The Profiteer

I got the idea for this piece from the book "Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. A book about exploiting developing nations that makes you want to start lighting s**t on fire after you read it.

If I were a gun runner
or a weapons profiteer
I'd build a solid legacy
A monument of tears

I'd arm the peasant class
Pay them rice and bread
Play them off each other
Until everyone was dead

Take their land away
Drain them dusty dry
Starve them into misery
Let their children die

Murder the intelligent
Exploit the ignorant
Prey upon their petty fears
like a genocidal tyrant

Keep them buried into debt
so their economy is broken
Give them crony leadership
That's nothing but a token

Import labor to their land
Make them slaves to industry
Ruthlessly exploit them
and not pay them anything

Poison their environment
Pour sewage in their wells
Taint the air with chemicals
So disease infects their cells

So they die by tens of thousands
Lots more where they came from
I'll Start another resource war
   and blame it on Islam

It's a game of chess you see
with subhumans of a nation
A surplus mass of indigents
meant for blatant exploitation

From the USA to Africa
All across these fertile lands
You're all just faceless peasants
who played into my hands

Reviews

[Kaylor Mason]

Interesting . . . I've heard it said by police officers that most corporate execs and powerful big-shots on Wall Street and other powerful businessmen have the psych profile of a psychopath, because it takes sheer ruthlessness and a lack of conscience to get that much power and keep it . . . like Balzac said (I think) : "Behind every great fortune there is a crime"

[Baby Ricochet]

I read a book about psychopathic personality disorder that made the same claim. It was an interesting book for sure.

[Mr Dunne Poetry]

Oh yes! This is brilliant, sir! Such an powerful piece of work. Nice one BR :)

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank You Mr Dunne

[Mr Dunne Poetry]

Yw, bro :)

[bob, small b. aka invs]

you're beginning to remind me of one of my favorite 1960s folk singer/songwriters... phil ochs. if you're not familiar with him, look him up. he wrote scathing protest songs. his talent rivaled dylan, but he was much more political. i almost wish there was a tune to go along with this poem.
i caught the cambodian reference in that one verse. too few people know about the horrors of pol pot's regime.
as far as critiquing the poem itself... two things. the rhythm and rhyme sometimes seem forced. for instance 'buried into debt' makes the rhythm work in that line, but it sounds wrong. my other criticism would be that maybe your view should be narrowed. this is like a shotgun hitting all kinds of targets with scattered shots. i'd like to see more surgical strikes.
that's it. keep writing.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you bob. I appreciate it

[Ink]

For a piece that is so politically charged, the words rolled off the tongue so easily it almost felt wrong.

I try to always leave atleast one thing to improve on or think about in all my feedback so here's yours! =p

It read at a really smooth rhythm, but there was a spot or two where I paused because it veered a little bit from the structure of the rest..

ie:

"Murder the intelligent
Exploit the ignorant
Prey upon their petty fears
like a genocidal tyrant "
The wording of that last line just felt a little bit awkward to me...

Nitpicking, I know... but I feel these things serve people better than just praise =]
Good job here, I really enjoyed it

[Baby Ricochet]

I had Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge in mind for that Stanza and I do agree the meter is off. I need to tweak it. Thank you for your review. appreciate your input.

[Michael G.]

Very strong write! Well done!
Somewhere, there is one who sits and ponders on how he can do this to America. How rich and strong he will be... if/when he succeeds. (A possible Tom Clancy-like novel.)

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Mr g

[Inda]

Standing ovation! A masterpiece! Love it Great powerful piece!

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you inda

[Jack...]

Oh how the truth flows from your words. Nice sir.

[Baby Ricochet]

thank you Jack

[KAOlmsted]

Structurally sound with a good rhythm and flow; the message within gave me pause...which always leads to thinking. Excellent work. This should be your feature. It is that amazeballs.

[Baby Ricochet]

thank you kimmer

[KAOlmsted]

My pleasure ;-)

[Tate Morgan]

Oh so true. Cheny lol well Theres a man born pissed off.But I guess better to be pissed off than pissed on

[Baby Ricochet]

In my opinion Cheney is a clinical psychopath. Born to succeed at whatever he does with absolutely no compassion or empathy for others. Thanks for stopping by Tate.

[Tate Morgan]

Cheney has no compassion for his fellow man He is a steam roller who mows the grass so to speak wiping out everything in his way

[Richard Man]

This is a perfect versification of the truth. USA is one of the GR8 places to be ... democracy is a great concept... so is religion.... the trouble is they have all been requisitioned by the legal section of the accountants " Power, Greed and Corruption".

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you mr man