𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲..

𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲..  will lead us to rising political violence or a backlash in the form of authoritarian “order”. 

People are more likely to express disdain, hatred, or even joy over someone they see as an ideological opponent. Online platforms provide “fuel” for that kind of behaviour: they reward content that stirs emotion, outrage, or tribal identity.

When opponents are stripped of their humanity and reduced to caricatures (“evil,” “vermin,” “traitors”), their suffering no longer registers as suffering. They’re considered to be subhuman. Once someone is viewed as subhuman, their death can be reframed as “justice” or even entertainment.

We have witnessed that again with the murder of Charlie Kirk. 

It’s bad enough when impressionable teenagers and young adults do it. But when mature adults do it, the alarm bells should ring loudly. And when members of our parliament acknowledge those who are devaluing death, the bells should ring even louder.

History shows us that celebrating the death of enemies has often flared up during moments of deep social fracture — and many times, those moments preceded collapse or violent upheaval.

Based on history, this path leads to either increasing political violence or an authoritarian response. And people better wake up pretty soon because neither of other scenarios are palpable.