Mencius

A lecturer, in his naivety
Gracefully defended the decadence
Of America.
Contrasted against Mencius,
Our system did not hold up.

I come from a more ancient boundary.
America was free, but was bridled by
Religion's yoke, which kept her safe.
Without it, America has become dangerous.

Seeing the man speak in naïve words
Making America great because of its greed
It's disregard for parental authority,
Its disregard for all things good.
This is not the tradition handed down
By my fathers, but yet was broken
In the sixties, when the beginning
Of generational curses set in.
And four generations later
We have the generation which
Oppresses the poor and does violence.

Mencius was right---
As that was the Judges of Israel
Who having the Law of Jah
Followed it, and God ruled.
In China, the hierarchy
Of parental bonds and honor
Ruled. Righteousness, Propriety, Benevolence and Wisdom.

The Chinese did not listen to either Mencius
Or Confucius, until many moons later
When the countries were prosperous.
There are poor even in the United States---
We can see them on the street corners.
It is a universal problem of all mankind,
However, you can judge the civilization
By the affluence and number of their middle classes.
And China, under rule of Confucius,
Had a sizable middle class compared
To other ancient worlds.

What I see is good, 
Is the filial respect 
And the honoring of the commandment,
"Honor thy father and mother."
And also to honor the ruler.
Americans love to rebel against presidents.
We love to cast them at low approval ratings
While our affluence is greater than 
Even the best ancient kingdom.

Yet, it was not our libertine attitude
Which garnered the wealth,
But the work of a generation
Who honored their family traditions
Back to the nation's founding.
And like all nations,
There is a generation which rebels,
And then brings on its downfall.