A kind of companion piece to Kathleen Stock's UnHerd article, here's Stella O'Malley at Spiked – Charlie Kirk’s death has exposed the bigotry of the ‘Be Kind’ brigade:
For too many people, politics has become a kind of secular baptism, a ritual washing away of sins. You can be careless with those closest to you, even cruel, and still believe yourself virtuous. All it takes is spending a Saturday on X hurling righteous abuse at ‘right-wing bigots’ and, hey presto, you’re absolved.
That smug worldview might look harmless when it is just an old pal excusing his shabby behaviour. But since last week, we have witnessed the same mentality on the global stage, after American conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated for his political beliefs.
Across the progressive media, the script was familiar. Gleeful libels were spread about a 31-year-old father of two. Violence was suddenly rebranded as a legitimate moral option….
And this is where the left-right charade collapses into farce. Once upon a time those definitions meant something. Now they are little more than Hogwarts houses for overgrown teenagers.
Today, to raise ethical concerns about medical experimentation on children is ‘right-wing’. To question the wisdom of men competing in women’s sports is ‘right-wing’. To say you like your own culture is ‘right-wing’, too. Patriotism is effectively cast as racism….
‘Right-wing’ is a catch-all slur for anyone with an unfashionable opinion. ‘Left-wing’ has become a badge of virtue. What was once a serious clash of philosophies is now a playground insult hurled at whoever irritates you.
Not just "right wing" – that's no longer enough of an insult. It's "far right" now. "Fascist". With the occasional "Nazi" – especially for anyone with Israeli sympathies, or who refuses to buy the Gaza genocide line.
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