The newcomers came with their weapons and their wealth. They put up signs on our poor assortment of farms and villages: “This land is our property now.” And on our larger dwellings, then the smaller ones and even the hovels: “These homes are our property now.” Our President appeared on his balcony to reassure us. “It is good.” he said. “The newcomers will invest in this land, teach us trade, make us prosperous.” But then a sign miraculously appeared above him: “Your President is our property now,” it read.
What do they want with all this “property”? We never had “property” before, just places where we lived and worked. But we must trust these newcomers; it must be good for us to be property.
[– after Jean Baudrillard]
Memorable Fancies 
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