People's Republic

Hong Kongers vest no faith in chairman Xi
nor Lam, who seems complicit in his goal.
The lease ran out, but civil liberty
still ought--they deem--transcend Beijing's control.
Xi knows iconic martyrs help their cause;
no tankman's gonna thwart his armored might.
But they don't get to legislate their laws;
he means to crush them, but demurs to fight.
Their city took a hit, 2008;
Shanghai recovered quicker from that fall.
But tentacles of Xi's Surveillance State
provoke defiance up against the wall.
George Orwell knew some fates are worse than war;
Xi's new RedBook is 1984.

meddling

Ike put advisors into Vietnam
but no one thought to tell John Kennedy
the Dulles brothers didn't give a damn;
they'd get deferments for their progeny
and Turks deployed out missiles in their East
one more of Eisenhower's reckless bets
one more surprise, and this one not the least
at least to Jack, if not the Soviets
and Bay of Pigs was icing on the top
an amateurish job, thrown for a loss
as if he'd run to rescue their Black Op
the president reminded them who's boss
transition in strategic disarray
was orchestrated by "our" CIA

incidental

investigations of the Russian mob
caught Donald's phone-calls incidentally
the FBI was doing its own job
but stumbled onto global treachery
the case they'd worked long years to document
of rubles laundered, and influence bought
was complicated by this president
a bigger criminal than they had sought.
Whose hands are clean, whom no one could besmirch?
Who'd risk their reputation on such rocks?
In all our Senate, there's not one Frank Church
and none could fill the shoes of Archie Cox.
The world's appalled at Spicer's daily gaffes
but through the whole debacle, Putin laughs.

pants on fire

if Trump had any honor, we could talk
but banks learned, he'll default on any loan
he placed a distant second in New York
where voters know he's not one of our own
a bullshit artist with no expertise
except to prey on others' innocence
a symptom of our media's disease
who'll have his victims praying for Mike Pence
he charges that Obama tapped his phone
but then denies he really meant that word
his private lexicon is his, alone
to think he really meant it is absurd
a narcissist who can't bear being wrong
may face impeachment charges ere too long

unbalanced

Trump's cabinet cants sharply to the Right
as Europeans take that term to mean
the citizen can't make much of a fight
confronted with the State's Police Machine
the libertarians should be aghast
as Pompeo surveils them in their beds
dystopic visions of the fascist past
dance uninvited in their sleepless heads
Karl Rove's alliance suffered more than dents
it needs to be rebuilt from the drive-train
impeachment looms from those who think Mike Pence
if not the man they want, at least is sane
foundations must be planned and leveled well
if our republic's not to slip toward Hell

above the law

How long had Feinstein played James Clapper's whore

enabling spies she's paid to oversee?

to serve her voters seemed a dreadful bore

for one of such exalted dignity

But now they've spied on her! should we feign shock?

their files hold dirt on all, both low and high

who might by law have put them in the dock

to pass sentence on their numerous crimes

who watches over the custodians

when oversight's struck blind, and sov'reigns kneel

when Rights refract through Orwellian lens

and PATRIOT's just code for "tyranny"

don't despair yet, let's fight for what we sang

at least until we've seen torturers hang

above the law

the CEO of Qwest did prison time
because the feds demurred to enter bids
what had been worth a buck's now worth a dime
and prosecutors argued quo pro quid
the other Telecomms got off Scot free
collaborating with the NSA
to violate our Rights and Liberty
while their competitor was made to pay
the Holder DoJ gave them a pass
invoking Secrets of the (secret) State
as if the Fourth Amendment's cool with mass-
surveillance of us in a time of hate
Obama flip-flopped right before our eyes
surrendering the office keys to spies

the quiet coup

one candidate who's rich, one who aspires
a meager menu from which we must pick
our standards have sunk low that once were higher
our proud republic's looking pretty sick
professor Lessig thought he saw a way
to campaign on ideas, and not on dough
'til then, big donors get the final say
and aspirants must give the quid pro quo
Obama called for Change! and the crowds roared
but DeepState forces have constrained his hand
so torturers walk free, across the board
James Clapper exercises real command
Enlightenment experiment gone bust
whoever it is rules, it isn't us

insecure

the FBI dismissed Omar Mateen
convinced that he was no Islamicist
no cog in al-Baghdadi's war machine
an angry gay man cruising for a tryst
his workmates testified this guy's a threat
his ex divorced him 'cause he's violent
and yet he swam unhindered through their net
their interviewers deaf to what he meant
a murder plot's a matter for the States
their squad was charged with bigger fish to fry
the Bureau's not concerned with bigots' hates
until the news shows dozens bleed and die
'til they make better use of what they've got
they'll want more ways to spy--but I think not

embezzler

Keith Alexander left the NSA
and took a lot of work he didn't do
to monetize what no one's free to say
IP that should belong to me and you
his patents don't name all contributors
and so--by right--are nothing more than trash
but he's a big fan of revolving doors
transmuting rolodex entries to cash
he beats his breast and swears his hands are pure
since no one dares complain, the issue's moot
but what he's done has made us less secure
although it plumps his own account with loot
such patent fraud's a crime where I come from
but prosecutors play both deaf and dumb

policism

the private sphere's not for our FBI
nor cops--without a warrant--to inspect
Due Process circumscribes the eyes that pry
subordinate to judges we elect
political opinions are our own
to publicize or privately discuss
no wire-tap camera or microphone
--without probable cause--should rat on us
legitimacy's built on public will
and never from the barrel of a gun
'though Mammon's altar's on Capitol Hill
we'd known what "honor" is when we'd begun
as County Sheriffs militarize ops
our Liberty's imperiled by our cops

FISC farce

our Public Advocate before the FISC
assuages qualms the SpyState's in control
but all the judges know that there's no risk
that anyone will listen to his role
because it's final, our High Court's Supreme
in matters legal it gets the last word
no matter how executives may scheme
a secret FISA court remains absurd
what cannot be appealed must be annulled
no body's answerable to two heads
and Lady Justice's keen sword is dulled
if we accept that Due Process is dead
a Kangaroo Court freed from oversight
discards all laws that aren't "might makes right"

HAL

the Internet-of-Things empowers spies
to penetrate our hedges and our walls
PoliceStates see the prospect as a prize
reducing citizens to helpless thralls
my toaster and my 'fridge don't need to know
who happens to be sleeping in my bed
if we're not free in how we come and go
we've turned the power-structure on its head
the private sphere's not for the FBI
to build their databases and log-books
they need a warrant if they mean to pry
into our lives as if we were all crooks
if we're to be the masters of our fate
we've got to shut this down ere it's too late

whose tools

an Internet-of-Things would be a boon
to spies who don't care for your privacy
by putting microphones in ev'ry room
they'd mock the notion of Land of the Free
if George III commanded such a tool
the Colonies would still by in his fist
no matter how unjust might be his rule
there'd be no way the People could resist
"Leviathan" taught us we need a State
to keep our baser passions well in hand
but still left room that we could legislate
some Civil Liberties throughout the Land
once SkyNet's integrated in each home
our dreams of Liberty collapse like foam

above the law

How long had Feinstein played James Clapper's whore

enabling spies she's paid to oversee?

to serve her voters seemed a dreadful bore

for one of such exalted dignity

but now they've spied on her! should we feign shock?

their files hold dirt on all, both low and high

who might by law have put them in the dock

to pass down sentence on their many crimes

who watches over the custodians

when oversight's struck blind, and sov'reigns kneel

when Rights refract through Orwellian lens

and PATRIOT's just code for "tyranny"

don't despair yet, let's fight for what we sang

at least until we've seen torturers hang