We walked through to the Pink Palace where Eva Peron gave her speech to the people. Then the Cinco De Mayo Plaza with all the placards and demonstrations for the missing – ‘The Disappeared’ – and the dead from the Falklands/Malvinas.
Genocide – the Holocaust, Armenians, Pol Pot, Stalin, Sarajevo, Killing Fields, Mao, ISIS, Native American Indians, the Disappeared, now all of Nature
Genocide – the Holocaust, Armenians, Pol Pot, Stalin, Sarajevo, Killing Fields, Mao, ISIS, Native American Indians, the Disappeared, now all of Nature.
Lest we forget
We’re very good at it. Throughout history we storm through and kill everyone who is different. It probably started with the Neanderthals – maybe even before that with other species of hominids.
We are xenophobic, racist and have a cruel, barbaric streak.
The Mongols were good at it. Colonists are good at it. We ruthlessly cull the populations we encounter.
In the modern times we have got industrial.
In South America and North America we used germ warfare – smallpox, chicken pox, flu, measles. There were no defences in the indigenous populations.
In Australia you could shoot aboriginals as if they were rabid dogs.
In New Zealand and the Philippines, everywhere we’ve gone.
On the Crusades we slaughtered. On the Jihads we slaughtered.
All races, all places, all times, all people. It is no particular race ; it is all of us.
It’s in our genes!!
Right now we are still doing it!! These days ISIS is at it.
We use the excuse of religion or politics – even science.
But our viciousness towards each other is not restricted to our own species. We are just as cruel when it comes to everything else. We’ve already wiped out most of the mega fauna and are now working our way through the rest.
We are slaughtering trees, insects and animals, butchering our way around the world.
It’s time we stopped! It’s time we started respecting each other and other forms of life.
It’s time we start to grow up and become intelligent and civilised!
Poetry – Pinochet – a poem that suggests we should bring all the World leaders who have practiced genocide and torture to justice.
Nobody should be immune from justice. The tyrants and torturers should be hunted down and put on trial for their crimes.
The United Nations should be the world court. The charter of Human Rights should be sacrosanct. No exceptions.
Pinochet was put in place by the CIA. They overthrew the elected government of Allende because they considered it too socialist. Pinochet proceeded to arrest, torture and execute all who stood against him or offered criticism, including the Folk Singer Victor Jara who was brutally tortured.
Pinochet was supported by Thatcher. He should have been put on trial and locked up.
There are thousands of similar tyrants and torturers who need to be brought to justice. There should not be anywhere safe for them to hide.
My one hope was that their conscience must plague them. They are human. No matter how desensitised they become, no matter how justified they feel, there must be a small voice that needles them with the shrieks of the tortured.
On those dark nights do they have nightmares? Can they ever be happy? Does it ever pay?
That’s what I put in this poem.
Pinochet
When a dictator speaks
Everyone takes notes
But does it pay?
Pinochet?
When a torturer
Applies the leads
Everyone
Concedes
But can you make it pay?
Pinochet?
If I had my say
It’s as clear as day
There’s no way
You could make it pay
Pinochet.
When a murderer
Uses a bucket of shit
And holds your head
Under it
On your say
Pinochet
Can you live with it
That way?
Opher 4.9.99