The Final Solution: No Fair!

Joe DiMaggio (Play Ball cards, published by Bowman Gum)

Once again Donald Trump has used the word “unfair”—this time in reference to Jeff Sessions allowing himself to be appointed Attorney General if he knew he was going to recuse himself with regard to the Russia investigation ("Citing Recusal, Trump Says He Wouldn't Have Hired Sessions," NYT, 7/19/17) Was little Donnie one of the "little rascals" in the playground with the dirty, ice cream covered face who was constantly declaiming  “no fair!” You know the kind of kid, who pronounces the word “fayer” and is always claiming a victim status whether in a game of baseball where a strike is being  called against him rather than a ball (if Trump was a big kid his strikes might well have been his peers balls) or amongst siblings who seem to have been given favored nation status. One wonders if baseball, in fact, has a significant meaning in Trump’s psychohistory since a fair ball is one that is in play and basically what Trump is saying from the fielder’s perspective is that the batters have been hitting fouls—which if called fair, would be a case of “foul play.” “Fair” in this case is really like “rosebud” in Citizen Kane. Even though Trump has ascended to the height that every little boy dreams of when they're growing up i.e. becoming President of the United States, he is still crying out the magic words. But the haves are never satisfied. They always want more. That’s why some of them succeed in getting elected to high offices, even when they lack the qualifications. If you cry “no fair!" you may be lucky enough to get the referee to stop the action and even decide to declare a “fair” ball “foul.”