In A Minecraft Movie, five characters, including a fat American played by Jack Black, stumble through a disused mine in Idaho into a fantastical land where mining, construction, and manufacturing are fabulously easy. Simple, docile villagers subsist on vegetables, and there’s a bit of a nocturnal crime problem. But you can throw together a castle for yourself—not to mention giant steel nunchucks—in seconds. It is awesome. (I owe these insights entirely to my 7-year-old son Campbell.)
The only problem is that underneath this idyllic Overworld is the Nether—a hideous, totalitarian regime where mining is obviously a lot less fun. Unfortunately, there is no tariff barrier keeping the denizens of the Nether from invading the Overworld and attempting to plunge it into eternal darkness.
You may think it is a stretch to say that this is a near-perfect allegory for the second Trump administration. But bear with me. Because what you think is happening is not what is happening.