existential threat, or, like, not (2/2)
“an existential threat” ≠ “a threat to all existence”
Read Part 1. Or not —your choice!
TW: discussions of suicide, suicidal ideation
Is “existential threat” an accurate description of Donald Trump? The “No” argument is compelling, but Trump is an existential threat. That said, he’s only a threat for the polar opposite reason most analysts invoke, because every free-thinking human being is an existential threat.
Banning jokes, for example, says to an audience, “Don’t even think of laughing at that,” way more than the ban tells comedians, “Don’t say that.”
Similarly, “Silence = Violence” as rhetoric flex is meant to interrupt, disrupt, and prevent thoughts that may produce offensive speech or actions. Silence is no longer golden, but molten. The vilification of quiet observation and reflection essentially says, “If you’re not talking, we know what you’re thinking.”
Heads we win; tails you lose.
Disclaimer: I am a “Drive-thru” existentialist…