Setting Yourself On Fire For a Worthy Cause: Why Not?

The symbolism is practically poetic. You can feel it like a story, the news spreads (like, hah, wildfire), they whisper - did you hear? Is it true? Did you know him? Oh my god.

He set himself on fire.

I hardly think, though, that poetry was his primary aim in doing so. And yet - as a political statement, what does it provide, except an extremely powerful symbol? Symbolism needs somewhere to go. A symbol can set fire (once again the appropriate metaphor) to the people, can wake them up, which was Malachi's intention, but people go back to sleep so easily. We tune out, it's how we survive. An alarming symbol, therefore, needs to be timed precisely enough to wake the people when they are needed, when there is a clear action for them to take. Inciting revolution - that's worth setting yourself on fire for, if you happen to believe in revolution.

You can't make symbolism at random. It's such a waste. He sounded like an intelligent sort of person, from his website - there was so much more he could have done. I won't dispute anyone's right to take extreme measures for something they believe in, but the pragmatist in me winces at the waste. Still, it remains to be seen - will anything happen? All those Americans he wakes from the stupor we tend to call life - what will they do? I suppose I'm cynical when I think it won't be much. Still, I hope something happens. It's sad to think he did it for nothing.