"In his novel The Autumn of the Patriarch, which is eerily evocative of our current political plight, Gabriel Garcia Marquez described how a Latin American autocrat "discovered in the course of his uncountable years that a lie is more comfortable than doubt, more useful than love, more lasting than truth, [and] became convinced...that the only livable life was one of show.""
"In amassing unchecked power spiced with unimaginable cruelty, that fictional dictator extinguished any flicker of opposition in his imaginary Caribbean country, reducing its elite to a craven set of courtiers. Even though he butchered opponents, plundered the treasury, raped the young, and reduced his nation to penury, "lettered politicians and dauntless adulators... proclaimed him the corrector of earthquakes, eclipses, leap years and other errors of God.""
"Billionaire Bill Gates praised the president's "incredible leadership," while Apple CEO Tim Cook said it was "incredible to be among... you and the first lady" before thanking him "for helping American companies around the world." Other executives there celebrated him for having "unleashed American innovation and creativity... making it possible for America to win" again and making this "the most exciting time in America, ever.""
A fictional Latin American autocrat preferred lies and spectacle over truth and love, consolidating unchecked power and extinguishing opposition while cultivating slavish courtiers. The dictator committed atrocities, plundered the treasury, and degraded the nation, yet educated politicians and adulators proclaimed him a cosmic corrector. A grotesque banquet featured the served cadaver of a displeasing minister, forcing courtiers to consume their slice. A recent White House luncheon for top tech executives mirrored that sycophancy, with leaders like Bill Gates and Tim Cook offering effusive praise and crediting the president with unleashing innovation and helping American companies globally.
Read at The Nation
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