WOW! 'The Common Man', Written in 1929, by Julian Tuwim

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28357


The Common Man
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2007-11-03 14:18. Media

Written in 1929, by Julian Tuwim.

When plastered billboards scream with slogans
'fight for your country, go to battle'
When media's print assaults your senses,
'Support our leaders' shrieks and rattles…
And fools who don't know any better
Believe the old, eternal lie
That we must march and shoot and kill
Murder, and burn, and bomb, and grill…

When press begins the battle-cry
That nation needs to unify
And for your country you must die…
Dear brainwashed friend, my neighbor dear
Brother from this, or other nation
Know that the cries of anger, fear,
Are nothing but manipulation
by fat-cats, kings who covet riches,
And feed off your sweat and blood - the leeches!
When call to arms engulfs the land
It means that somewhere oil was found,
Shooting 'blackgold' from underground!
It means they found a sneaky way
To make more money, grab more gold
But this is not what you are told!

Don't spill your blood for bucks or oil
Break, burn your rifle, shout: 'NO DEAL!'
Let the rich scoundrels, kings, and bankers
Send their own children to get killed!
May your loud voice be amplified
By roar of other common men
The battle-weary of all nations:
WE WON'T BE CONNED TO WAR AGAIN!

[berni_mccoy]

1. wow. things really never change. we haven't learned from history.

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. K&R

[baldguy]

3. Fanfare for the Common Man, Aaron Copland, 1942

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/natlib/ihas/service/patriotic/100010429/100010429.mp3

[maddiejoan]

4. May I forward this to Mike Malloy?

Be so great for him to read this on the air.

[babylonsister]

5. I don't see a problem with that as long as you indicate who the author is/was. nt

[maddiejoan]

6. That's a given :)

and thanks!

[LeftishBrit]

7. k&r

'When call to arms engulfs the land/ It means that somewhere oil was found' - wow, some things doen't change! (sadly!)

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. when will we ever learn?

?

[pnorman]

9. Great find! Here's his biography:

Julian Tuwim was a Polish poet born in 1894. He was the leader of the Skamander group of experimental poets, he was also a major figure in his nation's literature. In his principal collection of poetry, Slowa we krwi (1926), he wrote with fervor and violence of the emptiness of urban existence.

Tuwim spent his childhood and early school years in Lodz. Between 1916-1918 he studied law and philosophy in Warsaw. During that time he co-operated with various magazines and cabarets. During World War II he emigrated to Romania, France, Portugal, Brasil, and in 1942 to New York. There he wrote his major poem "Kwiaty Polskie" , in which he describes the time of his early childhood in Lodz. In June 1946 Tuwim returned to Poland. Between 1947-1950 he was the artistic director of Teatre Nowy in Lodz. He was awarded many times for his poetry, among them was the Literary Award of Lodz (1928, 1949), doctor honoris causa title by the University of Lodz (1949), Pen Club Award for translations from Puszkin (1935) and the national award (1951).

He died in 1953.

http://oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Julian_Tuwim

pnorman

[struggle4progress]

10. Australian IWW anti-conscription poster from WWI

http://content.answers.com.nyud.net:8090/main/content/wp/en/d/d4/IWW_anti-conscription_poster_1916.jpg

[postulater]

11. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.