visionary

The opportunity Bush 41
let slip when Gorbachev threw wide the door,
Recurs when Putin's empire venture's done.
It's less than zero-sum, what's spent on war.
Enduring Peace Kant saw could be achieved,
instead of fighting ancient feuds again.
Just needs world leaders able to conceive
that Peoples are no wickeder than Men.
"That vision thing" he struggled to explain,
was lost on Dubya when it came his term.
The GOP post-Nixon shuns the brains,
preferring tools who're pliant (but act firm).
It could be now! If only those on top
could contemplate a rival as world-cop.

Sudetenland

When Kissinger proposed she should appease
aggression to ease Putin past this mood,
Ukraine demurred to take it on her knees;
Zelensky's answer's eloquently crude.
When Neville Chamberlain sold out the Czechs
as if the Nazis wouldn't then grab more,
such causes have predictable effects;
what followed was a more appalling war.
It shouldn't take a genius to discern
such cowardice just magnifies the threat.
But politicians don't get paid to learn;
what Caesar knew, more modern minds forget.
Old lessons History could teach the sage
get lost too often in this smartphone age.

evitability

The perestroika Gorbachev endorsed
moved Fukuyama to proclaim the "end
of History"; that swiftly ran it's course.
This Kremlin--under Putin's--no one's friend.
The Tsarist empire's lust for ice-free ports
that meant so much before goods moved by rail,
burns still in Putin's atavistic heart;
to be snuffed out when his aggressions fail.
Ukrainians reject this noxious guest
despite the Kremlin propagandists' spin
faux foes of fascists in it's fictive press
betrayed their very Slavic next-of-kin.
Unending Peace, as Kant had dared to dream,
must first defeat this monster's war-machine

BREXIT, or not

Contraction's looming, Downing street concedes
on top of what these last two years have wrought.
Remorse came quick, as voters tote the fees;
John Bull is waxing wroth with what they've bought.
A second referendum'd vote to STAY
but sov'reignty belongs to Parliament
a stark rebuke'd befall Theresa May
were Corbyn competent at government.
Leviathan made Europeans strong;
to quit the Union's logically absurd.
But geriatrics vote, and voted wrong.
Kant's dream of lasting peace must be deferred.
Divided, their world-voice is cut by half;
such useful idiots make Putin laugh.

Facts on the Ground

Rejectionism's served the Arabs ill,
for fifty years, the West Bank's occupied.
Israelis claim each spring, and every hill
the Greenline's half-erased and nullified.
The monument to Yasir Arafat
must show he served his ego more than God,
the Settlers won't hand over what they've got
not even to the saint, Salam Fayyad.
A People's right, as author of its fate
is in the UN charter, plain as day
but Bibi's still intent to dominate,
no road, no olive grove's beyond his sway.
Where one controls what two were meant to share,
we've gone too far to reach a peace that's fair.

whither Europe?

The European Union posed a threat
to Putin's dreams of new hegemony
he likes  them separated, and in debt
a fertile field to sow autocracy.
Macron proposes something more, instead
a fiscal union, feeding one shared till.
Kant's League-of-Nations dream just won't stay dead;
the reverie of Peace is hard to kill.
Two visionaries fight for Europe's soul.
American hegemony's long past.
Our troops pay rent, but aren't in control;
last year's alliances are fraying fast.
The Monetary Union's just phase one
of something wholly new beneath the sun.

a prophet without honor

when Liebowitz held Israel to account
a prophet without honor in his land
he'd rather Jordan keep the Temple Mount
we didn't need such tzurres on our hands
the Occupation takes a daily toll
on kids fresh-graduated from High School
corrosive to the nation's will and soul
perpetuating a new empire's will
no prospect of an end as years grind past
indignities just breed more violence
the territories he's have swapped back fast
now seem a prison hemmed in by the fence
ben Gurion signed the deal to form Two States
where Bibi drags his feet 'til it's too late

retrograde II

unending peace need not exceed our grasp
if we'd but raise our eyes above the State
and grant Leviathan a higher task
a League of Nations pacifying Fate
extrapolating Hobbes to span the world
each nation ceding partial sovereignty
what benefits to every boy and girl
would flow from its benign hegemony
monopolizing force would make it moot
for want of any Other to attack
were there no "them" there'd be no one to shoot
no bogeyman to hurl our insults back
Kant's vision may yet--one day--come to pass
were Boris Johnson not a braying ass

pulling teeth

ben Gurion embraced the UN plan
a blueprint for partition and TwoState
explicit when this enterprise began
'though Bibi keeps on putting off the date
no neighbor held a veto at that start
what Truman signed had all he force of Law
but Bibi now puts horse behind the cart
and no one balks him on his logic's flaw
"Peace-First" just mires us in the status quo
while Settlers build obstructions they call "facts"
the future's bleak if that's the way we go
no non-State actor can enforce peace-pacts
'though Yoni's the war-hero the world loved
his brother talks in circles 'til he's shoved