It’s remarkable how many people can find the time to march, dance, and chant at a No Kings protest, yet seem remarkably quiet about violent riots in France, forced conscription in Ukraine, the war with Iran, or children dying in Gaza. But put Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center, and suddenly the celebrity class is scrambling for microphones, delivering impassioned speeches about the death of American democracy. Apparently, a building’s nameplate inspires more public indignation than actual human suffering. And I say this as someone who has no affection for Trump, his administration, or the leadership of either political party. What interests me is how selectively outrage gets distributed. When violence fits someone’s political narrative, we’re told to understand its underlying grievances. When it doesn’t, we’re expected to condemn it immediately. You can oppose authoritarianism, support legitimate protest, and still recognize that looting businesses, threatening women, and terrorizing ordinary citizens aren’t acts of liberation. I wonder how many of these self-appointed defenders of democracy would feel quite so revolutionary if it were their own homes and businesses being destroyed.