Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya

Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya

Yes, this was actually a recurring character from that 80s Transformers show. I went over my head when I was a child, but now I can clearly see the racism involved in the character of Abdul Fakkadi (King of Kings). This character showed up in two episodes in season three. And, he is a direct parody of Muammar Gaddafi. He behaves in an outrageous manner just like his real life counter part.

The nation of Carbombya (Car Bomb Ya) is a nod to Libya. And, the fact they note the country is in Africa and not the Middle East proves that it is a stand in for Libya (with the “ya” added to both states). The Decepticons used this country as a base away from their base.

Both GI Joe and Transformers had a lot of hidden right-wing jokes toward the Left.  This joke went a bit too far.  Plus, they used this country not just once but twice in the season. 

    Yes, this was shown on the show.  10000 Camels, really? 

Because of this portray of Arabs, Casey Kasem (professional voice actor) hated the character and the country. You see, Kasem has a Lebanese background. From his wiki page, ((Kasem is of Lebanese Druze heritage,[7] and he is a vegan. He has also been active in politics for years, supporting Lebanese-American and Arab-American causes and politicians. Kasem has written a brochure published by the Arab-American Institute entitled "Arab-Americans: Making a Difference."[8] ))

So, he left the show in protest.