Later in the show, we discuss this essay in praise of the conventional office life, but first, Colin writes:
In one of the most quoted pieces following the Charlie Hebdo attack, Jonathan Chait, writing in New York Magazine, said, "The right to blaspheme religion is one of the most elemental exercises of political liberalism. One cannot defend the right without defending the practice."
Why am I not in total agreement with that? I'm not 100% sure.
But the more I read and think about the story, elements of which are still playing out on the streets of Paris as I write, the less sure I am about the limitlessness of satire. The freedom to make fun of anything seems like an essential part of the diet of any democracy. But the crudeness and the bluntness of much of Charlie Hebdo's output seems to have hurt rather than helped France's problematic relationship to its own immigrants.
What do you think? Comment below, email Colin@wnpr.org, or tweet @wnprcolin.
GUESTS:
- Rand Cooper is an author, essayist, and restaurant critic for the New York Times
- Jacques Lamarre is the Director of Communication & Special Projects at the Mark Twain House and Museum
- Irene Papoulis teaches in the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric at Trinity College
