A small epiphany today: Trump himself is the shiny object that distracts us, while his handlers...

[Fritz Walter]

9. Douglas Adams called this some 35+ years ago

Recently, csziggy posted a reference to the BBC TV series "Dr. Who," quoting a line or two from that show's script that was prophetic about "Alternative Facts": http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028528315

At about the same time, Douglas Adams -- a former script-writer for Dr. Who -- was creating his own BBC Radio 4 series, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

Here's what he wrote in the late 1970s:

The Major problem -- one of the major problems, for there are several -- one of the many major problems with governing people is that of who you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: It is a well-known and much lamented fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: - people are a problem.

And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that the never notice that they're not. And somewhere in the shadows behind them - who? Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to can be allowed to?

In retrospect, I believe Barack Obama was an exception to the Douglas Adams rule, however we now have the full embodiment of what he foresaw!