A tweet by Bette Midler draws on Joseph Heller to expose the essence of Donald Trump.

Turning Slander into Truth

In the world of the Trumpian White House , where the hitherto absurd is the daily reality we see an example of life imitating art : ‘It was no trick at all … to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth ‘ wrote Heller – not about Trump ……………but he could be referring to a performance by the President from a podium within the White House ., or a speech on the campaign trail ; cue cries of ‘Crooked Hillary – Lock Her Up’

Fake Hair , Fake Tan… ..Fake News

There is a rich irony that the President who attacks the ‘Main Stream Media’ with regularity and ferocity for ‘Fake News’ should embody so little , literally, that is genuine from the fake tan , to the fake hair .

Authentically Fake

There is a paradox to be reflected upon as to how in age where there is an increasing appetite for politicians who are ‘authentic’ – who are in their words and actions as they appear eg Jeremy Corbyn and Jacob Rees Mogg – how Mr Trump holds sway .

It is as if the fakery and lies have have already been factored in – his fakeness is totally authentic .

It Was No Trick At All

” It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into  virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honour, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.”

Joseph Heller , Catch-22