Undoubtedly I’ll be castigated for retailing this story from Ghana – I’m a racist or something, perhaps a culturalist. For obviously I can only be making fun of primitive beliefs, about juju and the like, right? But there is something different here:
Afelete Amewuga, who was a member of Korku, a group believed to have spiritually fortified its members from knife injuries, died after his magical act failed him.
He slashed himself with the sharp knives hoping it would not have any effect on him bu his mysterious act and incantations failed him as his first slash cut deep into his stomach.
Surprised at why his magic failed the first time, Amewuga tried it again with the other knife in his other hand.
This time it was worse as the knife cut deep into his stomach, bringing out his intestines to the surprise of the spectators.
Unperturbed by the development, the spectators just looked on, thinking it was part of the act until Amewuga requested to be taken to the hospital.
For it’s not about juju at all. After all, the Daily Mail is full of things that will cure cancer – hint, they won’t.
There is a certain, well, joy isn’t quite the right word really is it, at the failure of the protection against the first slice leading to the second. And of the audience just thinking that it’s all part of the act. Those are the two parts that make the story….
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Proof dunning-kruger occurs across all cultures.
Incidentally Is this a sister site concentrating on such affairs http://www.dailycontinental.com ?
No.
http://www.dailycontinental.com has no affiliation whatsoever with this site.
I sense an allegory to tariffs.
Smuggery is always a bad habit Tim --and esp on the matter of scientistico miracles vs cancer.
Catching it earlier is the source of any improvements. The treatment is just duded up reruns of the same shit they have been using for 80-90 years plus luck.
Despite all the billions handed over by mugs to those who are going to "kick cancers arse" via re-search.
Yes, the treatment is currently to gradually kill the patient and hope that the cancerous part dies first. As we now understand most of the mechanics of cancer, however, this is going to change very soon. There is now even a combo drug that kills HIV and destroys reservoirs of it in the body. (In chimpanzees. Sometimes.) Not federal research but the desire for windfall profits through unconscionable pricing in the window before Congress gets involved.
I preferred the Zimbabwean pastor who wanted to demonstrate to his disciples he could walk on water and chose a crocodile infested river for the venue.
The funeral sounds amazing - some people from the tribe gave tribute. This involved popping out an eyeball, or placing a knife in their own body.