Some pictures are circulating (again): close-up of Donald Trump's hands. Bruised, swollen, marked... Accompanied by captions about his health, his blood, his fragility.
It looks like information... but it's not.
Welcome to the 21st, where political men are now reduced to their flesh, veins, and biological weaknesses.
It is voyeurism (not journalism!) with a strategic purpose.
I'll explain why.
In communication, hands are loaded with meaning: they shake, they sign, they hold (power!). To show them damaged is to suggest that power itself is slipping away. It signals vulnerability.
In the collective mind, a sick leader = a weak leader, so showing these pictures frames a narrative of decline.
You see, showing a close up like the above picture obviously speaks louder than any medical report. It imprints itself on the mind without ever needing to be stated, it therefore undermines legitimacy!
This is subtle, but a very symbolically violent way of playing with the perception of his vitality, his power, and legitimacy. And that's typical of the Grey Zone:
Not lies, not propaganda, but subtle insinuations that corrode trust and authority.
It is obscene because it bypasses reason!
And it is dangerous, because it teaches us that the human body is a fair game in politics.
Trapped at his own game?
Trump leaned heavily on physical vitality as a contrast to his predecessor.