Why is there so much political violence? So much hate? What happened to being a community?
Thriving together? Today we will be diving into why there is so much political violence in this world and who it's targeted at specifically.
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Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)Why Is There So Much Political Violence
The ongoing current spike in political violence is primarily motivated by the powerful political polarization, known as the dehumanization of political opponents by elites, and the ongoing chaos of threat narratives via social media algorithms and social platforms. Political violence has its own historical roots, researchers have tracked a sharp boost fueled by a cycle where political figures and citizens exploit societal splits for voter mobilization, normalizing aggression/violence as a positive tool for political defense.
Key Boosts In Political Violence?
Voters progressively view the topic of politics as an all-or-nothing situation and in many viewpoints, an issue. This promotes a mindset where taking down the opposition is necessary for "survival", leading an increasing minority to justify aggression and violence to protect their own ways of life. Political elites, well known citizens, and influencers often label their opponents as "evil," "demonic," or an "existential threat". This view on their opponent strips away democratic normalities and drives unstable lone actors to settle on what they perceive as "heroic" actions.
There is a falling confidence in democratic processes, elections, and courts which is leaving citizens feeling disenfranchised. When these citizens believe peaceful mechanisms or acts no longer function, they are more likely to start looking toward force. Extreme wealth imbalance, systemic isolation, and unattended mental health crises issue certain individuals highly needed to recruitment or self-radicalization.
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Current Shifts?
There are high profile incidents—such as assassination attempts, acts of arson, and the threats against certain local election officials feel modern, pros from institutions like the Brennan Center for Justice take note that the political violence has withdrawn and increased across global history. Historically, data shows that the highest volume of fatal domestic political aggression and violence comes from far-right radical movements.
But, tracking organizations write down a simultaneous, highly unstable uptick in left-wing radical deeds as well, forming a multi-directional increase that targets many public officials across the ideological graph.
Consequences for Democracy?
The wave in threats doesn't just harm the immediate targets; it essentially alters democratic access. According to a Johns Hopkins University analysis, relentless intimidation excessively targets women and minority officials, discouraging reliable and qualified citizens from participating in public service and driving moderate voices out of governance completely.
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Who Does Political Violence Targets
Political violence corners and targets elected officials, election workers, judges, journalists, and marginalized communities to take away power, suppress opposition, and force societal compliance through fear and threats. Offenders systematically choose certain victims who give off the democratic systems they want to break the flow of or the demographic parties they want to control.
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Targeted high ranked: Presidents, prime ministers, and lawmakers are aimed to behead government leadership or force increasing policy changes.
Targeted local election workers: Non-partisan poll staff and local officials face intense harassment to put fear into their minds to trick them into quitting, which messes up the election integrity.
Targeted Judges and Prosecutors: Legal professionals dealing with sensitive and/or useful political or criminal cases are aimed to throw off justice and weaken the rule of law.
Targeted Journalists and Media: Reporters handling protests, corruption, or government overreach face violence and aggression to hurt free speech and control the public view.
Targeted Marginalized Communities: Racial, ethnic, religious, and LGBTQ+ minorities and parties are focused in hate-fueled attacks to increase social hierarchies and take away their own civil rights.
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Political violence has gotten so intense to the point where journalists, reporters, lawyers, judges, and so many others end up leaving or quitting their jobs due to the backlash. And it's only up from here. As we, the people, it is our job and duty to stop this violence.
The world will not get better until you make it better, until you make a change. With the twisted world we live in, it's hard to depict what's next. We need a change to stop this violence.
What do you think? Is political violence getting worse? How are you going to be a part of the change?
-Laila Hines
