For some time I've seen American politics excel (the politics of a sensible president) and at the same time a slide down an ominous path (the Republican takeover by the Tea Partiers). During the Crimean War (long time ago) the poet Tennyson wrote a poem about 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'. A suicidal charge, based on wrong intelligence, line of command errors and an outdated idea of 'warfare'. Sounds familiar?
So I tried a snarky adaptation:
The Charge of the Idiot Brigade
Half a month, half a month,
Half a month onward,
All in the valley of Default,
Rode the two hundred.
'Forward, the Idiot Brigade!
Charge for Obamacare he said:
Into the valley of Default
Rode the two hundred.
'Forward, the Idiot Brigade!'
Was there a country dismay'd?
Not tho' the Republicans knew
Many had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Default
Rode the two hundred.
Tea Party to right of them,
Democrats to left of them,
Obama in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shit and derision,
Boldly they voted and well,
Into the jaws of Default,
Into the mouth of Treason
Rode the two hundred.
Flash'd all their egos bare,
Flash'd as they blustered on air
Sabring the moderates there,
Charging a country while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the PAC-smoke
Right thro' compromise they broke;
Rich Guy and Proletarian
Reel'd from the shutdown-stroke
Shatter'd and plunder'd.
Then they were voted back, but not
Not the two hundred.
Tea Party to right of them,
Democrats to left of them,
Obama in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shit and derision,
While Speaker and integrity fell,
They that had terrorized so well
Came thro' the jaws of Default,
Back from the mouth of Sell,
All that was left of them,
Left of two hundred.
When can their stupidity fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Despise the charge they made!
Laugh at the Idiot Brigade,
Stupid two hundred!