artwork: ralph murre, after sculpture by june la combe
THE NEW
ROMANS LEARN DOUBLESPEAK
[On the destruction of the Baghdad Museum
by
Arlene Zide
War
is peace and
peace
is tyranny
A
robot
mouthing
words he's been rehearsed to.
Whatever
questions
he
is asked
he
answers in the currency
of
plastic
platitudes
flag,
freedom, democracy
peace.
Security
-- war is peace
peace
is war
war
is security
security
is war
we
will destroy
this
village/city/nation/child
to
save it.
We
will bribe the barbarians
burn
the Library, let them pillage
7,000
years of history,
enrich
the greed
y to save freedom, peace . The nation
y to save freedom, peace . The nation
will
sacrifice the young
for
our glorious future,
silence
the speakers
to
save liberty,
tax
the poor,
kiss
the oily feet of the wealthy
to
free the dogs of war
trailing
napalm, biting
at
their open sores.
~
first appeared in The Pedestal
