Making a killing

Which of the greedy vultures
will be first to snatch the carcass?
There's little hope they'll
share the spoils of war.
Will Australia get its dollars worth
of reconstruction contracts?
Will Cheney get the oil
it's all been for?

Johnnie can use our taxes
no need to ask permission
send our "defences"
to defend what he adores —
the profits of a few
who aren't waiting for a cue
the pie's been divided up
behind closed doors.

Ask the Iraqi people
about such future plans and contracts?
We proclaim self-determination
but as if we mean it!
The democracy we'll impose
won't be fantastic I suppose
but it'll be sweet Western liberation
JUST BELIEVE IT.

And you know as well as I
that our military conquest
in and of itself won't
pay the bills.
I don't mean those for education
I mean the cost of John's vacation
to help him overcome the
"anguish" that he feels.

BY SUSAN AUSTIN

From Green Left Weekly, April 9, 2003.

Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

From GLW issue 533