It was George Orwell who pointed out, in an analysis
of the goose-step, that it could only flourish in countries where people
were afraid enough not to laugh at its silliness. Indeed, it’s very
absurdity was a demonstration of power: ‘Yes, I am ugly, and you daren’t laugh at me.’One could put into the same bracket Caligula’s naming of his horse as
senator, Colonel Gaddafi’s dress sense, or Manchester University
Students’ Union’s recent decision to ban clapping.
Power expresses itself when it not only gets away with foolishness but
also makes you behave foolishly – nodding along with its asinine
choices.
Why we need some Python spirit
Published
CultML 