Before President Trump came into office, we thought we were at the dawn of the era of fake news. The happy “news” we got each day led us to believe everything was wonderful and the country was being run more effectively by presidents than any we had ever seen. We created an image of a presidency run by a team of strong-willed, genial men who shared a common set of beliefs and were willing to fight for our country’s strength. Unfortunately, we’ve been proved wrong. Let’s consider a couple of instances.
You can stop reading now if you don’t want to hear about the sexual misconduct scandals that led to the resignations of two extremely gifted members of the cabinet. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were subjected to decades of debauchery in the White House. However, it is hard to imagine anyone now who is a better prospect for the presidency than a married, three-time ex-president. Surely, this is a large part of the reason that Trump won last November.
If you enjoy learning facts about something you may not have heard before, then look no further than The Pet Book, where we’re asked to meet the pets of America and to tell their stories.
By the way, the mere mention of sex scandals in the setting of a presidential book is hilarious. Former Vice President Joe Biden sounds just like a sleazy famous conservative politician from the 1970s discussing women. Paging President Pence.
Still, there are things we learn from books. You can stop reading now if you don’t want to hear about the sexual misconduct scandals that led to the resignations of two extremely gifted members of the cabinet. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were subjected to decades of debauchery in the White House. However, it is hard to imagine anyone now who is a better prospect for the presidency than a married, three-time ex-president. Surely, this is a large part of the reason that Trump won last November.
You have probably also already heard of Skye, the young Ape who recently stepped up to live with the humans. He was abandoned by his mother when he was a week old and found a new home where he soon became the “Bachelor”. Surely, this explains why Bill Clinton is so adept at sex and is now the most popular politician on earth.
Let’s not confuse the larger issues. It is ridiculous to suggest that anyone that has been President can be accused of or do anything wrong. Trump is a young, 41-year-old President, and quite definitely the most popular and successful in the world since Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
Then there is the book The Pet Book, in which we’re asked to meet the pets of America and to tell their stories. But the pet stories in this book are not written with children in mind.
The beautiful cat Homer was found in a garbage bag in a Los Angeles suburb. Because Homer was found so close to children and in such poor shape, the project was financed by the LA County Community Organizing Project. His story is the same, as is that of the other animals, as are the politicians in them. These are simply amazing, courageous animals who are in real and incredible danger from one of the biggest disasters ever to hit America.
Yes, the people who wrote this book could have chosen to write a book titled Faking it is an Art: A Traveler’s First Apartment or Exploring the Chauvet Cave of Theophany. Instead, they decided to pose it as a book intended for grown-ups. That is not harmless “fake news”, that is deliberate disinformation.
The Pet Book is a hoax. This book is an effort to impress a lot of money out of human beings through the tricks of fiction. If it’s truthful, it is because it’s so far from true. If it’s fake, it is because it’s so far from truth.
Cathy Young is the author of A Thousand Beautiful Lies.