Hard Questions for the New Year - Original by Emily Kaitz; revised by Hogeye Bill

It’s the season of joy and celebration
We sing songs about brotherhood and peace
And close our eyes to runaway rulers
As corruption and hatred increase
Well we don’t have to look very far to find
Inhumanity fraud and disgrace
If we can’t learn to live without hurting each other
What’s the point of the whole human race

It’s no time for self-righteous denial
You elected the chumps who made war
They squander our wealth and our lives at their pleasure
And plunder the helpless and poor
The FDA cartel and medico cronies
Have hobbled our health care in place
If we can’t learn to live without robbing each other
What’s the point of the whole human race

Can we claim to see the light
Can we champion human rights
While supporting a government that tortures
Will rulers’ rationales explain
Eurasian wars and climate change
With embedded dumb mass media reporters

And the poison in our Gulf of Mexico
How much of this earth will they spoil
Till we harness alternative energy
And end all the subsidized oil
Oh it’s easy to blame corporations
But we pump their cheap gas every day
If we can’t learn to live without ruling each other
What’s the point of the whole human race

Some cheer depredation and power
And curse harmony and free trade
The wonderful world-wide division of labor
By World Bank and UN waylaid
They’ve taken our most brilliant minds and producers
And painted a false fascist face
If we can’t learn to live without chaining each other
What’s the point of the whole human race

Can we claim to see the light
Can we honor natural rights
While voting for her to rob him
Will expediency explain
The cannibal’s claim
You’re entitled to eat other men

So let’s make our New Years resolutions
And remember there’re problems to solve
Let’s quit fighting over teaching evolution
And prove we can actually evolve
And rise to our conflicts and challenges
With integrity, compassion, and grace
‘Cause if we can’t learn to live without hurting each other
What’s the point of the whole human race

And if we can’t learn to live without destroying our environment
And if we can’t learn to live without aggressing against our neighbors
And if we can’t learn to live without hypocrisy and deception

What’s the point of the whole human race?

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