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Masters of War

on Saturday, May 20, 2006 with 0 comments »

Ran into the phrase 'Masters of War' in context of reading something about Bush/Rumsfeld this morning and so did a search to see who came up with this phraseology. Looks like the original reference is a Bob Dylan song (if someone can find me an even earlier reference, please email me.) but it has been referenced in the last few years quite a few times with reference to Bush administration policies.

Masters of War
- A review of Todd S. Purdum's " A Time of our Choosing: America's War in Iraq" by Michael Lind (From the The New York Times, November 30, 2003)

Moments of Truth, Masters of War by Paul Street, March 18, 2003

Bush and His Masters of War, by Joyce Marcel, March 21, 2003

Iraq Heartache by David Corn, October 27, 2004

Masters of War; Militarism and Blowback in the Era of American Empire by Carl Boggs (Also read excerpts from the book here)

Related Books:

Imperial Delusions : American Militarism and Endless War (Polemics) by Carl Boggs
The American Way of War
by Russell F. Weigley
American Empire : The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy by Andrew Bacevich
The New American Militarism : How Americans Are Seduced by War by Andrew Bacevich
The Sorrows of Empire : Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic [The American Empire Project] by Chalmers Johnson
Blowback : The Costs and Consequences of American Empire (Second Edition) by Chalmers Johnson
America Right or Wrong : An Anatomy of American Nationalism by Anatol Lieven
Killing Hope : U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II-Updated Through 2003 by William Blum
The Politics of Truth by Joseph Wilson
Disarmament Sketches by Thomas Graham
Disarmament Sketches by Thomas Graham
Disarmament Sketches by Thomas Graham
Ghost Wars by Steve Coll
Disarmament Sketches by Thomas Graham
War Made Easy : How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death by Norman Solomon
Truth, Torture, and the American Way : The History and Consequences of U.S. Involvement in Torture by Jennifer K. Harbury
Lying for Empire : How to Commit War Crimes With a Straight Face by David Model
State of War : The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration by James Risen
The War On Truth: 9/11, Disinformation And The Anatomy Of Terrorism by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed
Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil by Michael C. Ruppert
The New American Empire by Rodrigue Tremblay

And finally the last word by Chomsky.
Failed States : The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy by Noam Chomsky


Masters of War
( Bob Dylan)


Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave

'Til I'm sure that you're dead


© 1963 Bob Dylan


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