'ANYTHING GOES'

(To prepare those Iraqis left alive for 'elections', US forces in November
2004 ran an operation south of Baghdad called "Plymouth Rock".)

      Times have changed,
      And it seems we've put back the clock,
      So Iraqis were awed with shock,
      When descendants of Plymouth Rock
      Claimed today,
      If that shock they should try to stem,
      'Stead of standing by Plymouth Rock,
      "Plymouth Rock" would stand on them.

      In former wars Geneva mocking
      Was looked on as something shocking
      Now, George Bush shows,
      Anything goes.

      Our leaders too who once knew better words,
      Now only muff big letter words
      Mangling those -
      Crude thinking shows.

      The world has gone mad today,
      And good's bad today,
      And wrong's right today,
      And right's might today,
      When those thugs today
      That voters thole today
      Are jackals in bad wolves clothes:
      Though of such power I'm no romancer
      I know that they're bound to answer
      When hoods enclose,
      "Torture lite" goes.

      When grandchildren aged six or seven
      With their hands raised high to heaven
      Flee from our blows,
      Anything goes.

      So mother pleads to save poor father
      Because they reckon they'd rather
      Not form freak shows
      In our jail's rows.

      If "kicking their buts" you like,
      If hard nuts you like,
      If false hymns you like,
      If bust limbs you like,
      If sham West you like
      Or wops undressed you like,
      Why, nobody will oppose!
      Thus, when at night we go out raiding
      We no longer are invading
      As some suppose -
      It's what God chose.

      The world has gone mad today
      And good's bad today,
      And war's peace today,
      And crook's p'lice today,
      When those thugs today
      That voters thole today
      Are the Mob in sheriff's clothes:
      Though of such power I'm no romancer
      I know that they're bound to answer
      In statesmen pose,
      "What we say goes."

      If faking to pray you like,
      If your pay you like,
      If old liars you like,
      If oil fires you like,
      If freedoms' pyres you like
      As each expires you like,
      Why nobody will oppose!

      But of such powers I'm no romancer
      For of our world they're no enhancer
      I, for one, can no more answer
      When you propose,
      Anything goes ...
      Anything goes!

                    (Apologies to Cole Porter - and Ella Fitzgerald)