Everything we thought was true was not true

Everything we thought was true was not true.
Everything we thought was right was wrong.
The leaders whom we idolized were madmen,
Mass murderers, whose crimes we helped along.

We were the volunteers for genocide,
The dupes who gave out leaflets for the devil,
For whom obscene dictatorships were good
And our own democracies were evil.

We were the organizers of the poor,
The builders of unions, champions of justice,
Sacrificing self only to serve
A mortal yearning for significance.

We were blind in service to our passions.
We were deaf in service to our need.
Now we must drive the truth straight through our hearts
That we might die at peace with what we did.

Note: The author of this poem classified it under communism. I would think it also fit the rhetoric of American liberals who are heirs of the American communist movement. It was also called socialism and secularism. Jonah Goldberg traces its history to European fascism. One day this poem will describe many Americans felt realization just as it did those in the USSR.

Source: http://www.poemsforfree.com