by Steven Kent

“CIA admits 1953 Iranian coup it backed was undemocratic”
—The Guardian

Thinking of Al and John Dulles,
Whose labors left millions undone:
The world keeps on turning
While burning and burning
Because of their war that we “won.”

Undemocratic? You think so?
When voters spoke, we said No deal!
BP was quite worried;
The Agency hurried
To make the Shah’s reign appear real.

Next we went south of the border,
Declaring Guzmán had to go.
United Fruit needed
Him out, so we heeded
Their call—Guatemala, hello.

Soon we were dreadfully busy
In Chile and elsewhere, alas.
Crushed many a rise in
The Left, sent our spies in
(With troops, on occasion, en masse).

Seventy years, and we’re finally
Confessing we made a mistake.
Americans? Snowed ’em.
Iranians? Showed ’em
That we choose who catches a break!