Tag: revolution

The Fall of an Empire

On By Jerry BrothertonIn flash, Short Stories2 Comments

Let me tell you a little story of a once great empire that existed long ago and in a land far away…or is it?

This empire consisted of an Emperor, who held the power to rule over civil and military affairs. The Senate, made up of men of character acted as the advisory counsel for the Emperor. However, the powerful, wealthy and spoilt members of the Senate inevitably became corrupt and many lived a debauched, deluded and immoral lifestyle, leading to constant antagonism of the Emperor and an inability to create laws to govern its citizens; resulting in a moral decay of society.

This decline in morals, ethics and values especially among the wealthy upper class had a devastating impact. Sexual promiscuity, including adultery, orgies, homosexuality and bestiality ran rampant. ‘Religious festivals’ were held where lewd acts would be performed openly. Widespread gambling, massive consumption of alcohol and sadistic cruelty were held in public venues.

The elite leaders that once protected the Empire became so politically corrupt that eventually they could decide who would become Emperor. At one point they held an open auction and sold ‘the throne of the world’ to the highest bidder.

Heavy military spending to support the constant wars against the barbarians led to increased taxes. The military was eventually spread too thin to defend its borders. High spending soon led to threats of government bankruptcy, even higher taxation, failing economics and out of control inflation. The currency was devalued to such a point that a barter system returned.

An invasion of ‘slave labor’ from other countries eventually led to a high unemployment rate among its citizens. This caused increased dependability, government hand-outs and subsidies. Many citizens chose to live strictly off these subsidies, sacrificing their standard of living for an idle life of ease. They divide between rich and poor grew to massive proportions.

As thousands of these idle and unemployed citizens grew bored civil unrest and rioting in the streets became common. Violence and bloodshed lost its ability to shock the spectators. Basic principles and the standards of judgement about the value of life declined. The views of what was right or wrong, good or bad grew perverted as all ethics and standards of human behavior were lost.

Many natural disasters such as fires, floods, violent storms and earthquakes took their toll and left the population looking for anyone to blame. Many different types of religions were sought out as the citizens searched for answers.

The Empire had created many enemies worldwide; some out of envy and others out of hatred. This resulted in the Empire being under constant attack from foreign armies. Eventually, these barbarians laid waste to the capitol and brought the Empire to its knees, leading to its inevitable decline.

Old Soldier

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Free Verse, Poetry16 Comments

I can see it in your face;

How proud you are that you stood for freedom

I can see it in your tears;

As you watch the world call us the enemy

I can see it tear at your heart;

When selfish people refuse to stand

I can see how your stomach churns;

Every time the flag is burned

I can see it eating away at your emotions;

When black hates white or white hates black

I can see your anger rise;

When the world spits on America

I can see your blood boil

When we cower in the corner too afraid to offend

I can see it in your hatred;

When you load the gun

I can see it in your smile;

After you have talked to God

Duty, Honor and Commitment

On By Jerry BrothertonIn flash, Short Stories12 Comments

“Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.”                                        Robert E Lee

Perhaps, Serving in the military myself has helped me to understand a little of the struggle that every defender of our ‘nations rights’ goes through. The vast majority of us do not wake up one morning and say, “Today, I willingly take another souls life.” It goes against the grain of all decency and morality. But, we took an oath to defend, protect and serve the people. A pledge that we would honor our duty even though it conflicts with our personal beliefs. Today, more than others, I am reminded that we must draw from the well of compassion for those who were so tormented by the choice between duty and personal philosophy.

It is the anniversary of the birth of Robert E Lee (January 19, 1807 to October 12, 1870) and we celebrate the symbol of individual commitment to duty over all else during a time of great strife in our American history. Thousands of men, young and old, had to make that choice during those years of the civil war and millions of men and women in the years that followed, So, as we celebrate Robert E. Lee Day, we are not just honoring his sense of duty, but those millions of unheard voices that faced equal moral turmoil.

In a letter from Robert E Lee to George Washington Custis in January, 1861 Lee writes, …As an American citizen, I take great pride in my country, her prosperity and institutions, and would defend any State if her rights were invaded. But I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation. I hope, therefore, that all constitutional means will be exhausted before there is a resort to force. Secession is nothing but revolution. The framers of our Constitution never exhausted so much labor, wisdom, and forbearance in its formation, and surrounded it with so many guards and securities, if it was intended to be broken by every member of the Confederacy at will. It was intended for “perpetual union,” so expressed in the preamble, and for the establishment of a government, not a compact, which can only be dissolved by revolution, or the consent of all the people in convention assembled.

It’s easy to stand at our pulpit and look back upon our past and condemn people for the choices they made. But we should not be too quick to judge. How would you react today, if  faced with the choice of defending your state or defending your country? Even though that might mean defending your country against your brother.

 

 

 

 

 

Revolution?

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Poetry, Rhyming13 Comments

To see America in this place makes me weep

When the only hope we have to spread our message

Maybe to take up our arms and march through the street

In an attempt to save ourselves from the wreckage

They regulate all our thoughts and actions freely

As they sell us diet colas and empty hope

They can sell us our leaders just as easily

When we traded religion for their plug-in trope

I want to see those men hidden in the shadows

Pushing the buttons destroying our resistance

Bring them forward to face me in the light and show

Why a corrupt government deserves existence

Step forward all true American loyalists

Take back the land of the free; the home of the brave

Perhaps this might be the only chance we will get

Will it be liberty or a walk to the grave?

Rediculous Facebook Posts

On By Jerry BrothertonIn flash, Short Stories29 Comments

I saw two different post on Facebook today that just blew my mind. Sometimes, I wonder if people even think about what they put out there for the world to see. The first post read, “If Trump starts a new war then the people that voted for him should be drafted first.”

Seriously people! So what you’re saying is that if I get into a taxi and he has a wreck on the way to my house then I should be held responsible…after all, I was the one who chose that particular taxi and I was the one who told him where to go and maybe even told him which road to take. Therefore, I should be held responsible.

Many people I know voted for Trump because they believed in what he had to say. Just because you and I knew that he was a narcissistic buffoon with a 3 year old’s mentality, does not mean that everyone did.

The second post asks, “Should Obama be added to Mount Rushmore?”

What, what, WHAT?

What on earth would make you ask a question like that? Yes, he was the first black president. But let’s face it; that was just a matter of timing. It was time for, and right for America. There were much better choices…Condolezza Rice or Colin Powell come quickly to mind. But I wonder what people think actually gives him the privilege to live beside Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and Roosevelt (I am not fully convinced that he should be there). Heck, Kennedy put a man on the moon and routed Russian aggression and yet did not earn an honored seat.

So let’s get real America and start rewarding or removing people based on their qualifications or lack thereof. People talk about term limits for congress. Why do we need them if we are doing our job properly? It’s simple; if someone is not doing the job we think they should then we must not vote them in again.

For those of us that do not believe in Trump or his message, it is our job to convince our neighbor why and vote him out of office.

But with respect and not hatred. My wife and I do not agree on half the decisions we make yet we are still happily married after 42 years. Sometimes I even get to win.