The Far Left Is Just As Dangerous As the Far Right

The assassination of Charlie Kirk shows the ugly face of the far left is just as much of a threat to society as the far right

The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a grotesque act of political violence. For someone engaged in debate to be silenced by a bullet is a damning indictment of where our society has shifted. The reaction to this cowardly act across social media has revealed the far left’s true colours and why it is a force just as much to blame for stirring up hatred as the far right. This must be called out.

This piece is not intended to exploit a tragic event currently dominating the news cycle – it is a genuine issue that has been left unaddressed to get to the moment we are in right now. When we talk about extremism in our politics, there is a natural tendency to automatically associate the word solely with the far right; but be in no doubt, the far left poses just as much of a threat to our society.

Since his death, many have taken it upon themselves to go to social media to denote Mr. Kirk as “evil” and that he somehow deserved his fate. This is abhorrent and dangerous rhetoric that appears to be the default perspective by many of these accounts. A serious issue in the West is that definitions have been grotesquely blurred. The record must be set straight as to what “evil” actually has looked like through our history – Mr. Kirk and many who have spoken and continue to speak their mind like he once did do not remotely come close.

We can take the most prevalent example of a character the far-left label anyone that they do not like as: Adolf Hitler. He is a clear example of someone who genuinely embodies and deserves the title of pure evil; the holocaust that saw the genocide of six million Jews, the use of extermination camps in carrying out that genocide, the killing of hundreds of thousands of disabled people. These are all humanitarian atrocities committed by the directive of one man, amongst other crimes relating to the halting of democracy.

Someone expressing an opinion with a microphone is not remotely comparable to the hatred conveyed by these historical figures – yet using that connotation, and one that should be reserved for the world’s most despicable people, has become prevalent in the West.

What this comes down to is a misunderstanding of the political spectrum. To share an opinion does not make you far-right or deserving of a public condemnation – in fact constructive debate should be encouraged. Mr Kirk’s religiously-influenced views do not justify condemnation either – and for this to be so prevalent in a nation built on immigration is a truly damning state of affairs.

The record must be set as to the definitions of extremist politics. For an individual or group to be correctly labelled as “far-right” they must embody certain characteristics, with the most prominent including, ultra-nationalism, exclusionary politics and authoritarian tendencies. To correctly label someone as “far-left” they must endorse anti-capitalism, extreme egalitarianism and a “revolutionary” orientation – both these sets of characteristics from the extreme ends of the political spectrum must be practiced in the most radical sense to truly be extremist.

The far right opts to stir up division through a strong nationalist sense with heavily anti-immigration rhetoric, the far left opts to spread hatred through radical intolerance for other perspectives.

The dangers of them both stirring up hatred are just as polarising as each other, yet the far left’s presence in society has been somewhat overlooked by the media – with recent events showing that they have always been present.

A major part of far-left politics which I have addressed in this piece is the making of “common enemies” who somehow deserve the worst done to them – all in the name of censorship because they shared a view they do not like. This is classic far-left rhetoric that fosters the same degree of division the far right does.

The concerning element of this however, is the staggering number of young people caught up in this rhetoric who live day to day with this as their default worldview. This must change. When people with this as their mindset hear that we must protect free speech, they think of it as an excuse orchestrated by the right to express their views just to clash with theirs. Free speech is not an excuse: it is a right in itself. Anyone who disagrees with this concept is frankly incompatible with our society.

We must go forward with caution that the threat from the far left is just as prominent, and just as dangerous, as the far right. Constructive debate doesn’t happen through spreading hateful rhetoric online – it is to express opinion respectively through engaging in debate, peaceful protest, or other means that do not undermine the law and our democratic countries. Those who do so pose a grave threat to our way of living and to freely express opinion in our democratic countries – they must be called out and condemned.

Featured Image via Gage Skidmore