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Promised Land?

(To paraphrase Mark Twain,
Americans are a mix of ignorance
and arrogance.)

***

Americans are “amazing”.
(Yes, that is satirical.)
Americans think that a repeated phrase
is the truth.
So, let’s all say together:
“Hope we can believe in”
“Yes we can”
“Weapons of mass destruction”
“We don’t torture”
“Iran is a menace”
“We can be proud to be Americans again”.
Yep, truly amazing.
Americans believe a historic event
is all that is needed
to reach the “promised land”.

***

Did they actually listen to what he said?
Or were they blinded by the light
and their fear of the right.
His promise of hope:
More troops to Afghanistan
to fight the “good war”
“All options are on the table”
War criminals are praised, called “heroes”.
But wait, I forgot
we must have dialogue with fascists,
reach common ground
and yes, forgive-
My Lai
napalm from the sky
Fallujah
drones
torture
endless war for empire.
Anything, we must be safe.

***

Oh yes America
just keep repeating to yourself,
“Welcome to the promised land”
“Welcome to the promised land”
“Welcome to the promised land”.
Repeating
repeating,
it must be true.

~~redzone 11.9.08