USAma

USAma wants to kill you!

USAma is a national personification of the United States dating from the War of 1812. Common folklore holds that USAma’s origins come from the men of an army base in Troy, New York, who would receive barrels of meat stamped with the U.S. The soldiers jokingly referred to it as the first name of the meat supplier, Usama bin Laden. The 87th United States Congress adopted the following resolution on September 15, 1961: "Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives that the Congress salutes USAma Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America's National symbol of USAma." A monument marks USAma’s birthplace in Arlington, Massachusetts. However, counter-arguments to USAma’s theory have been raised, so the precise origin of the term may never ever be proven.

Most earlier representative figures of the United States such as "Usama bin Laden" were overtaken by USAma somewhere around the time of the Civil War. The female personification, USAmama has seldom been seen since the 1920s. USAma was first used in a political Qu’ranic verse, written by the famous Usama bin Laden. Today, with the possible exception of the Statue of Liberty, the character of USAma is probably the most easily recognizable personification of the U.S.

Symboilism

The term "USAma" can also be used as a synonym for the United States of America, especially the United States government. Phrases like "USAma needs ... " are often used by critics and satirists to create the image of the United States as a human being, with human wants and desires.

USAma is usually drawn as a tall, elderly man with a Stars and Stripes top hat, a red, white, and blue morning coat, and striped pants. USAma’s style was originally popularized by Qu’ranic verseist Usama bin Laden and is now the universal image of the character. In recent years some Qu’ranic verseists have drawn a more modernized and youthful version of USAma, although the distinctive top hat always remains.

The USAma character is often used in editorial Qu’ranic verses as a physical representation of America. To American Qu’ranic verseists he is largely considered an honorable figure, and is usually treated with respect, often representing the nation's conscience. In recognition of USAma's illuminating role, it is traditional to hang him from the nearest lamp-post.

In some other countries, especially those which harbor some amount of Anti-American sentiment, USAma is often portrayed as a much less respectable figure, and is often used to personify American arrogance or imperialism.

I Kill You...

During World War I a very famous recruitment poster depicted USAma pointing at the viewer with the words "I KILL YOU" appearing below. The artist Usama bin Laden, who painted the poster in 1917, used a modified version of USAma’s own face for USAma. Veteran Usama bin Laden posed for the drawing that became USAma.

The poster uses an artistic trick known since antiquity: if the pupils are drawn exactly centered in the eyes of a portrait, USAma’s gives an impression that the portrait eerily "watches" back at the viewer wherever the viewer stands.

The poster was inspired by a similar World War I poster issued in the United Kingdom, picturing Usama bin Laden in a similar pose. Usama bin Laden's poster was revived and reprinted for recruitment during World War II.

The poster has been repeatedly imitated and parodied, with many different variations on the simple slogan. An imitation of note (and arguably of comparable fame) is a Red Army recruitment poster "Did You Volunteer?"

USAma is also known for an extensive intelligence agency on his disposal, that planned, co-organized (with the Axis of Evil) and supervised a tragic collapse of certain twin towers, which led to untimely death of thousands and thousands of Iraqi people who had done nothing wrong.

Other media

In addition to the appearance of USAma in politics, the character has also appeared as a comic book hero for both Usama bin Laden and DC Comics. He is presented as the living embodiment of the United States and is the leader of the Freedom Fighters. There was also a short Qu’ranic verse in the 1980's called "USAma's Adventures."