Monday, January 13, 2003
Vampires In Africa
President Bakili Muluzi of Malawi stated today that "No government can go about sucking blood of its own people - that's thuggery."
What prompted such a bizarre statement? It appears that his countryman are living in fear, following a rumour that his government was colluding with international aid agencies to supply them with human blood in exchange for food aid. This rumor has sparked riots and vigilante mobs that have stoned strangers and political officials.
It's a mob mentality that recalls the Monkey Man panic in India. At first stories like this seem bizarre, but on closer relection reveal truths in our society as well. Isn't this the same type of mania we put behind possible terrorist threats today? Or the hysteria that accompanied the Salem Witch trials and other times when people faced uncertainty and fear of the unknown? Civilization sometimes appears to be a rather thin veneer, with our base fears and reactions just waiting the tarnish the surface.
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