Ralph Schoellhammer

Yeah, I think that's true. And it's also when we talk about censorship, right, there's always the argument that people sometimes say, well, so do you think that you should be able to show pornography to small children? And you would say, of course not. But what you see increasingly, again, that's more true in Europe than in the United States, it's the censorship of jokes.

Yeah, I think that's true. And it's also when we talk about censorship, right, there's always the argument that people sometimes say, well, so do you think that you should be able to show pornography to small children? And you would say, of course not. But what you see increasingly, again, that's more true in Europe than in the United States, it's the censorship of jokes.

And that's what I meant also originally. That's the most dangerous thing. Because a government that tries to control what people find funny is the most totalitarian thing you can think about. Because laughter and a good joke is an involuntary reaction, right? Somebody tells a joke, it's really funny, you're going to start laughing even if you don't want to. And that is a kind of...

And that's what I meant also originally. That's the most dangerous thing. Because a government that tries to control what people find funny is the most totalitarian thing you can think about. Because laughter and a good joke is an involuntary reaction, right? Somebody tells a joke, it's really funny, you're going to start laughing even if you don't want to. And that is a kind of...

a very strong emotion that governments want to control this because they're afraid that people will laugh at them if you point out their idiocies. So what are they going to do? They try to prevent jokes. And by the way, I'm not kidding. In Germany, right, the former green minister now of the economy, Robert Habeck, He had 700 lawsuits against people that were telling jokes about him.

a very strong emotion that governments want to control this because they're afraid that people will laugh at them if you point out their idiocies. So what are they going to do? They try to prevent jokes. And by the way, I'm not kidding. In Germany, right, the former green minister now of the economy, Robert Habeck, He had 700 lawsuits against people that were telling jokes about him.

There was an entire division of the party dedicated just to canvass the internet if anybody said anything mildly critical or funny about him so they could drag those people into court. Now, you might say, yeah, but had these court cases any chance? But that's not the point because the process is the punishment. Like one of these guys who was dragged into court- That's exactly the point.

There was an entire division of the party dedicated just to canvass the internet if anybody said anything mildly critical or funny about him so they could drag those people into court. Now, you might say, yeah, but had these court cases any chance? But that's not the point because the process is the punishment. Like one of these guys who was dragged into court- That's exactly the point.

One of these guys had a daughter with Down syndrome. He was a single parent. This is life-changing for them. Even if after a year, the court says, you know what? Actually, you had the permission to say that. It cost them energy. It cost them friends. It gave them public exposure in a way they didn't like. And this is, again, you intimidate people away from speaking freely and telling jokes.

One of these guys had a daughter with Down syndrome. He was a single parent. This is life-changing for them. Even if after a year, the court says, you know what? Actually, you had the permission to say that. It cost them energy. It cost them friends. It gave them public exposure in a way they didn't like. And this is, again, you intimidate people away from speaking freely and telling jokes.

And that's not the kind of society in which anybody would want to live.

And that's not the kind of society in which anybody would want to live.

I mean, I think yes. I think the answer is yes. Although I would always be very careful with comparisons with Germany in the 1930s, primarily also for demographic reasons, right? The Germany and Europeans in the 1930s were so much younger than they are today. And let's put it this way.

I mean, I think yes. I think the answer is yes. Although I would always be very careful with comparisons with Germany in the 1930s, primarily also for demographic reasons, right? The Germany and Europeans in the 1930s were so much younger than they are today. And let's put it this way.

The movements in the 1930s, whether it was fascism or Bolshevism or national socialism, like very often we don't distinguish between fascism and national socialism, which I think if we actually want to be precise, we should do that because they were different in some aspects. These were self-proclaimed revolutionary movements, right?

The movements in the 1930s, whether it was fascism or Bolshevism or national socialism, like very often we don't distinguish between fascism and national socialism, which I think if we actually want to be precise, we should do that because they were different in some aspects. These were self-proclaimed revolutionary movements, right?

They looked at the world and say, we have to do things entirely different. But if you look at the so-called far right in Europe today, they are basically saying, can't we go back to the 1980s? So they're not talking about some sort of hypothetical past that never existed. They say, can't we go back to the 1970s and the 1980s?

They looked at the world and say, we have to do things entirely different. But if you look at the so-called far right in Europe today, they are basically saying, can't we go back to the 1980s? So they're not talking about some sort of hypothetical past that never existed. They say, can't we go back to the 1970s and the 1980s?

It's a little bit exaggerated, but for example, you could form a family and have a house on a single income. And I say this in all carefulness, but I think it did matter. When you went out the front door, you knew your neighbors. In schools, 60%, 70%, 80% spoke the language of the country. For example, in Vienna, we have now schools where 90% of the pupils speak Arabic.

It's a little bit exaggerated, but for example, you could form a family and have a house on a single income. And I say this in all carefulness, but I think it did matter. When you went out the front door, you knew your neighbors. In schools, 60%, 70%, 80% spoke the language of the country. For example, in Vienna, we have now schools where 90% of the pupils speak Arabic.