NPR as a national organization might be fine, but regional stations have smaller operating budgets and also get funding, and their programming gets picked up. Member stations will suffer or fail under this update, and that will feed back to national programming when something like WAMC's On the Media or WBEZ's Wait Wait gets axed.

I was paraphrasing both OP and yourself to create a farce, yes. Because farces are funny. It was a joke, not a clever and cutting rhetorical maneuver.

So, yeah, sucks a little that you took it so personally, but I do feel pretty good about it.

"I think the system is unfair and could be dramatically improved."

"This is the improved version! No further progress shall be made! Work your 9-5 and be glad you're not locked in the shirtwaist factory for twelve hours a day!"

Dr. King’s policy was, if you are nonviolent, if you suffer, your opponent will see your suffering and will be moved to change his heart. That’s very good. He only made one fallacious assumption. In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent must have a conscience. The United States has none.

Stokely Carmichael, one of SNCC's first freedom riders

My company instituted "Wellbeing Days." They marked three days throughout the year on everyone's calendar and said you should avoid answering calls or attending meetings on those days, instead focusing on personal reflection and development.

... so I stayed home and focused on developing my Elden Ring skills.