Tag Archives: Catch 22

Trump’s Catch-22 Doctoring of Maps

By Robin Bates | Published: September 4, 2019

Thursday In case you haven’t heard the story, apparently someone in the Trump administration doctored a hurricane map to cover for the president’s fabricated assertion that Dorian posed a threat to Alabama. The incident reminded Politico’s Jeff Greenfield of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. The doctoring involved using a sharpie to extend the hurricane track (see picture […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Donald Trump, Hurricane Dorian, Joseph Heller | Comments closed

Dead or Alive? Bureaucracy Decides

By Robin Bates | Published: March 22, 2018

A Romanian man, presumed dead and unable to convince the authorities otherwise, recalls Doc Daneeka in “Catch 22.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged bureaucracy, death and dying, Joseph Heller | Comments closed

Trump, 4 Dead Soldiers, & Col. Cathcart

By Robin Bates | Published: October 18, 2017

Trump handled the death of the four Green Berets who died in Niger like Col. Cathcart in “Catch-22” would have. A better model would be Ned Stark in “Game of Thrones.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Barack Obama, commander in chief, death and dying, Game of Thrones, George Martin, George W. Bush, Green Berets, Joseph Heller, military deaths | Comments closed

GOP Releases Catch-22 on Gun Control

By Robin Bates | Published: October 16, 2017

To avoid doing anything about the bump stock that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock used, the GOP has invoked Catch-22.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged bump-stocks, gun control, Joseph Heller, NRA, Paul Ryan | Comments closed

Great Pro-War Literature Doesn’t Exist

By Robin Bates | Published: June 22, 2017

In which I argue that great pro-war literature doesn’t exist, including “The iliad” and “War and Peace.” (Both works are magnificent; I just don’t see them as pro-war.)