The title of this entry has a three-fold purpose: 1) to make fun of Arab-speakers who can't say "P", 2) to call attention to the international "pig flu" epidemic and 3) also make fun of this South Asian kid who I went to university with who turned red when I caught him chatting on AOL under the screen name "Pig Benis". Ha ha, dumbass. (Okay, that South Asian kid WASN'T me, though I DID think it was a great pseudonym.)
So, really, I just wanted to talk about #2. And not a lot really, because I haven't had time to research anything or do much reading for that matter, as I am up to my nose in Arabic children's book ("Sindibad, Sindibad!"). Egypt is trying to slaughter all these poor piggies that hang out in the Cairo landfills under the excuse that they might infect humans. Of course, if they had any brains, they would know that apparently the so-called "Mexican swine flue" doesn't mean that pigs necessarily transmit the disease. (I'm also waiting for one day a bad disease or scourge to be called "American" or "European"). But the Egyptian authorities are slaughtering all these animals that mainly belong to Christian Copts (because Muslims don't like pigs. They HATE it when I talk about delicious Spanish jamón serrano).
Well, the people are rioting in Cairo (yeah for riots!) because they aren't being paid enough for their animals being killed. And I don't think they are killing the animals because they belong to a religious minority, such as the Copts. I am trying to invoke the spirit of Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine here... Egypt is saying that allowing the pigs to hang out in the landfills is a problem and they need to be put in better, more modern farms. Sound like Sri Lanka's post-tsunami land grab? Or all those other I-did-it-for-such-and-such-reason-but-I-really-want-this type scenarios?
Hmm, I guess we will have to stay tuned. Maybe somewhere in Cairo, some rich Copt has the plan to monopolize pig farming and is already building some industrial pig farm. Which, by the way (and I refer to industrialization of animal farming), is possibly a reason that this outbreak started in the first place (talking NAFTA v. Mexican small farmers).
Ok, what a tangent. Need to get back to my books. Lots of love, PB.
"Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka has good beoble, I give you good brice!" hahaha this is an excellent post. You signed off as PB, so I'm assuming you must be that South Asian kid. Weirdo. Yeah, I'm also wondering when there will be an American West Mississippi Virus or Canadian flu. Strange that diseases just happen to originate from places where brown people live. How then did the Native Americans die on the American continent? I believe the Europeans brought GERMS...oooh, what a concept... Bro, this one is sooo worth publishing! Loved it. Miss you tons.
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