Those who take the meat from the table
Teach contentment.
Those for whom the contribution is destined
Demand sacrifice.
Those who eat their fill speak to the hungry
Of wonderful times to come.
Those who lead the country into the abyss
Call ruling too difficult
For ordinary men.

#bertoltbrecht #warprimer

The [reality TV show host] speaks of
Great times to come

On the calendar the day is not
Yet shown
Every month, every day
Lies open still. One of those days
Is going to be marked with a cross.

#bertoltbrecht #warprimer

Those at the top say: peace
And war
Are of different substance.
But their peace and their war
Are like wind and storm.

War grows from their peace
Like son from his mother
He bears
Her frightful features.

Their war kills
Whatever their peace
Has left over.

#bertoltbrecht #warprimer

When the leaders speak of peace
The common folk know
That war is coming.
When the leaders curse war
The mobilization order is already written out.

Bertolt Brecht, "A German War Primer"

#bertoltbrecht #warprimer