[Newspoetry] (no subject)

[Dirk Stratton]

Bin Laden Explained!

[Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul] Butler said bin Laden, a fugitive on 
the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, directed the bombings as part of his 
campaign to use an army trained in Afghanistan to "overthrow 
governments he did not like."

						Cincinnati Post, 2/6/2001


Because we've all learned that it is rude to coddle
those not able to prosper under the New World Business Model,
and because we're certain that no one dares
suggest that the rules should be different for any other arena, like,
	say health care or foreign affairs,
it finally makes sense, given Mr. Butler's illuminating analysis,
why this bin Laden guy provokes so much official malice-sis:
he's an upstart entrepreneur
challenging our long-established business and so if he and his cronies have to
	become fewer
in number: so be it. We've worked long and hard to gain monopoly
control over this planet and we want things done the right way, 
meaning our way,
	of course, and we're very good at this type of international coercion
	and we have our standards and so obviously we recoil when anyone other
	than ourselves attempts these delicate operations which simply must not
	be done slopoloy.
Sure, sometimes we come off like thugs,
kneecapping the weak and powerless for purely material gain, and 
sure, sometimes
	it appears we're simply trying to sweep something 
embarrassing under our
	rugs,
But it's a hard job, overthrowing governments we don't like, and 
we've got to do
	what we can;
however, again, we repeat: this is our racket, uh, market: don't try this from
  	Afghanistan!


{in the mode of Ogden Nash}

Joe:

don't know how the line breaks will transfer, but this is just a 
7-couplet poem with some really long Nashian lines before the rhyme 
word appears. If you need help deciphering, let me know.

--dirk