A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

For most of my life, I lived (as my peers did) in fear of the Soviet Union. The Cold War, they called it. It wasn't all that cold, though, not for the countries who were  "in the way", who could be used by one side to goad the other. During the Cold War, dictators and despots were wooed as were those that opposed them.  It was how the game was played. Over it all, the threat of nuclear annihilation loomed. Because both sides had enough nuclear weapons to destroy life on earth many times over.

Movies were made about that threat, songs were written about it, it was a part of life. The allegedly sanest of us just shoved it into the back of their minds and pretended it didn't matter. And, in a sense, it didn't. After all, there was little anyone could actually do about that threat. We were at the mercy of politicians, the leaders of both the "Free World" and the communists.

Now we face a different threat, one that will (eventually) have that same threat of nuclear annihilation hanging over our heads. This time though, I think, the threat will come in the form of fanatical extremists who glorify death; that want what we call Armageddon.

This song was one of my favorites.



And these are the words...

"Political Science"

No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London and boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono
And there'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now


Welcome to my world...