A prophecy fulfilled

When the Coen brothers released their masterpiece 'Fargo' back in 1996, the people of Minnesota were rather displeased with their portrayal. Those cheeky auteurs were accused of depicting Minnesotans as being rather dull-witted, folksy and agreeably unthreatening. As a consequence, this misinterpretation of the movie's intention has led to the perpetuation of these unfortunate stereotypes.

But then we have to consider Michele Bachmann, and the nine-toed dullards who saw fit to elect her to Congress. Maybe the view of Minnesota as a kind of magnetic north for stupid, isn't so far off. Last year the grinning Evangelical waded into the election season debate by imploring the news media to instigate a new era of McCarthyism, by rooting out liberal views which she deemed as 'unAmerican'.

Next up, she responded to (now President, despite her idiotic scare-mongering) Obama's cap-and-trade proposal for greenhouse emissions, by arguing that she she wanted Minnesotans "armed and dangerous" because "we need to fight back."

Michele's latest outburst relates to the Swine Flu outbreak, which currently has every news channel excitedly firing up its graphics department in an orgy of panic-inducing hyperbole. Her quote on the subject: "I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence."

Aside from the fact that Gerald Ford was actually president at the time of the last outbreak, where's the coincidence she thinks she can see? Obama's presidency and swine flu are about as related as Michael Jackson is to his children.

That's Minnesotan logic for you. America elects an African American president and look what happens - Mexican pigs develop a chesty cough. Of course, it all makes perfect sense. Yah?