Weathervane

Ngo Dinh Diem thought America was a friend That turned out badly, he met a bloody end A State Department cabal thought he denied human rights They pulled the plug and turned off the lights JFK agreed he had to go, Diem was hurting our side Viet plotters then shot him, JFK was horrified. Then we ended up putting our troops in Diem’s land Fighting the reds, 58,000 US soldier’s last stand Nixon tried to get out, an agreement behind Thieu’s back Assured the south’s leader that he’d repel any attack But Congress refused to fulfill that promise, and Vietnam fell. Maybe the war was lost anyway, not easy to tell Desperate people fell off choppers escaping Saigon Half a million people left in boats you wouldn’t take a chance on And then there was Cuba, where the reds took over too. Cuban rebels came to fight, but we screwed them too. They were left ashore for Soviet led troops to greet JFK wouldn’t help, he feared the Latin street Howitzers pounded 2,000 rounds into these guys Russian tanks, Russian planes, victory their prize. US pilots just offshore couldn’t give help, or supplies We had promised both, but it turned out to be lies. Communism has run Cuba since that bloody day Fidel's forces fought in Africa to pave Marxism’s way They advised Venezuela’s reds how to quash dissent Freedom had its chance, we blinked, and out it went. What use are America’s lofty words? In '75 we backed, then abandoned the Kurds As soon as we did, their enemies went in for the kill Ultimately, it’s not just them, we also pay that bill. Then there was the Shah of Iran, we told him “Liberalize” The Mullahs saw this as weakness in humanitarian disguise We sent General Huyser who told Iran's generals not to fight When the Islamists took charge, those poor generals met their plight Huyser read descriptions later of their mutilation No liberalizing will happen now, an iron fist rules that nation. I saw the photo of an Afghan, desperately hanging on to a plane We bypassed the Afghan leaders to retreat, another stain People stick their necks out, thinking we are their friends This world learns the lesson our ambiguity sends. Now I understand if we’re in the mire, we have to extricate Abandon sunken costs, abandon allies to their fate. But anyone who joins us must take into consideration That we are a weathervane, a tempest tossed nation. And our own wounded warriors must wonder at their sacrifice Was fighting for this country worth their personal price?