When Government Breaks the Fourth Wall

You're at the theater. You're sitting in your seat, paying attention to what's going on in front of you. If the play is any good, you've completely forgotten that you're sitting in a theater. You are absorbed in the new world unfolding in front of you. The theater has cast a spell over you. Then, suddenly, the actor on stage turns to the audience and begins speaking directly to you. He's no longer pretending to be an actor. The spell is abruptly broken. You become aware of your surroundings: the...