Friday, July 30, 2010

It's July 30th. Do You Know This Man?


Probably not. You may see just a standard Government Issue serviceman from the Big One. But if you lived in Vanuatu and you were to see this photo, you might experience a feeling of deep calm and spiritual wellness because this man could possibly be John Frum - your most high God and Saviour.

For some odd reason that slipped through the cracks of real reason, natives of Vanuatu became obsessed with the messianic arrival of the mythical figure of John Frum, who they believed would bring all the wonderful riches of the West. They were a "cargo cult" and built fake airstrips all over the island to tempt him and make sure that he had a place to arrive with his airplane full of blessings.

Today would be the day you would awake with the most resentment towards your country because today is Independence Day for Vanuatu and independence strips John Frum Day of all its fun and cultivates a kind of embarrassment towards looking to the sky for a gigantic flying hand-out.


If you're feeling a bit Messianic and want to visit Vanuatu to indulge those feelings, I recommend you visit American WWII Rations.

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