Madness: The Age of Mad King Donald

 If Donald Trump has any true "genius" it is branding. He comes up with catch phrases and insulting nicknames which he repeats constantly until they burrow into the brain like a malignant ear-worm. It is time to give him a dose of his own medicine and label him for what his actions reveal him to be: Mad King Donald!

Here is a real image that was posted on the official White House account.

There is a word for this: Madness

I am of the opinion that in the first sentence of every discussion of Donald Trump it should be pointed out that he is well and truly mad. Madness can be a broad concept but I specifically mean it as "rash or irrational conduct, headstrong passion, extreme folly". I am not talking about any specific clinical diagnosis, but as an accurate description of his words and actions. I hear and read attempts to find a reasonable explanation for his pronouncements, but going back to his 2024 campaign through today he spouts nonstop nonsense. He is mad with Power, an affliction succinctly depicted in this scene from the film Bananas (1971) He is also mad due to his enormous toxic narcissistic ego “like no one has ever seen before”, to borrow a common Trumpism. At nearly 79 there may well be age-related cognitive decline too.

You can make your own list: tariffs on and off, Canada 51^st state, Greenland, Panama Canal, DOGE firing people willy-nilly and cutting funding and eliminating departments, his “vision” for a Gaza with no Palestinians and luxury beach condos, loving Putin, hating Europe and other allies, etc. What takes this from just bad ideas to madness is that he could do all of this legally. He could have his minions in Congress pass laws to reduce government prudently, or he could negotiate quietly with Panama and Denmark to try to accomplish his expansionist goals, but he seems incapable of that.

This madness must be acknowledged daily. If his supporters don’t mind the madness, or even like him because of the madness, they should admit it and not deny the obvious. That’s their right. Yes, his actions are consistent with his desire to rule the world, get as wealthy as possible, seek vengeance on his “enemies”, and have everyone bow down before him. However having a “method in your madness” doesn’t make them sane. He genuinely believes only he can make things right and all of his predecessors were idiots, and talks of ruling beyond two terms and behaves as if he will never die. Perhaps dodging a bullet made him believe he is immortal! Have you ever heard him say anything about his mortality or what will happen to the USA and the world post-Trump? Neither have I.

His chastising Volodymyr Zelenskyy for “not having the cards” is very revealing of his world view. Who else is lacking in “the cards”?  This would appear to include every country except the USA, Russia, and China. Therefore, they should be able to subjugate everyone else they please.

Maybe the Americans who voted him back into office want a madman in the Oval Office. Maybe they don’t care that he will not fulfill the simple responsibilities the Constitution requires: 

1. He shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed; and,
2. To swear I will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Maybe these words from the Declaration of Independence are for “suckers and losers”:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

If you do believe this, then you can’t treat people like vermin and animals and deprive them of basic human dignity and whisk people away to foreign prisons possibly to their death without even a hearing. Remember that he used every legal trick in the book (and more) to avoid his day(s) in court.

As silly as it seems, the new labeling of Mad King Trump will surely anger him, as it did when Tim Waltz called the Trump/Vance ticket "weird". May it will forever be his legacy, as it is for the 19th Century Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and all he did was build a few fairy tale castles. Perhaps as in the fairy tale enough people will realize this Emperor has no clothes.

November 15, 2024 to April Fools' Day 2025: End of Year Whirlwind, Two Massive Losses, & Vistors from Abroad

Aerial view of Aoraki/Mount Cook, NZ

My last blog was posted on November 15, 2024 so its about time to catch you up on the remaining two months in the USA and our time in New Zealand since. As usual we had a lot of going hither and yon traveling about. In November, the San Francisco Opera had a special offer for those very infrequent attendees (me) so I got two tickets to Carmen and asked Athena to go with me. We got to dress up, had a lovely dinner, and overall a very sophisticated time just before Thanksgiving (which we were fortunate to spend with sisters Athena and Cheryl).

In early December, Santa(s) come to Fort Bragg for the lighted truck parade (we also took in a lighted boat parade the next day). We had a nice spot across from the Tall Man Brewery and were only 15-20 feet away from Sofia's childhood friends Shannon and Mahkayla, which we discovered when we were both messaging with Sofia in Georgia.

Mahkayla, Shannon, me, & Fayne

Speaking of the Tall Man, it is a friendly place to have a brew and a pub quiz, maybe even win if you're lucky.

We try to get up to Eureka around Terry Kemp's birthday (and our anniversary- the 47th as I recall). Linnea Matthews is always up for a road trip (much more on her later).

At the Eureka Inn

We were able to share a fantastic dinner at the Larrapin' Cafe in Trinidad. Fayne and I ate there  35+ years ago, and it only has gotten better.

See what I mean?

 

 

We had a lovely autumnal drive back to Fort Bragg (Benbow Inn)

Our US time was getting shorter, but we had to fit in a second trip back to Georgia to see Sofia and the kids. Here is Isaiah displaying (but not imbibing) the local Athena beer, perhaps named after my sister.

 

We were there to honor Kimarra's 15th birthday. As you might expect for a teen, she was more interested in a non-stop slumber party with friends than spending a lot of time with the old folks.

Back to CA for Christmas at the family cabin in the Sierras, we spent another week in Fort Bragg and were able to attend Bijou's birthday party in the 'hood.

On of the great privileges of being around the Bay Area is the opportunity to attend special events, like a screening of A Real Pain in Mill Valley with the actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg. He could not have been more gracious and generous with his time in promoting a project dear to his heart, and one the got Kieran Culkin an Oscar. (Highly recommended!)

The day before we left for NZ I managed to score a highly sought-after reservation to the House of Prime Rib in SF. It helped that it was made months in advance for 5 PM on a Monday, the day after my birthday. The gang, including David N. made it. Here is a photo of the traditional Polaroid the waiter takes to commemorate the occasion. (BTW, it might be violating some State or Federal law to have a prime rib dinner without David.)

The most important thing I did on my birthday was to go down to Watsonville with a mixture of our two families, the Wallaces and the Nestlers. We have been conjoined since the 1950's, and Mrs. Nestler seemed to always have a birthday cake prepared for me, regardless of the date. This time, I relieved her of the burden, and brought not one but two delicious bakery cakes. We all went out to a nearby Chinese restaurant, recreating one of the hundreds of times we gathered and ate over the years.

Unfortunately, that would be the last time I would see her, and she passed away peacefully with family and friends at her bedside a few weeks ago. She was a great lady, a surrogate mother to me. She and Dr. Nestler stayed in Fort Bragg shortly after Sofia was born to help in the transition and always provided support and love through the decades. We will all miss her so much.

Rick & Emma Nestler

Early Nestler & Wallace gathering 1959

Emma's 75th Birthday

Sadly, within the same 24-hour period I lost another long-time friend. I first met Dr. Benjamin "Buz" Graham in 1973 in medical school, and we lived parallel lives since, from residency at Mt. Zion in SF, to being alerted by him of an practice opportunity in Fort Bragg in 1984. Buz's legacy will be felt for a long time and it was my honor to have known him.

A visit with Buz and his wife Pam in 2021

In his last email to his friends and family, this was his advice:

If you wish further reminisces, I heartily recommend my 14 year old Zephyr’s documentary Buz. The Movie:

https://vimeo.com/1029891120

The Matthews come to Aoteoroa/New Zealand

I came back to Timaru, NZ to work, and returned to my old job (which I still enjoy) for a 6 week stretch. However, one of my truest friends finally decided to come visit New Zealand. Linnea Matthews and her daughter Morgan dearly needed a break and felt this was the right time to finally come to the Antipodes. They were with us about ten days so I wanted to make the most of our time without running them ragged.

Christchurch Airport

After we met them in Christchurch we headed down to Timaru for three nights to give them a chance to recover and also to get a taste of our Kiwi life, as well as to enjoy the local sights and culture.

In front of the i-Site at the old Landing Services Building, home of the Maori Rock Art Museum

Tuesday night was Indian dinner with the other doctors, and Wednesday the local museums and parks and pub quiz at the Sail 'n Anchor. We also looked for the local Blue penguins in Caroline Bay, but no luck that night.

Thursday was time for a day trip south. First stop was the Riverstone Kitchen, a complex for a leisurely delicious lunch and walk around the gardens, shops, and the nouveau castle-home, complete with moat.

 

 Driving further south we stopped at the famous Moeraki Boulders.

Morgan, boulder posing

Oamaru was our final stop were we did see a few blue penguins (kororā.) from the colony there. We also saw an unusual Erect-crested penguin pair that had been treated and released from Oamaru's penguin hospital. I was told they normally live on the frigid islands between New Zealand and Antarctica and were expected to soon return there.

Blue penguin sheltering under a rock

The Erect-crested penguin

On Friday March 8th it was time to hit the road for a week. Our destination that day was Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park with a must-stop for famous savory pies at the Fairlie Bakehouse.

Lake Tekapo was the next stop and the gals really wanted to take a scenic flight. In truth, I have wanted to do it for years so I jumped at the chance. Air Safaris has an excellent reputation and seats were available. It was a great day to fly over the Southern Alps to view the peaks and glaciers on out to the cloudy West Coast. It was a highlight of the visit. (The photo of flying by Mt. Cook is at the beginning of this post.)

I was co-pilot!

Post-flight we proceeded on to Mt. Cook village for a night at the Hermitage Hotel and a lovely dinner.

The classic view from the Hermitage

Then it was off to Wanaka for two nights, passing by Tarras to visit the statue of Shrek, the most famous sheep in NZ history.

 

The Annual Wanaka A&P (for Agricultural and Pastoral) Show  was on, It is basically a county fair, but we just caught the tail end of it. Wanaka is always lovely, and I discovered the Espresso Martini as beautifully made at the Edgewater Hotel.

Cocktails may appear larger than actual size.(It was mine, not Linnea's)

From Wanaka it was further south to Te Anau, the Gateway to Fiordland National Park. Day one we were off to Milford Sound, maybe the most iconic vista in the country. We were in luck because there was a steady rain on the drive to the Sound, so along the way and on the cruise we saw a multitudes of waters falling. It was quite spectacular! 

En route to the Sound

Mitre Peak showing through the clouds and mist

I hope this video works. Sometimes it doesn't 😞.

The Matthews were very excited to cruise overnight on Doubtful Sound, so we dropped them off......

...and picked them up the next day after a truly memorable voyage for them.

This left two last night in the tourist mecca of Queenstown before they flew out on Saturday the 16th for the North Island to spend time with Morgan's friend Missy. 

Linnea enjoying a Big Irish Brekkie

A local waterbird lakeside, a white-faced heron perhaps?

When Linnea told me the dates she and Morgan would be in New Zealand, I set a full three weeks aside during that time. When I found out they had a busy schedule planned with Morgan's friend Missy in the Greater Wellington/Lower South Island region, we decided to spend the week in Wellington, catch up with a few close NZ-related friends and enjoy the cultural and gastronomic pleasures of the capital city. (We did manage to liaise with the Matthews on Wednesday at the airport to see them off and wish them safe travels home.)

#1 on our list was to catch up with Kate and her family, a young woman befriended by Fayne from her work in the Timaru art gallery, the Aigantighe. Since those years, Kate has gone on to several locations and jobs in NZ, married, and started a family  We previously caught up with her a year ago in Hawkes Bay, where she was raising a three-year old Harriet, very pregnant with twins, and planning a move to Wellington with her anesthetist husband Stephen. We really wanted to meet the newest arrivals, twins Finn and Juno. It was great to spend time with all of them at their home in the Island Bay district.

Finn (L) & Juno (R)

Kate mothering Harriet post-kindy with Finn joining in

Me with a smiling Finn

As fate would have it, our globe-trotting Irish surrogate son, Florence O'Connell was working a few weeks in Wellington Hospital. Florry has popped up regularly in our lives and this blog since we worked together in Timaru in 2010: NZ, Ireland, Australia, Fort Bragg, and SF. It is always great craic when we meet.

craic

noun

1. Fun, especially through enjoyable company, a pleasant conversation.

Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License • More at Wordnik

Enjoying ice-cream at B&J's

We explored Wellie neighborhoods new to us, went to a few movies, and had two leisurely visits to the great national museum, Te Papa. They had a special display of jewelry from the iconoclastic fashionista Vivian Westwood's collection.

Clockwise from upper L: fishheaded manimal, gateway carving from 1906-7 NZ International Expo in Christchurch, Bertille earrings, snail bracelet, phallus broaches, Bertille bracelet, necklace

That's it for now. Stay safe and sane!

jtw

My USA Summer and Fall Through the Election 2024

TRIGGER WARNING! THIS BLOG CONTAINS MULTIPLE IMAGES OF DELICIOUS FOOD. NOT NECESSARILY RECOMMENDED DIABETICS OR THE CALORICALLY-CHALLENGED.

 BACK IN THE USA

We flew back on the Fourth of July, arriving before we left. Regular followers of my blog know it is a diary mostly in chronological order, highlighting travels and activities and musings that interest me and hopefully others. This covers July-November, 2024, summertime through mid-autumn and the election.

We were last in Northern California shortly before my birthday and our journey back to NZ via Georgia and Southern Africa. After an overnight turnaround in Richmond, we headed back to Fort Bragg with various Christmas and birthday presents from last winter in tow. One was the unique metal sculpture (thanks, Athena!) of a pūteketeke with John Oliver perched on his back. Through his efforts on Last Week Tonight, this feathered friend was crowned New Zealand Bird of the Century. If you missed that story late 2023, here is a link.

Pūteketeke and Friend

Also I rediscovered large chunks of frozen of German Chocolate birthday cake, still sinfully delicious.

 

SUMMER 2024

It was so nice to start off back home in Fort Bragg on July 5th in time to enjoy some of the annual coastal events like the tail end of the Fourth of July weekend and fireworks over Noyo Harbor 7/6/24.....

Photo courtesy of the Fort Bragg Advocate-News

.... and the 38th Mendocino Music Festival. A pre-fest fundraiser new this year was a lobster boil. Lobster is really not Fayne's thing, so I took Linnea M. as my plus one. The generous spread included potatoes, roasted garlic, corn on the cob, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and of course the Crustacean of Honor. Volunteers with large mallets circulated to help crack the shells. We had a good time, but it did have a bit of the Medieval Times Theater/ Flintstones vibe.

n

I was fortunate enough to attend three Music Festival concerts.  The first was Mr. Sun, a bluegrass/roots/jazz/classical group. The centerpiece of their performance was their bluegrass interpretation of Duke Ellington's take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite (whew!). I took my sister Margaret who was visiting for a few days. Prior to the show we had time for a walk along the Mendocino Headlands on a perfect sunny summer day.

Fayne and I attended two more events. The Festival Big Band featured soul and blues vocalist Mayia Sykes. She gained fame on The Voice. Here is her performance from 2014 singing Sam Smith's Stay With Me. 

I most anticipated the opportunity to see and hear Ladysmith Black Mambazo (seen here singing Homeless), the South African group most famous to American audiences for their work with Paul Simon on his Graceland album. The angelic harmonies and the energetic dancing were sure to lift everyone's spirit. 

There is something about being with Linnea that frequently leads to eating. Another annual July event is the Albion-Little River Volunteer Fire Department benefit BBQ, featuring chicken, beef, corn, beans, salad, and home-made desserts at the Little River Airport. Tasty!! Unfortunately, it was too overcast for David N. and sister Athena to fly in. Maybe next year.

THE EASTERN U.S. AUGUST 2024

Early August was time to get back East for family with the first stop Kathleen, GA fo. Sofia and family. They have a new kitten Milo who is quite the bundle of energy even though he is napping in these photos. Although I feared a hot and humid time there, the weather was quite temperate. Georgia schools started in late July so we didn't have as much time with the Grand-kids as we would have liked.

One of my West Virginian cousins Leah works in Atlanta and it so happened her mother Jane was visiting, so we were fortunate to meet up half-way in Juliette, GA at the Whistle Stop Cafe, made famous in the film Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) based on a book. We had a lovely visit and lunch.

Jane, Leah, Fayne, and me

Jane & Leah on the front porch

A fried green tomato

Catfish

Chicken livers

In all our visits to Georgia, we never actually had a Georgia peach or visited a peach farm, so we ticked that box and visited Lanes Southern Orchards nearby for in-season peach pie and ice cream (no pix, sorry).

A little internet research showed that the 19th annual Macon Film Festival was happening. Being the cinephiles we are, we secured tickets for the documentary Red Fever. (Getting tickets was a surprisingly challenging task, but that's another story.) I would agree with the description on the film's web site: "A witty and entertaining documentary about the profound indigenous influence on Western culture and identity." I learned a lot.Red Fever is a witty and entertaining feature documentary about the profound -- yet hidden -- Indigenous Completing the Eastern swing we flew up to New York State to visit Fayne's family in Syracuse and East Greenbush, followed by a quick drive to Mystic, CN to see our friends Tom and Melinda. We had time in NY to finish a vexing jigsaw puzzle with sister-in-law Mary and her Grand-kids.

L to R: Ryan, me, Mary, & Anna

PAUL BUNYAN DAYS, LABOR DAY WEEKEND

The Man himself

Back in Fort Bragg for a tradition since 1939, we enjoyed the festivities of Paul Bunyan Days over Labor Day weekend. At the Logging Show I was enticed to buy some raffle tickets from the charming Belle of the Redwoods herself, Eliana Hontu. I didn't realize it at the time, but she is the granddaughter of my dear friend Terry K!

Eliana

This collage shows highlights of the weekend.

Counter-clockwise from Upper Left: Cheer stunt, Paul B, Belle Eliana, Humbolt State U. Marching Lumberjacks, Logging Show Axe throw, cheerleaders, Paul Bunyan Day banner

The parade was not without some controversy as locals argue whether the town should change its name.  You can read about it here in this article in The Mendocino Voice. (Braxton Bragg was a Confederate General and a slave owner, and according to Wikipedia is "generally considered among the worst generals of the Civil War.")

ELK: AMERICA'S BEST SMALL FOOD & WINE TOWN

That is the assessment of Travel + Leisure magazine in its September 5, 2024 edition. (It is also known as the birthplace of Miss America 1925, Fay Lanphier!)

Elk Cove

This news surprised us greatly and we took it as a personal challenge to investigate (and eat) further. Elk (Pop. 208) is 27 miles south of Fort Bragg and Point Arena is another 19 miles south. The drive is spectacular but we hadn't wandered down there is several years. The first stop on the gastronomic tour began with Sibo Restaurant at the Elk Cove Inn and Spa. For Chef Victor and Sommelier Melissa it is clearly a labor of love. They have traveled extensively, most recently lived in Miami until taking the leap to make a peri-pandemic move to the Mendocino Coast. Because the seating is limited and all the food prepared by them, they require that you submit your order no later than noon before dinner. Here are the dishes we enjoyed.

Roasted Beet Napoleon

Salmon tiradito (crudo)

Seafood paella

Magret de Canard à l'Orange

Mousse au Chocolat & Carrot & Cranberry Cake

Next on the list was Gama in Point Arena, in a nondescript storefront on Highway One.  Billed as specializing in Izakaya (def: a Japanese bar that also sells snacks) small plates, this may be the best Japanese cuisine we have ever had, serving all sorts of delicacies such as grilled local sea urchin and black cod. To boot, we were pleasantly surprised to find our waiter was friend and neighbor Nathan.

Nathan

Gama bar

The next restaurant is the most acclaimed with two Michelin stars, The Harbor House Inn. This extraordinary story of Chef Sam Miller-Hicok is detailed in the SF Gate story from September this year. The first thing that caught our eyes was the lounge at the Inn, a craftsman style room so similar to our Fort Bragg house.

The beauty of the meal is on display below. The restaurant also earned a Michelin Green Star their dedication to sustainable gastronomy.

1st- Egg custard, celtuce, wakamw, nori

 

2nd- Bl;ack cod, cauliflower, potato sauce, chive oil, & sourdough

3rd- Pork shoulder, mayocobo beans, pork sausage, cabage, and golden beet salad

4th- Marigold custard with passionfruit ice, marigold & mint tea

5th- Black corn miso cake with corn ice cream

Add the suggested wine pairing and you have a regal (but pricey) lunch.

Greenwood Restaurant at the Sacred Rock Inn was the final dining destination. 

The view from our table at the Greenwood Restaurant

Once again, I'll let the photos and captions speak for themselves.

Parker House rolls with seaweed butter & pear salad

King salmon with carrot ravioli

Honey Glazed duck breast with sweet potato puree & pumpkin seed granola

 

Peanut butter and chocolate mousse with banana ice cream

 

A deconstructed carrot cake with vanilla cream, looking a bit like a moose

 

EARLY OCTOBER 2024

When possible I try to attend two early October Bay Area celebrations: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass weekend celebration of roots and Bluegrass + music; and the Mill Valley Film Festival. I was fortunate to go to HSBG on Saturday with sisters Athena (thanks Moo) and Cheryl to enjoy the likes of Laurie Lewis, Allison Brown, Mavis Staples, and Steve Earle.

Mavis Staples on the Banjo Stage

We also made time to take in three films featured at the MVFF47: The Piano Lesson; Amy Adams in person with Nightbitch; and Cheech and Chong's Last Movie. I enjoyed them all and posted links to all three if you have any interest.

 

BASEBALL AND FAREWELL TO THE OAKLAND A'S

My summer is never really complete unless I can take in at least one ballgame live, and this year I got to three. First I went to Oracle Park in SF to see the Giants vs. A's with John Gallo, the friend who shared bleacher season tickets with me when the park opened in 2000.

Enjoying a ChaCha bowl with John in remembrance of late great Giant Orlando Cepeda

Oracle Park

Sadly, the Oakland A's are no more as they will be cruelly relocating eventually to Los Vegas via Sacramento. I was able to go to two games in Oakland the final week of the season. On a Saturday afternoon my old friend Francey and I went to see Aaron Judge and the NY Yankees, and then Fayne and I went to the last game in the Coliseum Thursday September 26, 2024. It was a joyous and sad day, the last chance for the true fans to celebrate and commiserate. The A's beat the Rangers 3-2 and the team honored the fans. I have so many memories, good and sad, over 50+ years of Oakland Athletics fandom. Here are some photos from the last week.

Clockwise from top L corner: selfie, the crowd, Crazy George, A. Judge at bat, Commemorative model of the Coliseum with souvenir last game ticket, HOF legend Ricky Henderson with daughter, and a Ricky bobble-head in the center

POOR DECISION 2024

 

Like many people, I was very concerned about the 2024 Presidential election. By any measure, it was a bizarre and unique period in US history. I was moved to do things I don’t normally do: write postcards, send donations, and even volunteer to go door to door in Reno, Nevada canvassing for candidates. 

 

Truckee River walk

Spending two weekends in Reno had its upside. I liked what I saw in the downtown along the Truckee River, ate some good food, and met some very interesting fellow-canvassers. I am not sure I would do it again, but I’m glad I did it in 2024.

The results of the election were disappointing but not a surprise after hearing “to close to call” and “coin-flip” incessantly. If this was always destined to be the result (and in retrospect I believe it was), I am grateful the results came quickly and decisively as opposed to agonizing for weeks or months as to what was to happen.

Donald J Trump has one truly magical super-power: lying. He lies boldly, loudly, persistently. No rational and informed person can believe that doctors and nurses murder babies after they are born, or children get secret gender-changing surgery in elementary schools, or that Haitian immigrants are eating neighbors’ pets. But these lies have major effects: they demolish any boundaries as to what he can assert without consequence while eroding his followers’ faith in any other source of information or authority; and they are the key to his remarkable ability to avoid any accountability for past or present actions. Another lie is just around the corner: “I never said that” or “It’s my enemies’ fault, not mine”.

With MAGA controlling every branch of the government for at least the next 2-4 years, I can think of no legal action I can take to alter that. There is a very good chance this will have minimal day-to-day effect on me personally. I’m not an immigrant, or a transsexual, or a Ukrainian, or Palestinian, or Israeli. At the end of the day, this was “democracy in action”. The responsibility is squarely on the US electorate, not Kamala, Elon, or even Trump.

My sister Margaret sent me this poem from 2007. It summarizes my current feelings exactly.

“PITY THE NATION”
Lawrence Ferlinghetti (After Khalil Gibran) 2007

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves

Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture

Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own

Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed

Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away

My country, tears of thee
Sweet land of liberty!

copyright Lawrence Ferlingetti