"A New Play"

Cast of characters:

Iraqi #1

Iraqi #2

Act #1, Scene #1

Location: Somewhere in Iraq, sometime during any day

#1 what do you think about the American soldiers?

#2 they're not so bad, but it is time for them to leave.

#1 so what do you think they have in mind for our country?

#2 they probably want to stay here for 100 years and control our oil.

#1 you mean that they will never leave?

#2 I don't see why they would.

#1 Do you think they have any other reason for staying?

#2 perhaps they want to keep our oil for themselves, as well as to deny it to the Chinese.

#1 what do you think we should do about it?

#2 why don't we chase them out of our country by killing as many of them as possible?

#1 not a bad idea, but if we do that their president will get angry and announce that they intend to stay here until they achieve victory, even if it takes 100 years.

#2 let me see if I have this straight. If we don't fight them they will stay for 100 years? And if we do fight them they will stay for 100 years?

#1 it appears to be that way.

#2 so tell me please, when did American soldiers leave Germany?

#1 it has been 60 years since the end of the war and they are still there.

#2 OK, so when did American soldiers leave Japan?

#1 it has been 60 years since the end of the war and they are still there.

#2 OK, so when did American soldiers leave Korea?

#1 it has only been over 50 years since the end of the war and their soldiers are still there.

#2 so when did American soldiers leave Vietnam?

#1 all of them left after almost 60,000 died and they were defeated!

THE END

Norman Horowitz

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