A wide-lens historical perspective on 9-11 in the continuing drama of American empire.

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T'was back in the 90s when some comb-overs said,
"Let's drop the Twin Towers and raise world dread!
A brand new Pearl Harbor is what will serve best,
And from craven pols can more power be wrest,
'Cause senators and voters are all fine and well,
But they can't tell our foes from the farmer-in-dell."
.
Thus did they start the last phase of empire,
Generals who think of their calling as higher,
Who need no glasses to read the wall's writing;
Plus trenchcoats disdainful of fingernail-biting.
Who know this old world needs just what we're selling,
Though some who don't get it may need some compelling.
.
Now that 9-11 is passed and digested,
With a new meaning can it be invested.
Its place in our history gets clearer with Trump,
The reason the Complex pulled off its big bump:
To ease out the rich and the oligarch crew,
Who since Ron Reagan had ruled for their few.
.
Not that the Complex had much trouble with that,
But it burnt their bacon to always doff hat
To grinning civilians who got all the chicks,
And whenever war beckoned would usually nix
The invasion, the raid, or "surgical" thumping,
Opting for sanctions and sissy hand-pumping.
.
Hence their handiwork which led to creation
Of this new program to lock down the nation.
Phone calls and e-stuff gorged memory banks,
While blowers of whistles got terrorist ranks.
Rights kicked their buckets down Memory Lane,
Rights before then that not a soul would profane.
.
Democ- forms remain now, with pols to compare,
Lest folks imagine things ain't on the square.
But the exceptional nation exception is not
To the custom of empire to fall into rot,
And like our forerunners to reach the last phase:
The uniforms in charge, to the media's praise.

Authors Website: http://www.philipkraske.com

Authors Bio:

For recitations of my poems, go to my website: http://www.philipkraske.com/kraske-fiction/