Mark Twain saw humorists as having a critical role: to challenge authority and consensus. He argued that irreverence is the "champion of liberty" because despots fear a laughing public more than anything else. This frames satire not just as entertainment, but as a vital tool for maintaining a free society.

Joke telling is a communication tool, not an inherently virtuous act. A well-structured joke elicits a physical laugh response that can make an audience accept a premise, even a harmful one. This persuasive power can be used for 'evil,' as the structure's effectiveness is independent of the content's morality.

The ultimate test of free speech is allowing potentially harmful ideas to circulate. While this may lead to negative consequences, it is preferable to the alternative. The 20th century saw 200 million people killed by their own governments, demonstrating that the tyranny required to enforce narrative control is a far greater danger.

The earliest known joke, traced to Assyrian cuneiform, is simply "a dog walks into a bar," with no punchline. The humor is not in a witty ending but in the absurdity of the premise itself. This highlights that humor's fundamental power lies in subverting established norms and expectations.

Waving a national flag is a direct political act with serious risks in authoritarian countries. Activists are instead using pop culture symbols, like the pirate flag from the anime 'One Piece', to protest. This makes their message more ambiguous, providing a layer of plausible deniability to dodge censorship and reduce personal risk.

Rushdie contends that when progressives advocate for censoring speech they disapprove of, they weaken their moral standing to defend other forms of expression, like political satire. This internal contradiction makes it harder to argue against authoritarian censorship, as the principle of free speech is applied inconsistently.

A successful joke's core isn't the punchline but its 'point'—the underlying message or meaning. This foundation is often a serious observation. The humor is then built by creating a premise and structure that leads the audience to this point without stating it directly.

When people can no longer argue, disagreements don't vanish but fester until violence becomes the only outlet. Protecting even offensive speech is a pragmatic necessity, as open debate is the only mechanism that allows societal pressures to be released peacefully.

Engaging controversial figures through a comedic lens serves as a powerful humanizing agent. It punctures their self-serious persona and tests their ability to laugh at the absurdity of their own position. This can disarm audiences who expect confrontation and instead reveal a more relatable, self-aware individual.