Publishers shy away from Trump satire for fear of being sued.

[Bad Dog]

25. I'm saying it's very easy to tell people to stand up and be counted

when you're not the one in the crosshairs. I'm not the one telling other people what they should or should not do. It's a bit too armchair general for my tastes.

The Dixie Chicks hardly made a bold statement of principle, they slagged off George Bush in Shepherd's Bush, (no relation.) It's hardly a risky thing to do. They didn't know it was going to go viral, and when it did they offered " numerous clarifications and apologies."

America is a big place, there's a lot to like and dislike, it's not an either or situation. Very few things are that black and white. Not filling up with self-righteous, and extremely safe, indignation when one hears that someone has decided to keep their heads down is not the same as arguing for the suppression of freedom of speech.

If someone wants to stand up and say/publish/broadcast/twitter something then that's down to them. If a third party decides not to go along with that they should not be pilloried for being cautious. That's what Trump's supporters do.

It is a worrying trend that people are likely to self censor, but it's understandable why they choose to do it.