Quote of the Week

Much of what was unforgivable to the powers-that-be during the Velvet Revolution was the revolution’s sense of humor: the tone was one of mocking levity, not seething rage. And nobody likes to be laughed at. (Autocratic governments would prefer violent resistance, because these actions validate their power. But to be laughed at and mocked calls into question your ability to control the populace.)
--Sheila O'Malley, "Happy birthday, Václav Havel", The Sheila Variations, October 5, 2019