Earlier today, after reading an interesting article in the newspaper, I came up with a brilliant new money-making idea. Selling Taliban trading cards! Can't you just see it now? In grade three classrooms across the country, kids will be saying "hey, you got osama?" "yeah, i trade him to you for three senior al-quaeda officials" "deal!" I will be rich. I did a quick search on the net to see whether the idea had been taken. Alas. I have been beaten to the punch. Topps came out with an enduring freedom set of cards months ago. There's also a lesser known company, the US Trading Card LLC or something like that. I mean......I was kidding! I can't believe that there's actually reputable companies out there producing this stuff. Perhaps I'm too naive.
Anyways, the article that sort of set my gears grinding, was one on President Bush. Evidently, Georgie keeps a scorecard of Taliban officials in his desk drawer. Whenever we knock one off, he takes his marker and draws an X through that guy's face. He claims he can't keep track without one.
Does anybody else see anything wrong with this? Have we really reduced innocent human lives to fifeen cent trading cards? This is either crass commercialism on a despicable scale, or...just incredible callousness. I don't get it. And to have the leader of your country implicitly condoning such a thing....well, it's no wonder the world hates Americans. Forgive me if I don't buy the cards.
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