Worse than War

By David Krieger



Worse than the war, the endless, senseless war

Worse than the lies leading to the war



Worse than the countless deaths and injuries

Worse than hiding the coffins and not attending funerals



Worse than the flouting of international law

Worse than the torture at Abu Ghraib prison



Worse than the corruption of young soldiers

Worse than undermining our collective sense of decency



Worse than the arrogance, smugness, and swagger

Worse than our loss of credibility in the world

Worse than the loss of our liberties



Worse than learning nothing from the past

Worse than destroying the future

Worse than the incredible stupidity of it all



Worse than all of these,

As if they were not enough for one war or country or lifetime,

Is the silence, the resounding silence, of good Americans.