The world is coming apart. In the socialist paradise of Venezuela the stores are out of soap and the gas stations out of gas. In France, Muslim killers set Paris aflame, and in Africa Muslim killers burned Christian villages and killed over two thousand men, women and children. The world is in crisis and Obama says not a word, so intent is he on handing out a free community college education to everyone. Karl Marx famously said that history is in two acts, the first as tragedy and the second as farce. Marx was wrong. There are not two acts, but only one, and it is neither tragedy nor farce, but light musical comedy, at least when viewed from afar or viewed as ancient history. For those sitting in the seats, watching the dancers and humming along with the show stopping tunes, it has nothing to do with them, though there is a dim awareness that something is happening on stage.

When viewed through the proscenium arch
Events seem far away
The stores are out of soap and starch
And Muslims spend the day
In killing Christian villagers
Whose names we’ll never know
Because we see the pillagers
As just part of the show
The band slams out a bouncy tune
The dancers laugh and whirl
Before a painted paper moon
As outside storm clouds swirl
The audience seems unaware
The lights begin to dim
Part of the show, there’s not to care
But why’s the play now grim?
The audience begins to stir
The band has stopped mid-song
This sort of thing should not occur
Perhaps there’s something wrong
The theater begins to shake
As the fierce tempest roars
The audience in panic make
For the locked exit doors