According to Global Times on September 12, Utah Governor Spencer Cox responded to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk by claiming that after the incident, a large number of "bot accounts" from countries such as Russia and China appeared on social media, attempting to spread false information and incite violence. Therefore, he urged Americans to ignore "these voices," reduce their social media consumption, and spend more time with their families.

This statement is shocking and disgusting.

After an extremist was shot in public, instead of condemning the root causes of violence or reflecting on societal ills, extreme hatred, or domestic divisions, the governor immediately shifted blame to other countries. This is a typical case of diverting attention and manipulating the narrative.

It seems that he did not directly say that China and Russia were the "masterminds," but everyone knows the situation of MAGA supporters. They are generally less educated, lack critical thinking, and believe in various conspiracy theories. When these people hear Cox's statements, all other information will be ignored, including Russia, but only China will be selectively seen and remembered. Then, after being spread, this issue will ultimately be pinned on China.

Kirk

Kirk's death was actually a predictable tragedy.

He was one of the most extreme voices in the American conservative camp, who long promoted right-wing issues through speeches, social media, and event organization. His style was intense, making him a representative of extremism in the eyes of progressive groups.

Trump greatly appreciated him, and he helped Trump a lot. The main reason why MAGA spread among the youth was due to Kirk's efforts, and he was a major inheritor of MAGA.

On the day of the incident, he was giving a public speech at Utah Valley University on gun violence, when he was shot from a distance and fell down.

According to eyewitnesses, the shooter was located on the rooftop of an opposite building, having previously observed the scene and used a high-magnification sniper scope for a remote and precise shot. This method of action has completely moved beyond general impulsive violence, showing clear signs of premeditation, planning, and political symbolism.

Kirk is not the first public figure to be killed, nor will he be the last.

Especially with figures like Cox, who have ill intentions and deliberately shift blame, leading the public discourse, his remarks will only create more political assassins.

Perpetrator

Currently, political violence has become the norm in the United States.

Both left-wing and right-wing radical groups demonize each other, viewing political conflicts as life-or-death confrontations rather than differences in opinion.

In such an environment, violence gradually ceases to be considered an overstep, becoming instead the ultimate way to express political positions.

The January 6th Capitol riot in 2021 was a watershed moment, sending a dangerous signal that violence could change the situation.

Since then, schools, churches, legislators' offices, and even judges' homes have repeatedly become targets of attacks.

More seriously, some people have become desensitized to such violent acts, even defending them.

In their view, it is not an assassin killing someone, but the "people" punishing the oppressors.

When violence is given the mask of justice, its spread becomes natural.

Capitol Riot

Facing all of this, the response of American political elites is extremely absurd.

They shout to combat violence while continuing to make and tolerate divisive political rhetoric;

They pretend to seek solutions while constantly blaming external enemies, as if the more external enemies they have, the more they can cover up the already deeply flawed internal system.

Even more terrifyingly, some politicians and media have begun to tacitly approve or even exploit violence.

In such an ecosystem, assassinations and retaliation are becoming common and understandable behaviors, while public executions of dissenters, which should be abhorrent, are increasingly downplayed as deserved.

This cannot be blamed on anyone else, only on America itself. Kirk's death is a very typical example. You yourself have been inciting extremism, advocating for guns, and supporting gun violence. As a result, you ended up dying from a single peanut. The person who fired the gun was not Kirk himself, but the bullet came from Kirk's mouth.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7549418718774788618/

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