congress, the senate, defeat the veteran political insider with every advantage? A former first lady, an 8-year senator, a secretary of state, respected, admired even revered was toppled by who? Trump. Why everyone endorsed her, campaigned for her, including unusually fierce vitriol by President Obama, his wife, Pop stars, Hollywood stars, big bands, Oprah Winfrey, you name it. Why Trump never served an hour in office all his life. It simply could never be. But it was. Regardless of her checkered past, every woman was for Hillary. Together they would shatter the ‘male glass-ceiling' and make her the first woman president of the US. Analysts are still scratching their heads. It is time for the US to have a woman president. Other countries have for years. But it was not in the stars that this would be the woman. Americans had already made that mistake before. Convinced it was time for a black president, they chose the wrong black president. They were not to repeat their mistake. What about this Trump, they call ‘the Donald'? He is not without faults, sins, obscene chatter and off the cuff remarks. Many Muslims are against him because during one primary debate he expressed his preference not to let Muslims in the country without the proper papers. With all the ISIS atrocities in Europe, would you too not fear to allow such elements in your country too, unless you were certain they were not criminal terrorists. Trump talked to the working man and woman… and said all that was considered ‘politically incorrect'. That is how one ordinary American described it: “He speaks what we think”, “He speaks for us.” Funded by the wealthiest Americans, Hillary spent $1.3 billion on her ill-fated campaign. Trump, with small public donations spent $285 million… a good businessman and frugal too. He re-created the Republican Party which used to represent the elite, and now speaks for the unemployed and downtrodden, while Hillary reversed the principles of the DFL (Democratic Party of Farmers and Labourers) appealing to the high and mighty. The clown, the buffoon, the underdog, everyone's fool, will be sworn in as president of the US on January 20, 2017. Now, licking her wounds, we are neither sorry nor gloating, but shall never forget the harm she wrought upon Egypt and the Arab world. President Al-Sisi was among the first to congratulate President-elect Trump, whom he had already met during the UN General Assembly. Mr Al-Sisi invited him to visit Egypt. It shall be an experience he will never forget. They say he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but that's not quite accurate---maybe a brass one! Born 4th of five children in 1946, to Frederick C Trump and Scottish-born, Mary Macleod, in Jamaica, Queens, a middle-class borough of New York City. His father constructed middle-income class apartments in Queens, Brooklyn and Statten Island, but it was mother Mary who saw something special about her energetic, bright, 4th son. Instead of an ordinary education, she sent him to the Military School Academy at age 13… something he shares with President Al-Sisi. Donald excelled in sports and became student leader and during the summer holidays he helped with the construction in his father's firm. He ate with the labourers, played sports with them, and was never considered the boss's son. He entered the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, (comparable to Harvard Business School). On graduation his eyes were set on the glamorous borough of Manhattan. Reluctantly his father lent him $1 million to start with---and the rest is history. The Donald is worth billions. Extremely loyal, he has never smoked or drank alcohol. A homebody, he loves junk food and treats rich and poor alike. Marries three times he has five children, any father would be proud of. Third wife Melania Knauss—a fashion model, born in communist Slovenia, will be America's next first lady. Was that will or destiny? Their 10-year old son will be the youngest boy ever to live in the White House. No one of any consequence wanted Trump as president… except for the working men and women of America. Everyman elected the 45th president of the US. The people spoke…and… it was written.
“There's a divinity that shapes our ends/ Rough-hew them how we will.” William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
