"That being said, I want to be clear. The victims of this Administration are not the comedians. We are a visible manifestation of certain things, but the victims are the victims-they're the people who are struggling to have any voice and are being forcibly removed from streets by hooded agents. Those are the victims of this Administration. I'm not sure Hitler cared about satirists, but I think this guy does. I don't think he likes being made fun of."
"I will say, when seven million people show up in America on a weekend for anything-I mean, honestly, anything-you know something's going on. And they are attempting to graft, I think, an alien culture onto this country. We're not Russia and its history of autocracy or dictatorship. This is an alien culture to us and it is uncomfortable, and that discomfort may be our saving grace. I don't think we're going to wear that well."
Comedians serve as visible manifestations while the real victims are people losing voice and being forcibly removed from streets by hooded agents. Satire can provoke authoritarian responses because leaders who dislike ridicule may try to silence critics. Historical precedents show removing satirical programs can precede wider censorship of uncensored news. Large public mobilizations indicate deep public dissatisfaction and resistance to cultural changes seen as alien to national values. Attempts to graft such an alien culture create discomfort that can fuel opposition. Suppression of information raises risks of soft autocracy but can also create opportunities for alternative media and moral leadership.
Read at The New Yorker
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]