Despite the title, this isn’t a post about the state of the world and all that’s wrong with it. This is about something which is becoming a daily occurrence in many cities across the globe.

This is to do with the burning of effigies and the reporting of such scenes. Is there a crack team of effigy burning reporters that only come out when reports of a small group of angry individuals are seen carrying a broom wearing a cardy stuffed with grass with a small cut-out of a celebrity from Hello magazine poking out the top? No matter what event, no matter how soon after the event, there is always a reporter there bang on time to witness the protest from start to end. Not wishing to start any rumours… but you have to question the authenticity of these protests and the part reporters play.

The latest was the Shilpa Shetty/Richard Gere incident. Shortly after, we were presented with scenes of angry indian males setting fire to a Richard Gere effigy. Admittedly this was good to see, but the doll itself was a sack stuffed with paper with a crinkled half torn picture on top, I’m not expecting a level of quality and standard fit for Madame Tussauds, but a carrier bag stuffed with leaves with a black marker pen face?

In addition to this, where do protesters in countries, who are clearly not fans of the U.S find American flags? Obviously, someone sells them. But who? and why? I mean, how do you begin selling American flags in anti U.S countries? In any case, selling American flags must be hazardous, if not seasonal.