Let’s Burn Hundreds Of Him, What Could Happen?
link Anti-government protests in Libya – Yahoo! News Photos.
Here’s a brilliant idea for a business and it’s amazing no one has thought of it sooner. The effigy business. In particular of political figures. Naturally, the American figures will be the most popular since it’s pretty much expected that demand for them will be at a constant high level. We can be sure of both domestic and international demand. Someone could have a warehouse stocked with effigies of the current President at the ready, for immediate shipment to any hot spot in the world. Imagine the money that could have been made during George Bush’s term in office. It’s likely that he had more effigies and images burnt of him than even Ronald Reagan when he occupied the Presidency. The fact that they are burning Obama effigies is a bit surprising given that his ascent to power was supposed to appease the masses. But I guess there’s no pleasing some people.
On the other hand, sensibilities aren’t what they used to be. A president can be burnt in effigy now at the slightest of provocations. Because of the volatile temperaments of many in the middle east, the President’s effigy could be burnt only because he backed the wrong sports team, which by coincidence, he generally does. The recent round of Obama burning was caused by Qaddafi loyalists unhappy over the U.S.’s recent bombing campaign in Libya. Well, you just can’t win. If Obama had bombed the other side, perhaps someone would have torched an entire airplane of people in real life, never mind effigies.
However, these impolite acts of disrespect shouldn’t faze this or any President. Obviously, you can’t have all the people love you. There are people who don’t like Ronald McDonald and he represents food and laughter. What chance does a guy have who drops Prius-sized bombs on people? They should take the perspective of the Chinese. In that culture, images of consumer goods are burnt at the sending off of a deceased person so that they may receive them in the afterlife. Imagine if this were to actually work. When the Muslim martyrs arrive in heaven to receive their 24 virgins, they’ll also be met by the countless amounts of American Presidents they burnt during their protests. Allah may be great, but hopefully he also has a sense of humor.