Springfield's cats

 Now, Vance concedes the story's all his own
vile fabrication to incite the Right.
Yet still expects reporters to condone
unfounded lies because he's rich, and white.
Trump's Cabinet and staff learned to attract
their boss' fleeting mental faculty:
it does not good presenting him with facts,
unless they're formatted by his TV.
Thiel raised his agent to manipulate
Trump through that ever-present tv set.
Weird acolyte, wrapped as a running-mate,
forever conscious he's in Peter's debt.
A candidate deserves to bigly lose
who can't distinguish crap like this, from news.

fake news

The propaganda Putin's patsies print
with passing years, meets less responsive ears.
through Medvedev, he scammed another stint
But few would want him back for four more years.
Most Russians with the means, gave up and fled
like Lenin, fuming in his Finnish home.
Those who remained have somehow wound up dead.
This empire's run by Vlad, and Vlad alone.
The sanctions Trumpski was installed to lift
outlived him, and might even get enhanced.
Joe Biden hasn't offered such a gift,
This Petro-Baron may have lost his chance.
Joe Goebbel's methods come as no surprise;
there's power to be gained, purveying lies.

Kool-Aid

Trump's quick to disbelieve the kind of docs
who warn that chloroquine could lay him low.
He's deaf to warnings of cardiotox,
because his gut assures him it's not so.
An expert who'd dissent just won't get hired;
this boss wants affirmation, no new thoughts.
The few who dared to think were quickly fired;
Trump's got no use for those who can't be bought.
His mindless minions look to him as guide
they wouldn't think to question Trumpty's will.
This cult's too big for anyone to hide
they're queuing maskless to obtain this pill.
Trump arbitrates what is and isn't true.
Darwinian selection's voting Blue.

off with his hat!

McCarrick bribed a foreign head of state
a Cardinal sins with impunity!
Regardless what the codes of law dictate,
no prosecutor wants such enemies.
But Francis doesn't play Ratzinger's game;
he's unimpressed with wealth, and pomp, and stuff.
What's most important is to spare kids shame.
Lord knows, the Vatican's got cash enough.
A Jesuit well schooled in sacred texts
a chemistry instructor to the youth
wants Church intent on Love, and not on sex.
Obedience won't bend him from the Truth.
An institution married to the past
may face an honest reckoning at last.

senseless

The "incoherence" Lindsey Graham sells
is not an alibi to exculpate
a president who cavalierly tells
his embassies to "go ahead and wait".
Zelensky's got a narrow plank to walk
Between the Kremlin and U S. demands.
But Trumpty-Dumpty's disorderly talk
means conflict--if not war--is close at hand.
The Russian GDP's no more than Spain's--
--scant base on which to sensibly aspire.
But Putin trusts that Trumpty's so insane,
he'll reconstruct the Soviet empire.
While Graham does obeisance to his boss
democracy itself may take the loss.

Arms Race

Seismometers show Kim makes more than noise
he's bought technology from Russia's past
an adolescent with a grown-up's toys
thinks WorldWar III could be a total blast.
The dotard on his far-off Yankee throne
perceives it as a personal offense
his manhood shrinks with each Pyongyang nosecone
contesting out death-cult predominance.
Sage diplomats recoil to hear the twain
trade threats like little boys raised on a farm.
It's not apparent either one's quite sane
but each is armed to bear for grievous harm.
Our world's beleaguered by contempt for truth
as much in dotage as in reckless youth.

timeless

The Tolkien trilogy leaves worlds unsaid
cosmology goes wholly unexplained
we only learned, once JRR laid dead
what publisher and author had disdained.
But posthumously, Chris reploughed that  field
exposing what laid buried to the light
whole cultures and their biases revealed
now readers 'round the globe thrill to their plight.
Grand myths, inscribed on vellum, clay, or wax
transcend the mere historian's dry art
announcing truths, transcending puny facts
that resonate directly in the heart.
The glories of a long-forgotten age
evoked by static ink on fragile page.

influence

Steve Bannon murmurs sweetly in Trump's ear
"all liberal fact-mongers are the same
distracting voters from our theme of fear
implying you might somehow be to blame
it's Putin that you ought to emulate
no paper dares insinuate he's wrong
by acclamation, what he does is great
your peasants want their leader to be strong"
Ivanka struggles for her father's soul
convinced he really wants to do what's right
but Bannon exercises more control
the Orders Donald signs, are Steve's to write
when Kellyanne dared to extemporize
she's muzzled for broadcasting the wrong lies

the way

Siddhartha, once beyond the palace grounds
encountered Death, and Suff'ring and Disease
convinced a higher answer could be found
he sat to meditate beneath the trees
attachments bind us to the wheel of strife
transcending them deprives death of its sting
but motivation to engage in life
evaporates when one disdains all things
discarding happiness along with wrath
he counseled us to tread the middle way
if only we'd cleave to the eight-fold path
we'd never be morose ('though less than gay)
it's by embracing equanimity
that humans can grow to be truly free

Hegelian

to Rove and Conway "truth" is so much clay
to be manipulated for effect
they'd never let what's right get in the way
to influence whom people should elect
so what if Donald had to hire the crowd
to fake enthusiasm for his cause
it's gratifying when they're really loud
and only losers stay within the laws
mean-spirited, and paranoid to boot
unleavened by a glint of Nixon's wit
Sean Spicer sweats through his ill-fitting suit
but only Breitbart's lapping up his shit
too late, our Press Corps rallies and reacts
to Donald Trump's contempt for proven facts

shallow

since Washington, we like our leaders tall
as if they'd hand down wisdom from on high
confusing politics with basketball
too often we elect the taller guy
out pageants don't revolve on Peace and War
nor on the proper powers of the State
we don't debate what revenue is for
but trust each smiling charmer with our fate
when pointing out a lie is deemed uncouth
the public cheers for teams, not policies
our "journalists" rate balance above Truth
and let a candidate score points on sleaze
until our grassroots learn to organize
elites co-opt our parties with their lies

truthiness

recanting claims Obama formed IS
the Donald swears he hadn't really lied
reporters failed to recognize his jest
(which proves they're working for the other side)
the facts be damned! what matters is the show
that keeps attention focused on his face
we've yet to find a stratagem so low
that Trump would not deploy it in this race
without experience, he runs on trust
but those who've known him warns that's a mistake
the projects that he's vouched for all go bust
and he shows all the scruples of a snake
for Hillary this ought to be a cinch
were she just half a charming as the Grinch

a dangerous man

like Mussolini, Searle spell-binds the class
to contradict him, one would sound uncouth
whatever nonsense spews out of his ass
is held by broad consensus to be truth
he sets the grounds on which the game is played
and by decree, rules what's beyond the fence
whatever progress computers have made
he smugly deems is not "intelligence"
charisma clouds discourse where logic fails
dry arguments suffice where the truth's clear
a slick delivery can sell the tale
where on the merits there's no substance there
he thinks he's Socrates, corrupting youth
but Searle can't give a rat's ass for the truth