Political Violence USA Edition

[Recusant]

I didn't bother to post anything in June when a politically motivated creep in Minnesota shot a couple of politicians and their spouses, killing two. In my opinion it sadly wasn't particularly outstanding, just another in a long history of politically motivated violence in the US. More importantly it was unlikely to have any real repercussions for the country as a whole.

The killing of Charlie Kirk on the other hand might very well have a wide effect. We don't know the motivation of the shooter but right wing media and politicians (including the president) are jumping with both feet on a "blame the left" bandwagon, including at least one very public call to "avenge" Kirk's death. This could serve as an excuse for speeding up the authoritarian trend of the Trump regime. It's not out of the question for things to get a lot uglier.

Thus this thread. 

[Dark Lightning]

I may vehemently despise Kirk's rhetoric, but he didn't deserve shooting over it. I expect you're right about revenge, and part of the crazy is that some black universities are on lockdown because of threats, in spite of visual evidence that the shooter is white.

[Icarus]

The American political world has degenerated into a cesspool of gun toting absurdity. I did not like the Kirk person and I did not wish him well, but I damned sure did not wish to have him killed.

The sniper shot an individual who had less influence on the national well being than about six others that I could name.

   

[Icarus]

https://imgur.com/gallery/feelings-today-ZxUC3Y8

[Recusant]

Yep. A more detailed reminder of what a shitheel Kirk was, in light of the oleaginous Governor Newsom bleating some typical pandering horsefeathers:

"We Must Not Posthumously Sanitize Charlie Kirk's Hateful Life" | Erin in the Morning

. . . He preached hate and violence as a matter of routine. In another interview, he mocked Christians who followed scripture about loving their neighbor, scoffing that God also "calls for the stoning of gay people," which he described as "God's perfect law." This was not a slip of the tongue. Hate was and continued to be central to his message. So when people invoke Kirk's "work" and urge us to carry it forward, when they valorize him as some open-minded political figure, this is what they are valorizing: praising violence, contempt for human dignity, and the politics of fear dressed up as principle.

[Continues . . .]

[The Magic Pudding..]

A mere ball of flaming gas for you guys it seems.

[The Magic Pudding..]

Since Trump you hear all these tragedies, no more US funding for one amazingly worthy thing after another
I don't have an opinion of your recent Gunning down of civilians in international waters
Was yous aware of all the amazingly wonderful things you were doing before Trump stopped them?
Invite America to like itself again

[Recusant]

Most Americans weren't aware of the specifics of various foreign aid projects, and many still aren't. A significant percentage of them didn't care before Trump and don't care now--they were and are against foreign aid on principle. "America First!!!"

Those thousands of lives that were improved or saved by the aid projects weren't American--let them take care of themselves and Make America Great Again by keeping that money. It doesn't matter that the funding that's been clawed back by Trump will only go toward offsetting more tax breaks for wealthy Americans and American corporations, it's the principle of the thing.