Apologies to Aristophanes
Son of Cleon
My old man's a general and I've had it up to here with this so-called military mentality. Listen, I been talking to these dude from Micenae - let's face it we're living in the past. The city state? Guise, face it, that ain't ever gonna work. A New World Order is the answer, no more enclaves. That way all the cash that spent on weapons can go to helping the proletariat, those poor bastards in Indiana or where ever and the bunnies in the urban coal bins you know the who crumbling infrastructure thang - now you got to admit these ideas have popular appeal, not just me either, you can hear those proles rustling their ropes, sharpening their knives, and you guys like me we will join then We sing good songs man and no one cares if you wear the same tunic for several days running. Yes, I ditched my shield under a bush and crawled after it. I'm alive aren't I? My old man's dead, but I'm alive, very much alive: get me?
Trygaeus: Get this lousy commie out of here. We're happy with things as they are. Or they were - and as for you my little sylphs, get back in the house and read Herodotos. Learn about the good old days, they're on the way back. I don't see what everyone's complaining about. Hierocles and those profiteers, they don't know what's what. Peace is here. I flew to heaven and pulled her out of the pit. Peace is here, forever! Peace! We're going to have a happy ending!
Epilogue
Hermes:
We too hate war. And think the country's governed by a house of whores.
Write your petition. Fine, sign it.
But don't just scream for Peace: DEFINE IT.
Wars have been stopped before, as well we know. And in each case the only thing to go,
Were soldiers, drawn back to their native coasts.
What caused the war went on quite unopposed. We, who'd left foreign cities bombed and charred, squabbled like chickens in our own back yard. And helped the cause of war.
You really want peace? Ask for much much more!
Ask for your real goals first. When them you find, Pray to the god of thieves, you poor mankind.
(song) You can treat this
As an indiscretion or a joke;
One man's meat makes another man choke.
Who can blame you
If your look-outs
Happen to be your own?
One man's laugh, one man's laugh
Makes another man groan.
Lips you've kissed
Will mouth an epitaph:
"Here lies a valiant appetite at least."
But who'd insist
The fatted calf should laugh
Because he's heard there is going to be a feast?
For as long as things
keep going on
The way that they do,
One man's meat
One man's meat
One man's meat might be you.