Thursday, January 4, 2018

Looking For The Exit



Life in these United States feels more and more like a Coen brothers film where an uninformed, self-obsessed, belligerent real estate tycoon with a mail-order bride gets himself elected President and then creates havoc both at home and abroad as he tries to implement his "vision" for America--which is where the plot turns darkly funny because politics for him is nothing other than his personal ambition "re-branded" (as we say in capitalist culture).

The Coen brothers would give this character a great name that would say it all. Something like "Donald J. Trump," for instance. Of course, I cannot think of a single politician who has a shot at being President of this country that has not conveniently conflated his or her personal ambition with a "political vision"--Hillary Clinton is a prime example--and this would make the Coens' film not only timely but potentially timeless.

The latest Gallup poll reveals that 4 out of 10 Americans surveyed approve of the antics of this fictional character. They are living the dream. I, on the other hand, am looking for the exit.

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