Current Events > Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy description of the president of the universe

(+) Yeah! (+)

The President is very much a figurehead - he wields no real power whatsoever. He is apparently chosen by the government, but the qualities he is required to display are not those of leadership but those of finely judged outrage. For this reason the President is always a controversial choice, always an infuriating but fascinating character. His job is not to wield power but to draw attention away from it.

An orange sash is what the President of the Galaxy traditionally wears.

On those criteria Zaphod Beeblebrox is one of the most successful Presidents the Galaxy has ever had. He spent two of his ten Presidential years in prison for fraud. Very very few people realize that the President and the Government have virtually no power at all, and of these very few people only six know whence ultimate political power is wielded. Most of the others secretly believe that the ultimate decision-making process is handled by a computer. They couldn't be more wrong.

Wow,' said Zaphod Beeblebrox to the Heart of Gold. [spaceship he was here to ceremoniously unveil] There wasn't much else he could say.

He said it again because he knew it would annoy the press. 'Wow.'

The crowd turned their faces back toward him expectantly. He winked at Trillian, who raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes at him. She knew what he was about to say and thought him a terrible show-off.

'That is really amazing.' he said. 'That really is truly amazing. That is so amazingly amazing I think I'd like to steal it.'

A marvelous presidential quote, absolutely true to form. The crowd laughed appreciativley, the newsman gleefully punched buttons on their Sub-Etha News-Matics and the President grinned.

The major problemone of the major problems, for there are severalone of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

is there still a series being developed for hulu?

I don't know, but i would certainly watch it. The old BBC miniseries is rather good despite it's limited budget though.

The entire original BBC radio series is available on the Internet Archive.

It's never going to be bettered.

ai123 posted...

The entire original BBC radio series is available on the Internet Archive.

It's never going to be bettered.

Nice

That said I prefer the novel to the radio version.

Mibahlzitch posted...

'That is really amazing.' he said. 'That really is truly amazing. That is so amazingly amazing I think I'd like to steal it.'

Fuck, he even talks like Trump