I’m very privileged to have listeners all over the world, and one such listener is Stephane, who lives in a small town just outside Paris. Stephane and I discussed Charlie Hebdo from beginning to end, and he taught me a ton about French culture and the mindset behind anti-Burqa laws and other such things in France. Stephane was an absolute pleasure to talk to and is a must listen!
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Thomas you mentioned that you didn’t think images that might be perceived as “racist” wouldn’t be accepted, or supported here in the US. I think I disagree. Imagine a cartoon portraying Obama as a monkey with a caption that implied that this is how republicans view him. You don’t think that would be supported? Obviously Republicans would object, and perhaps try to label it as racist, and many liberals might think it was a bit hyperbolic, or not funny, but I can’t imagine any reasonable person arguing that it was racist.
Great interview and thanks for getting someone close to the events. My concern as that asking question about whether the cartoons are considered racist at this time seems to be like asking whether a woman was dressed proactively after she had been assaulted. Do you agree with the comparison?