Article: The Middle East: the Delicate Art of Punishing without Provoking

Deicate
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Been mulling this Middle East muddle and more,
'Bout how nobody wants a regional war,
Nor one expanded, nor a great-power flap,
No cause to rouse Biden from his afternoon nap.
Yes, we're keeping this one back-burned but good,
All in the family, a few guys from the 'hood.
.
'Course, they hit us first so we've got to respond,
A quick in and out, a pebble in their pond,
'Cause just doing nothing emboldens our foes,
Who thought it'd be cool to go bloody the nose
Of our fine troops who were just mindin' own biz,
Waxing their fighters and drinking gin fizz.
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The Yanks' problem now is how much ain't a joke,
How much is to punish and still not to provoke,
'Cause Iranians, y'know, are pretty thin-skinned:
They don't split hairs and from nuance prescind.*
So it's coochy without coo, cuss without swear,
Mary's "Here you can touch me, but not down there."
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This means delicacy, footwork, a bit of e'lan,
Bombing a wheat field but not street o'er yon',
Leaving a clear message, but not "Make my day";
More like, "C'mon guys, can't we fix this some way?
Live and let live, bro', every man his milish,
Don't let those longbeards decide what's propish!"
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It's bombs away, and with a surgeon's precision,
And no doubt those armies now get Joe's position:
To raise cain when their droning goes too far,
In protesting Israel's Gaza crowbar.
Now they know they'd better tone down attack,
'Cause nobody wants a World War Three whack.
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* Like that word? It means "to leave out of consideration; dismiss."