As I sat down last evening to begin writing today’s blog post, my mind was on the most recent brainstorm to issue from the Oval Office: the nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia.

And out of the blue, I thought of a song written by the late Harvard-educated math professor / satirist / songwriter / performer, Tom Lehrer, who became famous in the 1950s and ‘60s for his totally irreverent, sometimes dark, often political, and always hilarious musical observations on life.

The song that came to my mind yesterday was titled “Who’s Next?” and dealt with nuclear proliferation. Remember that those were the early years of the Cold War. Yet it seemed particularly relevant for today, some 60 years later, so of course I Googled the lyrics; and in doing so, I also found that yesterday was the one-year anniversary of Lehrer’s passing. So I decided to include a tribute to him in this article.

Lehrer made it to age 97. I don’t know how lucid he was in his last years, but I’m reasonably certain he would not have been happy with the present state of U.S. politics. I can only imagine what scathing lyrics he would have churned out about the members of the current administration if he were still writing today.

For those of you who are too young to have been the beneficiaries of his genius, here are the lyrics to “Who’s Next?” (It’s better with the music, of course, so you might want to check it out on YouTube.)

First we got the bomb and that was good,
’Cause we love peace and motherhood.
Then Russia got the bomb, but that’s O.K.,
’Cause the balance of power’s maintained that way!
Who’s next?

France got the bomb, but don’t you grieve,
’Cause they’re on our side (I believe).
China got the bomb, but have no fears,
They can’t wipe us out for at least five years!
Who’s next?

Then Indonesia claimed that they
Were gonna get one any day.
South Africa wants two, that’s right:
One for the black and one for the white!
Who’s next?

Egypt’s gonna get one, too,
Just to use on you know who.
So Israel’s getting tense,
Wants one in self defense.
”The Lord’s our shepherd,” says the psalm,
But just in case, we better get a bomb!
Who’s next?

Luxembourg is next to go
And, who knows, maybe Monaco.
We’ll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb!
Who’s next, who’s next, who’s next?
Who’s next?

Lehrer was of course being sardonic in suggesting that Luxembourg and Monaco might enter the nuclear arms race; but he made his point. And given a choice between those two tiny, peaceable sovereign nations or Saudi Arabia having the capability of destroying the world, well . . .

*. *. *

But back to the subject of the U.S.-Saudi agreement, my thoughts are straightforward. As I see it, it is yet another instance of Donald Trump siding with the world’s most treacherous, authoritarian leaders for the sole purpose of gaining personal benefit, and to hell with the risk. While blithely destroying relations with our proven long-term allies, he panders to the worst of the worst — the “strong men” whom he so much admires and strives to emulate — trusting that their promises actually mean something despite historic proof to the contrary.

He ignores the fact that he started a war against Iran — which had not threatened the U.S., and had indeed honored the previous agreement reached with the Obama administration — for the alleged purpose of denying that country nuclear capability.

And he forgets about 9/11, when 19 hijackers — 15 of whom were Saudi nationals — attacked New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, killing some 3,000 innocent civilians, for no reason other than to inflict terror on America. And they did it without nuclear or other conventional weapons; they simply used four of our own commercial aircraft.

But none of that matters, as long as the Trump family is able to maintain their real estate, licensing, and private equity transactions with their Saudi friends — opportunities that Iran cannot offer. So what seems at first face to be a contradiction is really quite simple: It’s all about the money. And the rest of us be damned.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/27/26