A politician wouldn't dream of being allowed to call a columnist the things a columnist is allowed to call a politician.
quote by Max Lerner
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Happy New Year
Why can’t we plan when to die near the end of our lives?
We could decide for sooner or later because no one survives,
At the moment it’s against the law but maybe that could change,
But we don’t have an independent politician to arrange.
Because our politicians are tied to some party agenda,
Not allowed to mention recall or forbidden referenda,
Not even allowed to have set date elections or recall,
Democracy all right as we wait for an election call.
The establishment hates plebiscites and propositions are banned,
Participatory democracy is not allowed or planned,
The Swiss have assisted suicide and so do the Dutch,
The Americans in Oregon have and like it just as much.
Jan 1st,2011
poem by James Bredin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Should Be Allowed To Think
I saw the best minds of my generation
Destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical
I should be allowed to glue my poster
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to glue my poster
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to think
And I should be allowed to blurt the merest idea
If by random whim, one occurs to me
If necessary, leave paper stains on the grey utility pole
I saw the worst bands of my generation
Applied by magic marker to dry wall
I should be allowed to shoot my mouth off
I should have a call in show
I should be allowed to glue my poster
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to think
And I should be allowed to blurt the merest idea
If by random whim, one occurs to me
If necessary, leave paper stains on the grey utility pole
I am not allowed
To ever come up with a single original thought
I am not allowed
To meet the criminal government agent who oppresses me
I was the worst hope of my generation
Destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical
I should be allowed to share my feelings
I should be allowed to feel
I should be allowed to glue my poster
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to think
I should be allowed to think
And I should be allowed to blurt the merest idea
If by random whim one occurs to me
But sadly, this can never be
I am not allowed to think
I am not allowed to think
I am not allowed to think (I am not allowed to think)
I am not allowed to think (I am not allowed to think)
I am not allowed to think (I am not allowed to think)
I am not allowed to think (I am not allowed to think)
song performed by by They Might Be Giants
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our Blueprint
Compulsory voting or fifty-dollar fine at tax time,
Shows that this important national issue is not five-and-dime,
And those who refuse to vote or pay, get ten days in jail,
No house arrest allowed, no legal aid, no caution and no bail.
Binding referendums for all Canadians on national options,
Before these options turn into major national problems,
How each politician votes on any issue should be published,
And not carefully moved around and hidden from the public.
Set-date elections every three years and constituents allowed recall,
Death with dignity allowed and no one or group, can forestall,
The Supreme Court, Governor Generals and parole boards elected,
So that defects in our systems can be finally corrected.
poem by James Bredin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Am I Allowed
Am I allowed
To wish not to breathe?
Am I allowed
To skip over tomorrow?
And,
Am I allowed
Not to believe,
Who it is that speaks.
Or,
Whom everybody follows?
Am I allowed
To want my own needs?
Am I allowed
Not to beg or borrow.
Am I allowed
Not to be deceived,
By who those that I know
Are low, lazy and shallow?
Am I allowed
My own company?
Am I allowed
To float or row my boat?
And,
Am I allowed
To see what I see,
Who it is that show
Not which way to go?
Am I allowed
To want my own needs?
Am I allowed
Not to beg or borrow.
Am I allowed
Not to be deceived,
By who those that I know
Are low, lazy and shallow?
Am I allowed
My own company?
Am I allowed
To float or row my boat?
And,
Am I allowed
To see what I see,
Who it is that show
Not which way to go?
Am I allowed
To wish not to breathe?
Am I allowed
To skip over tomorrow?
And,
Am I allowed
Not to believe,
Who it is that speaks.
Or,
Whom everybody follows?
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Am No Politician
I am no politician.
I am direct.
Every blemish and flaw I have,
I accept without regret.
I am not trying to win your approval
To represent your requests.
Nor will I disappoint you...
With deceit to later confess.
I am no politician.
Seeking a way to line my pockets.
I find that disgusting!
And I observe those who can not stop it!
Your quality of life...
With standards you behold.
Isn't my fault at all!
That your best interests,
They have sold!
You selected them to dismiss me.
To keep me and mine in check!
You elected them to suppress my dignity.
To keep my indentity distressed.
You chose them to divide and conquer.
By rules and laws
They clearly defied...
You now regret!
Why me...
You despise?
I am no politician!
My priorities are my happiness.
Not to masquerade with pretentions...
For purposes to make promises,
With intentions to forget.
I am no politician...
To trap you like prey.
And dangle you to capture...
As I make arrangements with others,
To take away the safety from your nests.
To portray in false charades.
I am no politician.
So voice your anger,
To those you believed...
Would come to your aid.
While on your knees you plead.
I am no politician!
I sleep at night.
In peace and at rest!
I am no politician...
Nor a hypocrite you will find,
Who will say something other
Than what is on my mind!
You can bet,
With respect...
I am direct.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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No Good Changes... Nov 26th,2012
Who runs this land - the politicians or the Supreme Court crowd?
How many unborn babies; killed by abortion; were allowed?
How do we go about invoking the notwithstanding clause?
Is it politicians, judges, activists or abortionists; is the cause?
And they want to shove three injection sites down our throat,
Maybe whorehouses and casinos too, because we seldom vote,
And we are not allowed political input or binding referendums,
No death-with-dignity too so write this in your memorandum.
Is there a politician who might help us in these predicaments?
Or are we being ruled by oddball juvenile delinquents?
Are the media moguls just looking on or do they control events?
How can we tell them, they should change, if they want to represent?
poem by James Bredin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Where Do We Go From Here?
The parole board it seems lets vicious criminals out of jail,
For their own special secret reasons and many hidden details,
And you're not allowed to know because not one bit of this makes sense,
Vicious killers walking free and this they say, is not nonsense.
The federal parole board releasing prisoners is the curse,
And we are the sick people in need of a political nurse,
Why can't we leave the vicious criminals in jail and lock the doors?
Who is running this show up there and who are the directors?
Is there something wrong here that we're not allowed to notice or see?
Why are all their left-wing legal aid lawyers jumping with glee?
Surely someone somewhere can stop this decent into hell,
A politician who could return us to when things went well,
DEC 5th 2010
poem by James Bredin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I wanted to be a columnist so badly that I took a huge pay cut to leave Forbes, which wouldn't give me a column, and join Newsday, which wanted my column for its Sunday business section.
quote by Allan Sloan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Teamwork is better than isolation, especially for a columnist.
quote by Allan Sloan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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If
IF
BY
JAMES BREDIN AUG 9TH,2012
If we had binding referendums like the Swiss have had for years,
Could we maybe interrupt some useless political careers?
Or maybe proportional representation or a plebiscite,
Unfortunately Ottawa aristocrats don't have this appetite.
If we could eventually elect senators or judges?
Could we show that the system doesn't run on hidden grudges?
If we were finally allowed death with dignity?
Could we wish them well as we die without pain or indignity?
If they finally brought down mandatory voting for us,
Or a twenty dollar fine at tax time more or less,
If constituents had recall allowed of their own politician,
Am I getting ahead of myself or is this just superstition?
AUG 9TH,2012
poem by James Bredin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I think that any reporter or columnist will be a little more careful when doing interviews with me.
quote by Mark Cuban
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A politician is a man who understands government. A statesman is a politician who's been dead for 15 years.
quote by Harry S. Truman
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The reality is an indispensable start for the skilful politician. The awkward politician turns it into a terminus.
aphorism by Hasier Agirre, translated by Dan Costinaş
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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No man can be a politician, except he be first a historian or a traveller; for except he can see what must be, or what may be, he is no politician.
quote by James Harrington
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Don't commit to being a columnist unless you're willing to do it right. Report your behind off, so you have something original and useful to say. Say it in a way that will interest someone other than you, your family and your sources.
quote by Allan Sloan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Euthanasia For You And Me
Heaven or hell, it doesn’t matter and they’re all the same to me,
It’s how I get through death’s door because I don’t have a key,
And before you get to either heaven or hell, you have to die,
And that could be painful and long and dreadful and I don’t know why.
If we could get euthanasia, we wouldn’t have to die in pain,
But we’re not allowed to get it and there’s no where we can complain,
Our self-righteous religious types think that this is just great,
We might die in great agony and pain and no need for debate.
The Dutch, the Swiss and Americans from Oregon have this,
Though the rest of us can think about it but then dismiss,
We need some powerful politician to make the suggestion,
That euthanasia is not sinful where everyone can question.
Dec 14th,2010
poem by James Bredin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Space odyssey
The politician is one of the candidates
who was short listed for the spacecraft.
He insisted on his henchman accompanying him.
'I am not qualified Sir' henchman replied.
'Your political knowledge is more than enough,
do not worry I'll do arrangements and you get ready'
Politician assured.
The following day henchman explained the matter to his wife.
She was angry and said 'I don't mind wherever you go
but before you leave buy all these things for me'.
She gave a long list and the things available only in the moon.
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Filipino Politician
When he finds his wife in bed with another man--
The conservative politician feels an ache in his stomach,
remembers the longanisa and the tapa he had for breakfast.
He doesn't know whether to get the doctor or Cardinal Sin
on the phone. He calls one of his bodyguards, tells him
to shoot the man and then, his wife. He takes his .38 magnum
from his brief case, shoots his bodyguard in the back.
The liberal politician pours himself a glass of Courvoisier,
remembers a passage from an Anais Nin story.
He is suddenly the one they call the Basque. He removes
his Dior tie, his Armani shirt, his Calvin Klein boxer shorts.
He puts on a black beret, whispers, tres jolie, tres jolie,
que bonito, muy grande my petite amore. He joins them
in bed, begins his caresses on the man's calves,
kisses his way up the man's thighs.
The communist politician does not call his wife a puta,
nor does he challenge the man to a duel with balisong knives.
He stays calm, takes out a book of poems by Mao Tse Tung.
Inspired, he decides to advance the Revolution.
He takes a taxi to Roxas Boulevard, he begins to curse
and throw rocks at the American Embassy.
poem by Nick Carbo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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If you call your opponent a politician, it's grounds for libel.
quote by Mark Russell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Don’t Understand Mom And Dad
I don’t understand Mom and Dad
how come Dad can do things
and I’m not allowed
like Dad can drink beer
but I’m not allowed
I asked mom “How come Dad can drink
and I’m not allowed? ”
And Mom said:
“Cos it doesn’t make a difference in his case”
But I don't get it, Mom!
and the other day
I asked Mom if I could join
Dad in the deep end of the pool
and Mom said “No”
and I said “How come Dad can do it? ”
and Mom says
“Cos Dad’s got insurance”
But I don't get it, Mom!
poem by Raj Arumugam
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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