Island’s cargo cult celebrates 50 years worshipping the US | International News | News | Telegraph — This is worse than the Steve Jobs-worshippers who only go back 30 years or so. Why cannot all nations be like this?
As global public opinion sours towards the United States, Americans weary of the relentless negativity can take heart from an exotic corner of the South Pacific. The US’s standing in the world may have plummeted under President George W Bush, but a bizarre cargo cult in the Vanuatu island nation holds America in god-like esteem.
The Jon Frum movement celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding yesterday with a lavish feast in which village men dressed up as US soldiers and marched in front of a giant Stars and Stripes flag on a bamboo pole.
found by Mad Dog Mike
This sounds like a really bad Disney movie.
Isn’t there enough room in the budget to get everyone on that island an iPod or something?
And probably won’t be reported in the US.
What? You want them to worship Jobs instead???
If they’re worshiping the United States’ ability to deliver massive quantities of products, why not worship in the same way the American people have for the past six years: With an iPod in their pocket.
I have no pockets in my grass skirt for an iPod. Please send pockets for our grass skirts with the iPods.
We love you long time Joe.
A bunch of half naked guys dancing around in grass skirts; maybe we could run a couple of them for Congress. And what the hell is a cargo cult anyways?
#7
It was during WWI and WWII when cargo planes dropped supplies on the pacific islands, local native tribes thought the large planes were birds sent by the gods to bring them stuff. And so these tribes built effigys (is that spelled correctly?) in the shape of the cargo planes and began to whorship them in hopes to get more stuff.
And that’s the VERY short explanation of Cargo Cult.
#8 – So you’re saying they’re no different than left-of-center inner-cities, building multimillion dollar libraries no one goes to as a tribute to the politicians they elect?
#6 – I think we can sprink for pockets… or maybe a clip-on for your grass skirt. Good call.
Isn’t it interesting how religions get started?
#9
Dunno…
#10
Don’t forget self help lessons and mediocre sci fi writers *coughscientology*
#11
I was rather reminded of a book that I read many years ago, written by a NASA engineer, J.F. Blumrich. The book was entitled ” The Spaceships of Ezekiel”. Do you notice any similarities with the above news item?
I’m sure they’re one of the countries in Bush’s Coalition of the Willing.
Cargo Cult or Cargo Pants??
I’m thinking of starting a Cargo Pants cult, where half-nekkid fat people stuff their pockets full of Fun Size(c) candy bars and bologna sammiches and dance around a campfire singing Richard Simmons fat songs.
Then it makes a little more sense,no?
And all that fat jiggling an shit – it could be very funny.
I could get into that.
Cargo PANTS cult is what these savages need.
What’s with this grass skirt crap?
Everyone knows they grabbed those phoney hula things outta those old cargo boxes from South Pacific and Mr. Roberts, right?
Washed up on those distant shores, natives clamoring, looking for spam, lucked out on those nice grass skirts for setting up native crap for media.
Pumps the tourist bidniz.
17,
Nice link.
A very interesting book by Larry Niven and Steve Barnes involved the Spruce Goose and Cargo Cultists in a technological fantasyland called Dream Park.
#14 – Thanks! That’s a great link. I’ve admired Feynman ever since I read his response to someone who asked: “But what if string theory is wrong?” He supposedly looked at the questioner as if he were crazy and replied, “Hey, it’s just a theory.” Now this. Another reason to admire the guy who used to zoom across the desert in a Cadillac convertible with two blondes and a six pack.
#17 – That’s a superior link too
Angel, I don’t know about “effigys” (might be “effigies”) but “whorship” is sho’nuff ain’t right.