Replacing What or Whom?

Now peddling replacement theory,

And even calling it by name,

Some on the Right are using the term

Overtly, without a hint of shame.

 

A multicultural America

Is clearly what the proponents fear.

But who or what is being replaced

To many people remains unclear.

 

I used to think the concept was

A bigoted, racist thing of the past.

But what we are seeing happening now

Shows how long such ideas can last.

 

After the rallies in Charlottesville,

When mobs of white-supremacists chanted

"Jews will not replace us!" we knew

That we shouldn't take our freedoms for granted.

 

So now the Right is telling us

That immigrants are "invading" our land,

Bringing disease and who knows what else;

Therefore, we must take a stand.

 

Furthermore, the Right insists

That bringing immigrants in is not

Beneficial to all, for it

Is nothing but a "liberal plot."

 

To bolster their non-inclusive ideas,

Some on the Right have traveled abroad

To gain support from strongmen leaders

To whom they give an approving nod.

 

Ideas that used to be on the fringe,

Now occur on a larger scale

And out in the open--in clear sight--

As the GOP drops its veil.

 

Hold up a mirror, America.

Do you like what you currently see?

Heaven help us if this is the kind

Of country we were meant to be.

-by Bob B (9-30-21)

Oh, Those Grifters!

COVID grifters are quite outspoken

In blasting vaccinations;

They pump voters full of rage

And then rake in donations.

 

The RNC* has also stooped

To lying about the shot

By telling prospective donors that it's

Part of a "liberal plot."

 

Why would members of the RNC

Want to be promoters

Of what could sicken, or even worse,

Possibly kill their voters?

 

The people at Fox News are thrilled:

Segments that they've produced

Regarding anti-COVID mandates

Give their ratings a boost!

 

People driven by money and ratings

In places where untruths lurk

Disseminate lies while at the same time

They know that vaccines work.

 

Social media platforms are also

Sites where we can find

The truth about vaccines being

Viciously maligned.

 

In short, unscrupulous folks all over

Choose to demonize

Efforts to stop the pandemic while they

Make money from their lies.

 

Before you share that Facebook post

That spreads misinformation,

Be sure the post you're sharing isn't

Complete fabrication.

-by Bob B (9-29-21)

*Republican National Committee

Waiting for My Booster Shot

Although days were dark,

Now they are brighter.

The sun is peeking through the clouds of despair.

The weight of worries

Has become lighter.

At least we're starting to become more aware.

Sometimes it seemed

That time had stood still.

Let's hope all our efforts do not come to naught.

We're moving on;

In the meantime, I will

Be waiting for my COVID booster shot.

 

We know vaccines

Offer protection.

We can cut down on both sickness and death.

As lives are saved,

See the connection.

Those who worry, stop and take a deep breath.

It's hard to fathom

So much resistance.

Why deny a means that can help us a lot?

With my mask

And a safe social distance,

I'm waiting for my COVID booster shot.

 

I still have hope

That knowledge can save us--

That we unite with the same motivation.

If we all used

The brain nature gave us,

We could quell the spread of misinformation.

Doing what's right

Shouldn't be hard.

Everybody ought to give that some thought.

I'll do my part

And be on my guard,

While waiting for my COVID booster shot.

-by Bob B (9-27-21)

Algorithms

"Algorithms": a funny word--

Unless, of course, you're a mathematician.

(Frankly, I have a hard enough time

With simple subtraction and addition.)

 

But Facebook uses algorithms

To help determine what we'll see

When we click on the app and enter

Our social media reality.

 

The algorithms decide whether,

How often, and when we'll see a post,

Based on our interactions online.

Facebook's quite a controlling host.

How does it know what you prefer?

It doesn't know unless you care

To make a comment or click on a button

Such as "Like" or "Love" or "Share."

 

If you're a silent spectator, you

Will not generate connections.

Who knows what you'll end up seeing.

Do not bother to raise objections.

 

Have you noticed that when you search

For something on the internet,

That all of a sudden that item appears

In a Facebook ad? Intrusive? You bet!

 

It would be nice if Facebook could

Stop the spread of misinformation.

It doesn't want to lose customers,

So that might require legislation.

 

It seems rather offensive to me

That we are being manipulated.

But nobody forced me to get an account;

In no way was I obligated.

 

I ask people who aren't on Facebook

If they feel they're missing out.

I shouldn't be surprised by their answer:

"NO…EFFING…WAY!" they shout.

-by Bob B (9-26-21)

BREAKING NEWS!

THE GOP'S BEEN TAKEN HOSTAGE

As Donald Trump continues to spin

Stories about the presidential

Election that he didn't win.

 

Republicans have shamelessly caved.

A large percent of them embrace

Trump's Big Lie about the election,

Mainly because they fear his base.

 

THE CLOWN SHOW IN ARIZONA ENDS.

It was in the guise of an audit

That proved to be essentially

Nothing but a wasteful fraudit.

 

Costing millions of dollars and taking

Five months for ballot inspections,

It only helped to undermine

People's trust in future elections.

 

REPLACEMENT THEORY PROLIFERATES,

While the right keeps spreading tales

Of thousands of immigrants coming here

To vote in order to tip the scales.

 

The fearmongers are not subtle.

In fact, their rants are quite overt.

Spreading lies and paranoia,

They proudly sling their racist dirt.

 

DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK

As more info comes to light

Of how Trump tried to overturn

Election results with all his might.

When people in power blur the truth,

Deceive the public, and then retell

History, they're on the path

To shoot democracy to hell.

-by Bob B (9-25-21)

Graveyard of Empires

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires.

What a fitting name!

Countries that try to conquer it

End up leaving in shame.

 

THREE TIMES the British tried

To tame the unruly land,

And THREE TIMES they left it because

Things didn't go as planned.

 

In fact, 1919 is considered

Independence Day.

That was the THIRD time that the British

Invaders walked away.

 

In 1979 the Russians

Tried to make it their own,

Which eventually became

Another cause to bemoan.

 

The U.S. helped insurgent fighters

Called the mujahideen

Fight the Russians. Maybe it wasn't

Wise to intervene.

 

The Russians left in '89.

Their goals had dissolved.

After the 9-11 attack,

The U.S. got involved.

 

In just a few months, the Taliban

Were brought to their knees,

But U.S. foreign relations are often

Lacking in expertise.

 

The U.S. devoted ninety percent

Of its efforts to Iraq.

Soon in Afghanistan, voilà!:

The Taliban were back.

 

We heard about Russian bounties

On U.S. soldiers, no?

Payback for what the U.S. had done

Forty years ago.

 

And so the story goes on and on:

For 20 years we fought

An ongoing war in Afghanistan,

Which finally came to naught.

 

Four presidents can share

The blame for what occurred.

To put all the blame on one of them

Would be completely absurd.

 

And so, regarding the Graveyard of Empires,

The world remains perplexed.

Will other countries make the same

Mistake? Who'll be next?

-by Bob B (9-24-21)