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| Created by altering a certain political cartoon* |
By Bob Boldt
I composed the following prayer because I have had it up to here with all of the militaristic jingoism rampant this holiday.
My Memorial Day Prayer
In a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we cannot hallow – this ground. The cowards of the governments of this century, who so cleverly betrayed us, have soiled these graves far above our poor power to ever hallow this ground again. The history of the world will long note and sadly remember the lies that our generals and our rulers have said here. What will too soon be forgotten is the futility of the misguided crimes these benighted souls committed in our name. It is now for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to resist the haters, the warmongers, the corrupt who would profit from the blood these poor ones shed so ignobly. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. Let us from these ravaged corpses take increased devotion that we will never again support a war, guided or misguided. Let us take increased revulsion for that cause for which they gave the last full measure. Proclaim to our leaders that we here highly resolve that we will honestly face the fact that these dead have died in vain. And that if our nation persists in the path of Empire, we will dedicate our lives to causing this nation to perish from the earth.I no longer feel as sanguine as I once did about The War to End All Wars (WWI) or The Good War (WWII). The fix was in on those two noble attempts to make the world safe for the bankers too.
In truth and with respect (where due)
Bob Boldt
Who the fug told the Military that this holiday was to be used primarily to promote war and recruit more cannon fodder?
| Copyright © 2016 by Bob Boldt |
I love this piece, and share these sentiments deeply.
ReplyDeleteBob, so far you've rated only one "love," but it's a holiday and most people, I guess, are remembering the fallen or gathering for friend or family get-togethers.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the snafu in setting up the piece. At first I thought the "prayer" was your doctored political cartoon, but then I noticed the text attachment. But by then it was getting pretty late for us to confer on the prayer's rallying cry, to "dedicate our lives to causing this nation to perish from the earth [if our nation persists in the path of Empire]," which I had emailed "makes me feel a bit nervous for you to utter it," wanting to learn "whether you [might] want to tone [it] down."
I hope that your not responding to that concern simply indicated that you missed it in my emails. But, then, you probably just wanted to stand by the statement. As I had also written: "It's your byline, so what the hell."
Anyway, that is my own response to that particular line of the prayer. Let's see what other reactions you get.
I do agree with your sentiments and you need not prove to me anymore, the size of your balls. I too have reservations with - "we will dedicate our lives to causing this nation to perish from the earth." I don't think our nation needs further "help" in that area. And surely there are other steps before your activating such 'action'. Unless drastic and positive 'attitude change' bubbles to the top of the political and populous septic tank, we will implode naturally. However, like I just said, there is surely other steps to consider first. We cannot give up - never!
ReplyDeleteMen and women with far larger balls than mine have been warning of the dangers of the unbridled expansion of the Capitalist militarism that is not only tolerated but celebrated across this benighted land every Memorial Day. I would be quite satisfied and thankful only for solemn ceremonies commemorating the deaths of combatants and non-combatants, and wreaths placed in honor of both invaders and those they invaded. But instead of a respectful silence, citizens are feted with, not only arrays of aerial derring-do by pilots of antique aircraft, but all the bunting and recruiting posters of our own now morally bankrupt and discredited armed forces. These clown/recruiters seek not only to profane the graves of the freshly fallen but they also seem hell bent on filling new graves with even more, naive, starry-eyed ignoramuses.
ReplyDeleteIt seems you and Morris have reservations about my concluding rephrasing of Lincoln’s closing line from the Gettysburg address. “…if our nation persists in the path of Empire, we will dedicate our lives to causing this nation to perish from the earth.” Not as eloquent as Lincoln, but I was under deadline.
You are not the first to take issue with my intentionally anti-Amerikan pronouncements. I challenge any student of modern Amerikan history to predict a positive outcome for humanity or planet earth if our rise to Empire is not staunched. And as the presidency of Hillary Clinton will confirm, the Empire is now more powerful and destructive than it has been since the defeat of Russia in the Cold war. So I put it to my critics: You can have a powerful Amerikan Empire OR a habitable planet -- not both.
I do understand better now your comment. Thanks for the reference clarity. I have to admit the rest of the world, certainly Australia, does see America as a buttinski in other countries affairs. And from that perspective the actions and intent always seem to further the ever changing desires of America's political agendas. Over time this seems to bite even America in the butt, but the provokers have short term memory loss and don't seen ti learn from it. Ever the pushy big brother.
ReplyDelete