Oh, yeah, I also really value history. And I think there is a very strong historical allegory to the modern day: the 1930s. Specifically, modern America and 30s Germany. But that’s an equation thousands of others have amply made, so I’ll move on.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, most people view the past as this untouchable, sorta divine thing, to put up on a pedestal and look at without judgement. You know, “the good old days”, “it was a different time”. But I want to put the past under a microscope, pull off its legs, and see how it ticks. Like what I did with the Monty Python sketch, I analysed it from the point of view of a comedian or a writer, and pointed out how well they managed to stick to their artistic vision, or at least what I maybe think their artistic vision should be. I’m engaging in a dialogue with it, you could say. So yeah, I don’t want to be understanding, I want to understand. I want to be like a scientist, not like ChatGPT’s idea of a therapist. I want to use empathy to create knowledge, not use empathy to forestall action.