So What About History?

Things I like about the country    
lack of memory about history isn't one    
ignorant of past mistakes and atrocities    
when the course of the day is done    
   
Recalling misadventures in imperial instincts    
modern presidencies don't offer much hope    
elites rely on masses being distracted or numbed    
addicted to various manifestations of dope    
   
Think of Cuba and the suspicious ship's explosion    
which provides an excause for Teddy and his Rough Riders to ride    
or maybe how Hawaii's road to self determination    
ended up thrown to the side
   
Got involved in dealing with other world powers'    
grab for influence and territory via World War One    
Wilson had enough intelligence not to station troops in Russia permanently    
lasting peace would not have a long run    
   
World economy faced a Great Depression    
a dictator set up in Spain but we turned our heads    
couldn't stay isolated with the Axis on the rise    
stomping out the Jewish people led so many dead    
   
Then the scars of the Cold War    
by luck and good grace dad was spared  
discharged just before the Korean War broke out    
ramification of war by proxy extrobitantly aired    
   
Joe McCarthy and his rants of absurd innuendo    
destroying careers of any who had the courage to object    
reminder that the popular rhetoric hurt many    
we are still dealing with the consequences and effects    
   
Like the treasure and lives thrashed by Vietnam    
short sighted politicians dominated Washington's halls of power    
at times the similarities are scary    
with Tolkein's marauding Dark Tower    
   
Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nicouragua, just to name four  
across three continents we stretch our industrial war machine    
in the name of supposed democracy and capitalism    
left in the wake many never actualized dreams    
   
Drones armed so the destruction saves lives of the aggressors    
who cares if others die, doesn't impact nationalistic zest    
focus on a president's shoe size and lies about his health    
so muddled consciences won't be pests    
   
But you we see are members of the human family    
before we are taught notions of superiority    
blind allegiance to political party or religious denomination    
keep in check questioning authority    
   
No question there will be less scrupulous actors    
can't totally discount nefarious threats    
but the emphasis on game theory and winners and losers    
makes peace a very iffy bet  
   
For somewhere there will be families struggling    
just hoping to have shelter and enough to eat    
while in the corridors of power    
the upper crust of society maintains the comfortable seats