6 March 2013 -
These small plastics bags of cold water are sold
everywhere on the streets of the cities in the Congo. The water is clean and costs about eleven cents. For most people in Kinshasa, this is the only
drinking water they have access to. Different
companies produce these water bags, and you see young men everywhere carrying a
large bag of them on their heads. It is
probably a good way to stay cool in the tropical sun. This particular company is clever in its
marketing; President Obama’s face is quite popular here in the Congo. It appears on backpacks and tee-shirts
everywhere. The President’s policies are
no better explained here than they are in the U.S., however. A Congolese’s muddied view of what President
Obama actually does is understandable, given the limited education of most of
the people on the streets of Kinshasa.
Detroit or Chicago is another story, I am sure. All that said, you now have a drink of cold
water coming from the Maison Blanche—White House—with Obama’s name and picture
on it. Try as I might, I cannot come up
with a clever remark comparing this product to anything praising or criticizing
the President. For me, that is something
I find pretty hard to swallow.
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