Sunday, May 02, 2004

anonyMoses gives Adrian Mitchell Viet Nam war poetry a modern face

Tell me Lies about Iraqnam


Tell me Lies about Iraqnam
by anonyMoses


I was run over by an SUV one day.
Ever since the Selection I've walked this way
So stick my legs in Hummers
Tell me lies about Iraqnam.

Heard the Wingnut screaming with hate
Couldn't find myself so I went back to Slate
So fill my ears with Limbaugh
Stick my legs in Hummers
Tell me lies about Iraqnam.

Every time I shut my eyes all I see is Plames
Made a blog entry and I carved all the names*
So coat my eyes with football
Fill my ears with Limbaugh
Stick my legs in Hummers
Tell me lies about Iraqnam.

I smell someone learning, hope it's just my brains.
They're only dropping daisy-cutters and daisy-chains
So stuff my nose with cocaine
Coat my eyes with football
Fill my ears with Limbaugh
Stick my legs in Hummers
Tell me lies about Iraqnam.

Where were you at the time of the crime?
Down in Camp David drinking slime
So chain my tongue with Coors Lite
Stuff my nose with cocaine
Coat my eyes with football
Fill my ears with Limbaugh
Stick my legs in Hummers
Tell me lies about Iraqnam.

You put your bombers in, you lock your conscience out,
You take the human being and you pissed it all about
So scrub my skin with Oil
Chain my tongue with Coors Lite
Stuff my nose with cocaine
Coat my eyes with football
Fill my ears with Limbaugh
Stick my legs in Hummers
Tell me lies about Iraqnam.

-anonyMoses

At the White House correspondents' dinner...


I wanted to comment on something I'd written earlier this week. I'd criticized Pres. Bush's value-hyperfocus on Pat Tillman's walkaway from millions of dollars in order to serve our country. I'd said:
"It makes me so sad. I honor Pat's service. I honor the life he gave for this country. I honor every man and woman who died, was wounded, or is going through a non-stop hell because of the greed that brings people to the point of war. They all walked away from shelter, safety, beloved family, for their country. Those are the things our president should be applauding. During his State of the Union speech last January, he never gave tribute to the dead at all. I respect the office of the president, but I have to say, from what I've seen of his political face (which is the only way I could possibly be able to judge), that I don't think I like Mr. Bush very much as far as human beings are concerned. His values are so very different from my own.
Perhaps I'd judged G.W. Bush too harshly in the case of Pat Tillman. I watched Bush at the White House correspondents dinner last night and heard him say
[the death last month of Pat Tillman] "brought home the sorrow that comes with every loss and reminds us of the character of the men and women who serve on our behalf. Pat Tillman was modest because he knew there were many like him making their own sacrifices. They fill the ranks of the armed forces. Everyday somewhere they do brave and good things without notice. Their courage is usually seen only by their comrades, by those who long to be free and by the enemy. They are willing to give up their lives and when one is lost a whole world of hopes and possibilities is lost with them. This evening we think of the families who grieve and the families that wait on a loved one's safe return."
It almost seemed a direct response to my prior criticism.

Credit where credit is due. I stand corrected.

I hope, in months to come, Mr. Bush will become a better Commander-in-Chief. I can't help but wonder if, deep in his heart, he is sorry he trusted and took the counsel of Neo-conservative chickenhawks like his (alleged) second-in-command Dick Cheney and deputy Sec'y of State Paul Wolfowitz (who can't even care to properly keep track of the numbers of troops fallen because of his grande schemes).... while Mr. Bush turned his back on great men like General Eric Shinseki.

I fear the inexperienced G.W. Bush has learned too little; far too late. Then again, as long as we're alive, we have the ability to change our course.

Appeal to the U.N. now, President Bush. Bring our troops home.
Their mission is, indeed, accomplished.
All that is left to accomplish would be making a killing field of Iraq.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's face the truth bravely, honestly, all politics laid aside.


"We have already failed. Staying in longer makes us fail worse. ... I think we've passed the chances not to fail. And now we are in the situation where we have to limit the damage."

---Retired Lt. Gen. William Odom, a former director of the National Security Agency on the Today Show last Thursday

"Anybody that's pro-American cannot gain legitimacy. It will be a highly illiberal democracy, inspired by Islamic culture, extremely hostile to the West, and probably quite willing to fund terrorist organizations."

---Retired Lt. Gen. William Odom in the Wall Street Journal last week, commenting on how any new Iraqi democracy won't look familiar to people in the West.