RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS
The Indoctrinated
There is blame enough to go around
Those who saw the truth but remained silent
Those who spoke out but quietly
Those who protested but ineffectively
Those who took the easy path
Those who simply went along
Those who sang the party song
Those who knew but failed to act
The officers who fired the missiles
The commanders who gave the orders
The pilots who dropped the bombs
The soldiers who pulled the trigger
The officials who stood down
The workers who made the weapons
The journalists who toed the line
Those who pretended all was fine
The blame belongs to countless souls
across the years and decades
who saw what Putin was becoming
who knew the danger that he wrought
but feared his brutal retribution
who feared they would be caught
But what of those who were believers?
Those who bought the party line
Those who worshiped their dear leader
Those who followed with devotion
Those who never thought to question
Those who thought one man was God
Above the others, above the law
Despite all they plainly saw
What of the indoctrinated?
Do they too own a share of blame?
They should have known! you say
They should have seen past the lies
They would have known if they had tried
But as the followers of Adolf Hitler claimed:
If he had chosen you
You also would have followed
Where he led *
You also would have fought
You also would have bled
Let us not assess blame
Let us judge by what we do and say
Now that we all know the truth
* The Man in the Glass Booth
By Robert Shaw
