Catch-22

Here in 2023, everyone knows the general meaning of a catch-22. It’s a situation where you can’t win no matter what you do. You’re trapped, you’re stuck, and there’s no other option. But in 1961, when Joseph Heller’s seminal novel Catch-22 was published, there was no phrase for what it meant to be that kind of trapped. Thankfully for us all, Doc Daneeka, the endlessly bummed medical professional of the Air Force Corps on Pianosa, breaks the catch-22 down for Captain Yossarian, an Air Force bombardier trapped in a tremendous amount of bureaucratic red tape while everyone around him succumbs to the horrors of war.

Heller’s novel goes on to describe the absurdities of war, from officers who attempt to one-up each other to the ironies of ailments that put soldiers in the hospital. As Yossarian stumbles his way through scenario after scenario, and tries to do the right thing for himself, he’s reminded over and over that even if he gets out, he’s never REALLY out. In this episode, we’re discussing capitalism, the systems novel, and the fungibility of humans. And, of course, Major Major Major Major.