(Prompted by photos of the Iraqi war victims – ostensibly women and children – which western mainstream media have censored. They can be seen at www.marchforjustice.com/id191.htm )

We are victims, too.

We, with our comforting TV,
our pristine paper,
our naive insularity –
We are victims, too –
Of slant, hype, spin
and less than a fraction of
a wider global truth.

We are the victims of push-button
patriotic parades…
Wrapped in coloured cloths that we call 'flags' –
"My colour's brighter, bolder, cleaner than yours.."

We are victims, too,
of euphemisms, oxymorons –
The Brave New World, New War,
New Speak –
War is peace, attack is defence,
invasion is liberation...
And, like a frog in water,
slowly heated,
we never notice the subtle change,
until we boil with rage, anger, hate –
all justified and directed
at anyone, any country, any race, any culture,
that is anything but us!

We are victims, too,
of manipulated emotions,
manipulated 'facts', figures, –
Newspeak, Politispeak, Militarspeak,
Religispeak – We have a New Jesus, now!

Blessed are the mighty, for they shall invade and inherit,
Blessed are the War-makers whom we shall call Peace-makers,
Suffer little children to…. suffer.
And, lest your enemy attack you, turn not the other cheek,
but strike first – blessed are the bomb-makers…
If your enemy asks for water – drown him,
and call it baptism!

We are victims, too, saved only
by sanitised sound-bites,
'appropriate photos' that will never show
'collateral damage'.

We shall sleep soundly tonight, because
the child with legs ripped away,
(who cannot cry through a bloodied eyeless socket)
will, as likely, never haunt you –
Not while she is thousands of miles away,
with an unpronounceable name.

And we can sleep soundly, proud of how
we have liberated her (from limbs and life),
but we never need see or hear her.

And besides, she's just collateral damage
for a 'greater cause' – one which we
thought we knew – what we were 'told'
to be Newtruth...

Our democracy of dissenters who may not dissent –
dissenters who may not question or challenge –
who will give up rights and free-speech –
except to speak freely in keeping with the masses,
massed by 'those who know best, and who we must follow...'

We are victims, too –
Victims of ourselves.
We are the sheep being led to the slaughter –
to slaughter and be slaughtered -–
Smile in our hypocrisy, naivetι,
ignorance and denial, not even capable
of realising that
We are victims, too.

(Prompted by photos of the Iraqi war victims – ostensibly women and children – which western mainstream media have censored. They can be seen at www.marchforjustice.com/id191.htm )

Copyright David Taub, UKpoet.aol.com, 2003


David Taub is a member of :
The British organisation 'National Union of Journalists' (NUJ);
Columnist for the UK magazine 'Poetry Now';
Freelance writer for various UK and USA magazines;
Co-author of Language of Souls (listed on amazon.com) - Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Best Book of the year, 2002 award.
Website: www.ukpoet.cjb.net