A Jew stepped from his secretive hide;
He'd been safe from Nazi's while inside.
Arriving in Tel Aviv he'd transform;
Terror and power would become his norm.
'I am free from oppression', he would state
As he eyed Arabs with lingering hate.
Kozo Okamoto, born in Japan,
Thought the Red Army would make him a man.
Bathing Lod Airport in spiderwebs red
From Puerto Rican pilgrams he left dead.
'I am free from oppression', he would scoff
Just before cutting his penis tip off.
As grand flags of Peace and Joy unfurled,
Black September terrorized the sports world.
The Olympics in Munich would be known
Not for sports records, but for grenades thrown.
'Freedom at last' the Arab theorized
Just moments before he was carbonized.
Author notes
These are three vignettes on terrorism.
After WWII, Jewish terrorist organizations sought to create the nation of Isreal, attacking Arabs, Jews, and British citizens.
Kozo Okamoto was a member of the Japanese Red Army, a terrorist organization with likes to Palastinian terrorist cells. He, and two cohorts attacked Puerto Rican pilgrims at the Lod Airport in Isreal.
Black September terrorists siezed Isreali athletes during the Munich Olympic games. Ultimately most of the terrorists and their captives died in fireball on an airport tarmac. The theme at the Munich Olympic games was supposed to be Peace and Joy.
Image source: http://profs.info.uaic.ro/~busaco/paint/selfdestruction/MySelfDestruction.jpg
In a list
A contest entry
- all systems are oppressive by Mairi bheag.
1800 points, ended August 22, 30 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Sometimes the Oppressed become the Oppressors
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
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Oh my, oh my! Have you read Slavoj Zizek on Robespierre? I think many people mistake Zizek for an apologist for terror, whereas he is rigorously honest about how moral purity (or moral puritanism) and terror go hand in hand - the former being no more than a cowardly self-indulgence without the latter.
Your vignettes are powerful images on the theme of this paradox. Thank you.
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I have not read Zizek. I am a student of history and have read alot about terrorism. I am currently reading Blood and Rage, by Burleigh. It is very well-documented and researched. It is heavy anti-violence. It is interesteing to see details about the links during the cold war between terrorism in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, with governments in the former Warsaw Block. Many of these terrorists were proxy soldiers for Cold War interests.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I am glad you enjoyed the poem.
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I think that the vast majority of them wouldn't have realised that they were. It's easier for us to see it, standing back in time and geography, and to us it seems obvious, because of the heavy US backing for the state of Israel.
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Ahhh my history professor, you always make things sooo interesting mike
This Is great, all the best to you in the contest
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Haha. My work may be considered crap by many, but It is accurate crap. Thanks for reading and commenting. I am glad you enjoyed this.
Mike
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Interesting
Interesting
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Thanks.
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I love the way you speak out so passionately for or against things. I love the content in the poem and I think that you will do very well in the contest
'I am free from oppression', he would scoff
Just before cutting his penis tip off
This part was very visual and kinda distrubing, did he really cut the tip of his penis off?? lol
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Yes. He really cut the tip of his penis off. While in prison in Isreal he attempted self-cirumcision in order to convert to Judaism. The attempt was made with nail clippers and was nearly fatal for him.
Thanks for reading and commenting. I am glad you enjoyed the poem.
Mike
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you have done well with this, i learned from it so that's a good thing,
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Thank you very much for reading and commenting on my work. I am not much good at straight lovey dovey stuff. I try to write something factual from time to time. I am glad you got something out of it.
Mike
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