image: World Economic Forum

photo: Chuckumentary

Comments

• May 22, 2008, zaphodfreek writes: Exactly! Truer words my friend, truer words.
• May 22, 2008, howard writes: Thank you. It's high praise indeed when you surface to compliment my minor poetry ;) I was thinking about this one for weeks, which betrays how little I've accomplished in that time. But I wanted to reflect what I've been feeling about the conservative brand of political correctness that tries to shame anyone who attaches even a shred of self-awareness to U.S. foreign policy. Oddly, though, I only started to feel comfortable with this one after I started thinking of how it applied to my personal dealings. Maybe that's fitting.
• May 23, 2008, Heather writes: Charity, and all the rest of it, begin at home. I think it IS fitting. H
• May 23, 2008, howard writes: Agreed. Someone (famous, I think) once said that when you're handed a gift, you are also handed a whip. The whip is for self-flagellation only. I've always liked that. I find that I get lost most easily when I focus solely on improving people and things that aren't me ;)
• May 25, 2008, Qazse writes: I like the whole piece and the discussion which flows from it. To me, "we are not the introspectors" is very strong.
• May 26, 2008, PJ writes: I'm with Qazse. I especially like the introspectors line too. I'm also sensing a bit of a Bible lesson, about plucking beams out of your own eye before whining about the splinter in someone else's? I like that one (and this one).
• May 26, 2008, howard writes: PJ - exactly. I like that story, too. Qazse - thanks. That line was kind of the jumping off point for the poem - it only took me a few days to settle on a word ("introspectors") that apparently doesn't exist. Sometimes I just can't believe that we, as a society, get off on being so blind to our own mannerisms and faults. Even when those mannerisms are pointed out and obvious, we don't counter by changing anything about ourselves, but rather by attacking the observers as traitors to our delusions. Odd. And sad.
• May 27, 2008, Noah writes: Odd and sad is an understatement.

photo: Sarcasmo

Comments

• May 5, 2008, PJ writes: Sympathy for the parasites? I never would have thought of it on my own, but there's probably some truth to the idea that those who suck us dry aren't just doing so out of destructive desires. Maybe it's all they know how to do.
• May 11, 2008, howard writes: I should've used that in my title! And yes, I agree with your analysis for the most part.

injustice suffered
is humanity’s doing;
we are all culprits.