I have been thinking a lot about those men and women who are serving in our armed forces, especially those who get slapped with reality because they thought were there “make a difference” but in reality they are turned into killing machines and are asked to kill and/or torture innocent people. The ones who left and come back to families who cannot even recognize them anymore. The ones where we read in the paper where there friends say, “He would never do something like that.” As the institution continuously orders the men and women who are charged in protecting us to conduct a series of unspeakable and unpardonable events, sadly, in the end, they become the “that” we abhor.

As ex-Marine Martin Smith wrote recently in Counterpunch: “It speaks volumes that in order for young working-class men and women to gain self-confidence or self-worth, they seek to join an institution that trains them how to destroy, maim, and kill. The desire to become a Marine—as a journey to one’s manhood or as a path to self-improvement—is a stinging indictment of the pathology of our class-ridden world.” Like a large mammal insensitive to its offspring’s needs and whereabouts, America is rolling over on the aspirations of its children and crushing them in the process.

And many are there “standing on the top of their own graves!” Even sadder is knowing their are children on both sides of this conflict who will no longer see their moms and dads; parents who are losing their sons and daughters; spouses who will no longer see the tender smile and feel the warmth of their husbands and wifes.

System of the Down - Soldier Side

Soldier Side
Dead man lying on the bottom of the grave
Wondering when Savior comes
Is he gonna be saved

Maybe you’re a sinner into your alternate life
Maybe you’re a joker maybe you deserve to die

They were crying when their sons left
God is wearing black
He’s gone so far to find no hope
He’s never coming back
They were crying when their sons left
All young men must go
He’s come so far to find the truth
He’s never going home

Young men standing on the top of their own graves
Wondering when Jesus comes
Are they gonna be saved

Cruelty to the winner, Bishop tells the King his lies
Maybe you’re a mourner, maybe you deserve to die
They were crying when their sons left
God is wearing black
He’s gone so far to find no hope
He’s never coming back
They were crying when their sons left
All young men must go
He’s come so far to find no truth
He’s never going home

Welcome to the Soldier Side
Where there’s no one here but me
People all grow up to die
There is no one here but me

Welcome to the Soldier Side
Where there’s no one here but me
People on the soldier’s side
There is no one here but me

System of the Down - Tentative

Tentative
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight
While you are talking all detached, so tell us

Where you’re going to the bottom
Do you hear us we are rotting?
We’re going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one’s gonna save us now!

Ceremonies have killed religions for they provide
The masked comforts to delusionals, they’re all in fright
The true believer’s head was bathed in sunlight
While you are walking all detached, so tell us

Where you’re going to the bottom
Do you hear us we are rotting?
We’re going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one’s gonna save us now, not even god!
No one saved us, no one’s gonna save us

Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect them to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?

Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling over our head with no sight
While you are talking all detached, detached, detached, detached, detached,
We’re going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one’s gonna save us now! (not even god!)
No one saved us, no one saved us
No one saved us, no one’s gonna save us now
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?

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