Namely, the extent of allowable political discourse in popular culture is inextricably linked to the willingness of the objects of political criticism to violently suppress that criticism.
Exactly.
Why is it ok to make fun of, persecute and otherwise harass Christians and Jews? Make “Jesus art” out of elephant dung?
Because Christians and Jews tend not to explode when angered.
and when you say “explode” that could be both figuritively and literally....