House of Paine

noto bene people

 history tells a thousand such tales
we are hardly the first self chosen nation
 
but be warned
our number one good guy act
can only lead to destruction 

so listen up  



 the gospel on all this 
folks
is simple

any  clever and
  resolute band of rascals
and rustlers

any crew of high stakes raiders

  any pack of corporate hustlers

  can nearly at will
 bamboozle
  enrage and ultimately
stampede 
 the largely fact free 
  convictions 
  of the 
general citizenry
of this fair republic


 to propose scandalous grabs
  under the cloak
 of  patriotic vigilance

to summon the nation
to the ramparts

to call forth a national crusade

 this 
fine people of america 
 is childs play

 if jealous rivals 
can not speak louder

and better

if jealous rivals 
 can not stop the play
 the better to advance
 their own counter play

 then my fellow americans 
 the scam is coming down
 and  coming down hard 

and if its shoot first stuff
if its kick in the door Bill

WELL MADAM 
  once the  pattern
of armed intervention 
 is in place

once we renounce
 the prime directive
 of international action
  and get away 
with a drink of foreign blood 

  until we’re stopped
and i mean bloody well stopped
then 
   everytime
some one needs a refill 
it will be the same cry
 from the same  scoundrels

 the lethal cry
   “the nation in  danger”


   citizens of this once best nation 
 

I say beware


beware 
 the path of  the
 lone ranger

it  is the path  
to national disgrace
  


our faith
today as yesterday
must remain 
  as always
in the hands 
of humanity at large
 and  in its  essential decency
and efficacy
  we as a people among peoples 
must continue to believe
for better  or worse  
the many governments 
of the world  assembled
big medium and small 
 are  still the  fairest judge 
of any one  nations deeds
 
  and  that in the last resort
   free world opinion is always
the wisest jury 

  Mr. and Mrs. America
patience and perseverance
 are surely
 greater virtues
 then raw strength

 you  and your family and your neighbors
 all must firmly place
 for now and for all time 
your hope  and
 trust 
      in the righteousness 
of humanity 
  when  gathered
together
 in grave
and deliberate  assembly 
   
trust not 
any nation 
when it dares too long to 
stand alone


 my fellow Americans  
the pride and might
 of even a noble 
nation like ours must
respect our neighbors wisdom 

flount our power 
and as sure as the sun shall rise tomorrow 
we will
end our days 
like nazi germany 
with a stake 
driven thru our heart 

we must learn to trust and 
 embrace the goodwill 
 and  sense of equity
 the world community of nations 
 offers us all 
when convened in solemn assembly 
then and only then 
can  any nation 
no matter its strength 
  live on  to share the world’s salvation