Popular Opinion Sometimes a president must go against popular opinion.
He must oppose the wishes of millions worldwide in every continent
who leave their houses,
converge,
march, shout, protest,
he must wage a war
that only a few ultra-statists, rednecks, opportuinistic diplomats and proxied presidents support.
Sometimes, in order to make the world safe for democracy
he must ignore the silly democratic concept of popular opinion
and other bitchy representational systems such as the UN Security Counsel
or he must manipulate them
bribe Turkey’s parliament
badger wavery congressmen with jingoistic threats.
Sometimes, in order to set the world free
he has to conquer it.
Sometimes, in order to make things better over there
we have to make sacrifices
whether it be our freedom, our life, our education.
Sometimes, when we say we’re gonna make things better over there
we really mean make things better over here
for a few of us
who have the right
interests.
Sometimes you have to destroy the town to save it.
Sometimes we realize
we don’t actually want to save it.
Sometimes it seems silly or inconvenient to ask the people living in the town whether they want to be burnt alive, or saved, or who they want to be saved by.
Sometimes, amidst the flames, it isn’t wise to wonder what popular opinion would think about this.
Sometimes, you just don’t let popular opinion know what really happens.
Sometimes, O you burning bush,
you incendiary tumble weed,
you imperial avalanche enveloping and crushing all the world,
it’s better for our ego and our aims
not to consider popular opinion,
because if it were really up to popular opinion
somebody would never have been elected.