Revolutionary Air

October 2, 2012 Topic: Society Region: China Blog Brand: The Buzz

Revolutionary Air

“What will they do next, bottle air and sell it?”

This incredulous expression once might have been fanciful, but thanks to new efforts by Chinese philanthropist Chen Guangbiao, air is actually being canned and sold. Liz Carter over at The Atlantic reports that the profits from Chen’s canned air are being donated to the Chinese military in their efforts to defend the disputed Diaoyu Islands.

There is only one thing to conclude. The Chinese really want those islands.

According to the Global Times, “The air is collected from revolutionary regions, including Jinggang Mountain in Jiangxi Province, some ethnic minority areas and Taiwan, and sells for four to five yuan each.”

So this isn’t just any air, it’s “revolutionary” air. We should have known. What is one to do with revolutionary air? "One only has to open the can, directly 'drink' it or put the nose close to the can to breath[e] deeply," said Chen. Naturally, the first round of revolutionary canned air sold out in just a few days with day-one revenue just shy of $800.

“Brother Biao” as his fans know him is either a genius or a madman. Both are possible. Either way, one thing’s clear: we may be in the wrong business.