Reality sponsored by The Onion
 

Am I the only one who now feels like he is living in a universe depicted by The Onion, now that Donald Trump is the Republican frontrunner in the tarnished country of my birth? The Hindutva Fascists over here are nuts, but The Donald seems to be trolling the human race.

Be assured, you are not alone. The idea that Trump is just a bad dream that will go away is easily trumped by Berlusconi.

Oh come, Andrew. Silvio was lots of fun. And he got up the nose of the Great Frau, surely one in his favour. Who is Italy's present Prime Minister? Does anyone know? Or care?

I mentioned this to a friend of mine who said "I agree, and we in India unfortunately don't have a proper version of the onion. Even our satirists are partisan hacks."

Also before reading this article I didn't realize how short Vladimir Putin was. Somehow this does nothing to make him any less terrifying.

As long as John Whitworth is amused, who cares if the whole world goes to hell.

Nemo

Oh come, Nemo. What has Silvio ever done to you. And is Italy better off now? Or was Italy better off before? But you are an American and I don't suppose you know.

The tragedy of Europe is not Silvio Berlusconi. It is the euro. And the euro is the EU. And the EU is the German hegemony.

I know what AZ means. From here it feels like living in a topical sketch show, where people come up with tabloid-based one-liners and everybody goes hoo-hoo-hoo and points are scored on some diabolical clapometer.

Will it ever get real again? I hope so, because this cynical, money-driven mess is hardly worth breathing for.

When a movement or worldview becomes impossible to parody in a way that would be at all distinguishable from the genuine article, this is a sure sign that it itself has also become as absurd as even the most riotous parody, and the time for scornful mockery is at hand. The only thing more laughable than somebody who literally could not be more ridiculous if they tried, is somebody else trying to take them seriously.