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Philip K. Dick’s “Oh, to Be a Blobel!” is as flexible in the way it lends itself to multiple interpretations as its main character, George Munster, is when he changes from his human form. For now, I prefer to look at it as a piece that applies to our current political situation.
Munster volunteered to become a spy during the Terran-Blobel war. He underwent a process that allowed him to change his form from that of a Terran to a Blobel. The shapeshifting was only to last a while, but to Munster’s initial dismay, it continues to the time the story takes place, and he has no control over it. It’s an inconvenience, but it also has its advantages — for example, when the change occurs as fights are about to break out. Munster has learned to adapt, but he’d like to put an end to the terrible transformations. That is, until he concludes that it would make business sense to become a full-time Blobel and undergoes the procedure to stay transformed permanently.
In the same way, our politicians shift their positions, and sometimes their parties, based on changing circumstances. There are numerous examples from the last five years alone. During the 2016 election, the entire Republican field came out against the man who ended up winning the primaries and later the presidency. While they were still in the running, they warned against the dangers that might result from a Trump administration. When…
