Even though humanity rejected Bono’s beautiful vision of a U2 album in every pot—er, iPod—the U2 frontman isn’t holding a grudge. The three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee has continued his humanitarian work and research, recently traveling to the Middle East and East Africa to visit refugee camps. And it was with that visit in mind that Bono attended a Senate subcommittee yesterday to discuss the “causes and consequences of violent extremism and the role of foreign assistance.” While presumably discussing the latest disconcerting dispatches, a frustrated Bono proposed a heretofore unseen strategy—that of sending comedians to ridicule terrorists right out of their convictions.
Bono expanded on his plan to weaponize mockery, telling the Senate subcommittee members—who had almost certainly not mentally checked out at this point—that if the U.S. deploys comedians to “laugh at them, when they’re goose-stepping down the street, [and] it takes away their power.” Bono also cited the exile of Dadaists and surrealists from Nazi Germany, suggesting that these creative critics were considered a threat to the regime. And so, he’s selected Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, and Sacha Baron Cohen to head up this Alphahaha Squad. So far, only Schumer has answered the call, though her response probably echoed the sentiments of those in attendance at the meeting.
Aside from this comedy-brigade idea, Bono has also pitched a rebuilding plan via an Opinions post in The New York Times, which he hopes would “emulate that most genius of American ideas, the Marshall Plan,” otherwise known as the European Recovery Program.