Most of the time, the public couldn’t care less about the political endeavors of artists. In fact, when an artist gets too involved in world affairs, they’re often ridiculed by those who think they’re just in it for the publicity. Bono used to fall into that camp, but because of his tireless efforts to better the world, we’ve started to understand that he actually knows what he’s doing. Which is why it might come as a surprise to hear his latest idea for combatting terrorism: make ’em laugh.
Bono proposed the idea yesterday while in front of a Senate subcommittee. The general thrust of his statement was that the U.S. needs to provide aid to the Middle East, because at this point in time, aid is not charity, it’s defense. He later went on to specifically suggest sending Amy Schumer over, and he was entirely aware of how funny the idea might sound.
“Don’t laugh. I think comedy should be deployed. It’s like, you speak violence, you speak their language. But you laugh at them, when they’re goose-stepping down the street, and it takes away their power. So, I’m suggesting that the Senate send in Amy Schumer, and Chris Rock, and Sacha Baron Cohen, thank you.”
To the subcommittee’s credit, New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen answered seriously. “Actually, that’s not the first time I’ve heard experts on how do we counter violent extremism talk about that. It’s one of the things that we’re looking at.”
Schumer’s response was simply “Holy Shit,” though it’s not clear if it was made in terror, shock, or wonder.
Bono also penned an essay for the New York Times in which he outlines a plan to assist in the refugee crisis.