An excerpt of Bertolt Brecht’s (1898-1956) “War Primer”
Jesse Welles
performing Bertolt BrechtAn excerpt of Bertolt Brecht’s (1898-1956) “War Primer”
Those who take the meat
from the table teach contentment.
Those for whom the contribution
is destined to demand sacrifice.
Those who eat their fill
speak to the hungry
of wonderful times to come.
Those who lead the nation
into the abyss
call ruling too difficult for ordinary men.
When rulers speak of peace,
the common folk know war is coming.
When rulers curse war,
the mobilization orders
have already been written out.
The war which is coming is not the first one.
There were others like it before.
When the last one came to an end,
there were conquerors and the conquered.
Among the conquered,
the common people starved.
Among the conquerors,
the common people starved, too.
General, your tank is a powerful vehicle.
It can smash through forests
and crush a hundred men,
but it has one defect.
It needs a driver.
General, your bomber is powerful.
It can fly faster than a storm
and carry more than an elephant.
But it has one defect.
It needs a mechanic.
General man is a powerful tool.
He can fly and he can kill.
But he has one defect.
He can think.
War Primer (1955, East Germany) is Bertolt Brecht’s book of photo-poems pairing WWII press images with sharp, satirical verses that expose the lies and propaganda of war.
