We’ll fight them on the beaches We’ll fight them on the shores We’ll fight those Russians anywhere Not with our lives—but with yours We’ll fight them in the East To stop them coming to the West We’ll send you all the weapons So by God do your best! For well over a century We’ve had to tame the bear From Crimea to Kabul And back home with Red Scares The Japanese helped out The Germans knock them for six The Bolsheviks were the best however They put the economy in the sticks The Afghans stung them good In an eight year war It may have cost a million lives But the Soviet Empire was no more The boys from Harvard took them down Through ‘structural reform’ By the time they got through Starvation was the norm It’s true, NATO has expanded Moving ever East Some say it’s aggression But we’re just trying to contain the beast! Now it’s the turn of Ukrainians To step up to the plate We may have got you in this mess But you made such damn good bait We’ll tell you that you’re heroes And fly blue and yellow flags That sounds like fair compensation For putting your sons in body bags Don’t ask us to negotiate Appeasement ain’t for us Besides life is perfectly fine here So what really is the fuss? We appreciate your sacrifice In service of our grand imperial plan It’s a worthy thing to die for So conscript all those you can You’ll join the ranks of heroes Who have stood up to the bear And when it’s all over— Then: you’ll see just how much we care We’ll fight them on the beaches We’ll fight them on the shores It’s easy to fight with other people’s lives In our Russian proxy wars
Damn, Richard! That's a brilliant poem that would impress Caitlin Johnstone the Guerilla Poet. 150 years of history is encapsulated in your poem. You made my day!
Bravo! That I'm the only one in the comment section doesn't mean I'm one hand clapping. Your poem is more effective than my long essays on the subject. More hands need to clap. That's what sharing is.
I agree Erian - whilst the poem is pointing to the nefarious nature of Anglo-American foreign policy, it should in no way be taken as an endorsement of Russia.
I attempted to create a balanced presentation, containing both Russian and Ukrainian perspectives, when the war broke out. I didn’t go back quite as far as you did in your article -
Well balanced representation/podcast there, well done.
Have you also noticed a strange tendency to hyperpartisanship and polarisation of our socities these last years, not only in regard to the Ukraine war, but the exact same before regarding Covid, and now recently the Israel conflict (and probably whatever contested topic will be coming next in the future?) ? Or was it the same in the 90`s and early 2000`s and I just don`t remember correctly?
Thanks to you Mike for sharing this.🙏
Damn, Richard! That's a brilliant poem that would impress Caitlin Johnstone the Guerilla Poet. 150 years of history is encapsulated in your poem. You made my day!
Kindest regards, Sir.🕊️
Bravo! That I'm the only one in the comment section doesn't mean I'm one hand clapping. Your poem is more effective than my long essays on the subject. More hands need to clap. That's what sharing is.
Shared!
Rich`s is a great poem
rich in Rich`s rich thoughts
and views of one perspective,
sure sane and careful wrought.
While at the same time wondering-
might there be danger in
remaining still within, just turned,
a black-white narrating?
The Russians- good, the West- all wrong,
fair enough one sure could say,
but like its exact opposit,
is this reality?
Since Seventeenhundred and sixty four
and Catherine the Great,
haven`t russian invaders colonized
the Ukraine Hetmanate?
Its East was settled, its west subdued,
its people were never asked,
but had their own tongue and culture banned
by the occupying tzars.
200 years under Russia`s
occupation, wars and will,
maybe ask a Dnjepr peasant how
the "Good" of Russia feels?
Or the millions of Japanese,
Letts and Chechnyans,
Prussians, Poles, Hungarians,
killed to take their lands..?
After the Tzar,`s Tzaress` or Soviet`s
tyrannic empires` 200 years
not sure the innocent victim card,
fits Russia`s (Teddy-?) Bear?
(P.S. -If -against odds- interested, a (non prose) attempt at an overview over the Russian-Ukrainian longterm history:
https://erian.substack.com/p/the-ukraine-war-good-versus-bad-guys)
(P.P.S.- The above P.S. was not a sales-/read- pitch!!)
I agree Erian - whilst the poem is pointing to the nefarious nature of Anglo-American foreign policy, it should in no way be taken as an endorsement of Russia.
I attempted to create a balanced presentation, containing both Russian and Ukrainian perspectives, when the war broke out. I didn’t go back quite as far as you did in your article -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31xf9ZggIL0
Well balanced representation/podcast there, well done.
Have you also noticed a strange tendency to hyperpartisanship and polarisation of our socities these last years, not only in regard to the Ukraine war, but the exact same before regarding Covid, and now recently the Israel conflict (and probably whatever contested topic will be coming next in the future?) ? Or was it the same in the 90`s and early 2000`s and I just don`t remember correctly?