21st (-Century) Psalm: "A fool is my shepherd. I shall not think..."

[enough]

This appeared as a letter in the December 27, 2004 issue of The Nation (print only, no link).

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A fool is my shepherd. I shall not think. He maketh me to bog down in a quagmire. He leadeth me beside dirty waters. He destroyeth my ozone. He leadeth me down paths to the extreme right, for his lobbyists' sake.

Yea, though I walk through relatively safe streets, I do fear evil (the threat level is orange), for thou hast scared me. My assault rifle comforteth me. Thou annointest my car with oil. My deficit runneth over. Thou prepareth my table with fast foot in the presence of my television.

Surely paranoia and resentment will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in this Empire of Fools till I die, uninsured.

by Lawrence Swan, Brooklyn, NY