In a conversation with Indian author Arundhatl Roy at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival, it was refreshing to hear Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon presenting herself as a proud bookworm and promoting the general benefits of reading.
She said: “I have a theory that if more political leaders read more literature, the world wouldn’t be in quite the state it’s in right now”. I couldn’t agree more.
Trump is obviously the most extreme example of the catastrophic effects of un-learning. It is depressing to observe how his supporters continue to lap up his incoherent torrent of hate speech and pig ignorance rather than seeing it for what it is: a blatant abuse and misuse of power.
Trump pretends to read.
Trump’s Tweets are endemic of the stream of virtual text which has now risen to Tsunami proportions. I often feel I’m drowning in the ocean of words. Above all, our accelerated culture means that we are all being slowly brainwashed into expecting quick solutions to complex questions. Arguments are simplified to the point of banality in order to grab the headlines. Prudence, tolerance, diplomacy and cautious self-reflection and are out of fashion.
The machismo of Trump, and other populist leaders that follow in his wake, is that of a self-styled action man. In the plot-lines in their heads these politicians are anti-heroes living the dream which is actually more akin to a nightmare. They act like nihilistic super villains goading the good guys into doing their worst.
All this frenetic mis-spent energy is presented by the media as the way to get things done. In a dog eat dog world, they are life’s Rottweilers.
The smokescreen of hype and mis-information all to easily makes us forget what the best writers constantly help us to remember: what we do, say and think matters. Actions always have consequences.
If only these dim-witted politicos and tin-pot dictators could be persuaded to chill out, pipe down and curl up with a good book instead. Then they may come to understand that Nicola Sturgeon was right all along. Literature can deliver us from evil.
