This was bound to happen. The guy wants to keep his show, right? I certainly want him to keep his show.
And now for something completely different. Apropos of nothing at all, I was thinking the other day about how pretending to be senile and apologizing for it is a timeless legal strategy. It can also work well in family conflicts. I've known a few crazy-like-a-fox elderly geniuses who do a great senility impression. In a real emergency, they might even try drooling a little.
I think you're failing to look on the bright side. This little exchange represents a lot of progress.
If you want a good idea of what powerful rulers used to do to people who said things they didn't like, google "Giordano Bruno". Or, for an international perspective, ask a 60-year-old Russian, or a 40-year-old Cambodian, or a contemporary Tibetan.
Note, though, that I'm not saying our society couldn't use a lot of improvement on the corruption front.
So our society isn't less corrupt than it used to be. It's just that the overlords have realized that they can be a little subtler and not have to hack/burn/behead/hang/shoot people to subjugate and control them.
Yes, there's progress, but I think we can still complain.
And now for something completely different. Apropos of nothing at all, I was thinking the other day about how pretending to be senile and apologizing for it is a timeless legal strategy. It can also work well in family conflicts. I've known a few crazy-like-a-fox elderly geniuses who do a great senility impression. In a real emergency, they might even try drooling a little.