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Government’s the Problem

As the waters rise, how about a sea chantey for the Bush Administration?

Calvin Trillin

September 22, 2005

(A Chorus From the Bush Administration Sings Another Republican Sea Chantey)

We weren’t impressed with FEMA when we came– Too set on fitting jobs to skills precisely. It’s loyalty we needed at the top. We thought a horse show judge would do quite nicely.

‘Cause government’s the problem, lads, Americans would all do well to shun it. Yes, government’s the problem, lads. At least it is when we’re the ones who run it.

And why should we have rushed in troops to help? These people seem to think that they’re our clients. They’re not. They got a little wet. So what?v America was built on self-reliance.

‘Cause government’s the problem, lads, Americans would all do well to shun it. Yes, government’s the problem, lads. At least it is when we’re the ones who run it.

Calvin TrillinCalvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”


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