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| Arik Brauer's Autumn War (detail) |
Yesterday's Peace Prize
Recipient Mr. O
Is on the TV news
Yet again. This time
I scribble a note.
It is something he says.
"Occasionally we
have to twist the
arms of countries
that wouldn't do what we
need them to do."
Hello Mr O
Who is this we
That you speak of
And where are these
Countries that wouldn't (sic)
Do what we need them to do?
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| The Arm Twister |
As a denizen gasping in the States, I can’t thank you enough for touching the Deity most of our press won’t touch. Won’t touch Clinton, either, and Billy has suddenly stepped out of the light. Internment for Bernie begins soon. It’s Dump on Trump all the time and with good reason. He has dug his own whole. But if Trump makes it, he will shout about, rightly or wrongly, about what our press ignores. In the end, however, it will be either The Donald in the Oval Office or Bill behind its curtains. A terrible time in the colonies.
ReplyDeleteHello Donal, this follows hard on the heels of O's advice to young people not to become cynical. But since it only applies to young people we may grasp the nettle of cynicism firmly. Well, somebody has to. Can't leave all the glory to the Donald.
DeleteI have been avoiding listening to these recent speeches because they are so cringe-worthy and make me sad. Meanwhile Hillary is falling over herself to praise him at every turn, thinking this is what her natural constituents want to hear. Bernie, not so much, and his lack of loyalty has cost him votes.
ReplyDeleteWe have had a taste of O in Europe and I believe we've shipped him back to the States. He has been throwing advice about withe great largesse. Most of us have been underwhelmed.
DeleteO's visit overshadowed events on the campaign trail. But now we hear that the Donald is claiming victory!
DeleteHe's been claiming victory for weeks now..Let's see if the GOP allows him to have it.
DeleteThe Hispanics will save you Shawn.
DeleteI think maybe it is the royal we.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's worse than that. But who are we to say?
Delete__I changed my political registration to -Independent-, a long time ago, the Nixon era. We've not much to choose from now, either. A write in is not a wasted vote, a vote... just to sate a -party-... IS_!
ReplyDeleteRemove the T, and what do you see?
_m
I understand that, at least in theory, anybody born in the US can run as for president without one of the two big party machines behind them if they have enough money; public status and/or recognition being probably essential too. Maybe the time is coming when some of these people feeling philanthropic will step forward and begin a new era in politics.
DeleteThe question remains: Remove the T, and what do you see?
DeleteI guess it's the rump?
DeleteWhat is it you can't fathom about our poetry group? About a dozen of us meet in a friend's conservatory once a month for an afternoon of poetry. We go round the group and each read a poem of our choice and then we sometimes have a short discussion after the poem - either about the poem, the language, the poet. Sometimes we don't even do that, we just enjoy the poem for what it is. We are many of us retired English teachers at some level; the variety of the poems is great and it is a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. Yesterday we had Shakespeare, Manley Hopkins, Maya Angelou,Browning, Pam Ayres, Carol Ann Duffy, Robert Frost, Betjamen,Simon Armitage, a Russian folk tale - and a few more I have forgotten. It is thoroughly relaxing
ReplyDeletePat, I don't understand you think I don't understand. Sure I understand, especially as you've read some of my work on occasion. I used to be in the Cafe' Kafka group but I had to stop going because the cigarette smokers were in the majority. It was like reading in fog. I could hardly breathe.
DeleteI actively campaigned against Obama in the last few election cycles. So, I am not, by any standard, an Obama enthusiast, but I think his comments have been taken out of context in this case.
ReplyDeleteIf you listen to the whole VOX interview, his militaristic "arm twisting" comments seem to be aimed at ISIS strongholds. His other arm-twisting comments are tied to diplomacy (failed in my view) when speaking of Iran and N. Korea.
He does mention the IMF, which worries me, but that is not what is implied with the colonial era weapons shown in your picture.
Mr O's arm twisting of EU countries, Brexit vote, TTIP lobbying, missiles in Poland, Ukraine sanctions, etc.. I'll admit he may not be as bad as Bush with his "if you are not with us you are against us" policy, but still it's always there.
DeleteWe don't need a new cold war.
US arm twisting or the offering carrots is often backed up with a big stick. Hence the canon.