A common trend I’ve noticed in the latest years, especially among the left/democratic parties, is the almost ‘hypocrisy’.
Before starting, I would like to note that I am a leftist, and that, although to some it may not seem like it, I do agree with leftist values. I believe in equal rights for everyone (POC, Immigrants, Queer people, women). I believe in a free Palestine.
To me, this was really solidified after Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September. After he was assassinated, there was an influx of mixed opinions online. Most of the Right-leaning people felt it was the start of a ‘war’ between the right and the left. Elon Musk, for example, came forward and said that “the left is the party of murder,” urging his followers to fight. Some also felt that it was an attack on free speech, since Kirk was simply “stating his mind.” This was seen especially in Erika Kirk’s (his Wife) lack of reaction. Instead of a mourning wife, she retaliated and started spreading the word for people to fight back. In contrast, most of the Left-leaning people, however, were the complete opposite, with most saying that it was a relief. As a ‘leftist’ myself, I will admit that, considering Kirk’s political impact, I was less concerned over his assassination than I would've been for say anyone else. I do think it's important to mention that Kirk has had tremendous political impact, and in my opinion, has caused irreversible damage to the current US. It's also important to remember that he was only a debater and was never a politician in any power.
The hypocrisy I feel comes from the fact that many people on the left were pleased and celebrated Kirk’s death. The issue spans from the fact that many of the left’s ideals/stances on current issues are ‘anti-death’ for lack of a better word. Take abortion, take Palestine, take ICE & Alligator Albatross. I felt it was wrong for people on the left to be advocating for equal rights for all and for the reduction in violence, only to be cheering for the death of a person on the other political side.
Stemming from the same root, this hypocrisy contradicts the inherent superiority complex of many people on the left. Among leftist spaces, politics have become a ‘us vs. them’ in the sense that we are good people, because we have good morals, and they are bad people because they have bad morals. Many people who have acted like a leftist, or who identify as a leftist, forget that their actions do indeed speak at least as loudly as their voice. In my eyes, advocating for abortion rights and no genocide, while also celebrating the death of an opposing political character, seems the slightest bit hypocritical. I get the impression that many leftists have developed the idea that they don’t have to think or reflect on their actions, that because they are leftist, their actions are inherently morally higher than anything done by right-wing people. This obviously is not true, and anyone is capable of doing something morally “right”, even right-wing extremists.
I felt the same way when Dean Withers faced significant backlash for his reaction on TikTok. For anyone not chronically online, Dean Withers is a debater on TikTok who has debated Charlie Kirk on several occasions. He faced backlash because, after hearing the news of his assassination, he got emotional. Viewers of his context started to call him secretly MAGA, a Grifter, and it became a joke to begin shipping Kirk and Withers together. As a supporter of his content previously, I felt very torn because I myself agreed with his view on the situation, which only made things more complicated for me, seeing as how he got bullied from the entire left internet for his views. I agree that Kirk’s assassination was violent, and especially since it was in the presence of people and children, it was wrong. I have empathy for Kirk’s children because, although I feel their father was a bad person, that doesn’t mean he should be assassinated, and especially not in a large crowd. Ultimately, in my opinion, murder is never right, and although I felt Charlie Kirk was a terrible person, that doesn’t mean he should’ve been killed.
(As a separate side note, I also hate how easy it was to find uncensored videos of the assassination. TikTok has children on the platform, and videos of a brutal murder shouldn’t be publicly viewable.)
I feel this kind of ‘ethics’ trope can be debated in so many different topics. To help further explain my point of view, take the death penalty as an example. Is it ethical or right to have a murderer sentenced to death? Not only do I feel that that is a hypocritical view to have, but it also exhibits that superiority complex I mentioned earlier. What gives us the right to decide to sentence someone to death when they themselves have gotten themselves here because they killed someone to begin with? What gives the judge the higher moral standing to be able to sentence someone to the same fate which brought them to court in the first place?
I think some don’t like to admit it, but within the left community, there is definitely a ‘-phobia’ of sorts. I wouldn’t say it's racism because it's not based on ethnicity, but rather a phobia of right-wing individuals. I can definitely see where this came from, and considering the circumstances, I don’t blame anyone for how we got here. However, if these left-wing people want to actually be morally higher than right-wingers, they need to act like it, and selectively deciding that some people are okay to die/should die is not the way. Otherwise, in the end, we are no different from the right-wingers saying that the people of Palestine should be killed, or the 'illegal' immigrants be taken to concentration camps. It's having a superiority complex that tells you that some people are ‘good’ and shouldn’t be killed, but other people, like Charlie Kirk or Trump, would be better off dead. Looking back, however, isn’t that exactly the same ideology which the right is spreading?
My point here is not to try and justify any of the actions of Charlie Kirk, Trump, or Israel, but rather to emphasise that right now, leftists are no better than rightists, if they deep down act the same. Actions speak louder than words. If the leftists are to keep their moral superiority, they have to act like it instead of being hypocritical and excusing violence against people who don’t align with their political views.
If anyone has any comments or tips for dealing with this better, or a different way of looking at this, please share. As always, stay respectful and have a lovely day!
Edit 23/10/25: I realise that I think I'm thinking the same way as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. (I've been bingeing the whole series this week). I feel the same way Katniss feels when the rebellion starts to make plans under the guise that it is 'defendable' because the Capitol didn't spare them, or follow rules. (! spoiler!) In The Mockingjay Pt. 2, Katniss says, "I guess there are no rules on what a person can do to another person". That line just really stuck out to me. (!spoiler over!)
Edit 24/10/25: I saw a video on TikTok this morning that inspired this. It was about Israel and Palestine. This person on TikTok was saying that they hope that once the ceasefire comes into effect, they hope someone bombs Israel back to make them pay (like revenge). This really didn't sit right with me. While I do believe that it is and will be important to make Israel pay for what they have done (considering its illegal and a war crime). However, isn't that the exact same logic that Israel is trying to use to justify their own actions? I understand that the Palestinian civilians are innocent, but that also doesn't mean that it's right to bomb Israel. Isn't the entire reason why everyone is upset about this that Israel is bombing these civilians? What makes it okay then to suggest that we bomb Israel back...?
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