I am of the opinion that one of the best books ever written is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I dare you to change my mind. It’s the book I cannot read in public because it’s so funny that I burst into a guttural giggle – as if Heimliching a hyena. This book offers a quote for every conceivable situation, and its social commentary only deepens with each reread. But don’t just take my word for it, consider how Douglas Adams describes Zaphod Beeblebrox:
‘The President in particular is very much a figurehead – he wields no real power whatsoever. He is apparently chosen by the government, but the qualities he is required to display are not those of leadership but those of finely judged outrage. For this reason the President is always a controversial choice, always an infuriating but fascinating character. His job is not to wield power but to draw attention away from it. On those criteria Zaphod Beeblebrox is one of the most successful Presidents the Galaxy has ever had – he has already spent two of his ten presidential years in prison for fraud.’
Sound familiar? Written in 1979, Adams’ insights have never been more relevant. Today, the world seems even worse at hiding its absurdities. Political conversations in an ultra-connected environment like the UG are always grounded in logic, facts, and statistics. But what they lack is a good dose of the Douglas Adams-style absurdity that perfectly mirrors the reality of politics. Forget fire, we should fight folly with folly. If it feels like a circus, paint your face and put on some floppy shoes.
Forget fire, we should fight folly with folly. If it feels like a circus, paint your face and put on some floppy shoes
No doubt, much of politics is mere pageantry. But does that render it useless? Here at the UG, we navigate similar dynamics where the little man challenges the big guys, and figureheads make grand gestures that often mask a lack of genuine power. Who really has the final say on budget cuts or the fate of the Diversity and Inclusion Office? Even the most controversial figures can serve as symbols of larger societal issues. Meaning politics is not useless, just begging for reform.
Engaging in political dialogue shouldn’t be about winning an argument; it’s about recognizing the grey areas of the human condition. But I beg of you, take the grey and colour it with satire and wit. As Adams said: ‘I’d far rather be happy than right any day.’ After all, when the dolphins speak, you won’t want them to say:
‘For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.’
CARLA ERASMUS