"Politic force in the United States shocks – but does not surprise" writes "Frankfurter Allgemine Zeitung". Already decades ago, people like radio provocateur Rush Limbaugh – Charlie Kirk's idol and mentor, victims of the assassination – began to see themselves as gladiators and established a imagination of politics as a (profit) blood sport.
"Political polarisation – a logical consequence of the existing two-party strategy – has evolved into an absolute tribal war. A war in which the demolition of the political 'enemy' became more crucial than shaping the future – points out the commentator.(...) At the command of Donald Trump throughout the United States, the flags were lowered to half the mast after the assassination of a extremist right-wing influencer – for many Americans it is simply a hard sight to bear.
But it is America's own political culture that should mourn together today. "And to realize – precisely on the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 bombings – that present freedom besides has besides many external enemies. Therefore, the United States cannot afford an increasingly bloody tribal war," we read.
America needs a real president.
In the opinion of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", today's United States is simply a profoundly divided country – a broken nation in which 2 large political camps face each another like hostile tribes.
"After the execution of right-wing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the threat seems to be greater than ever—the full United States may shortly be on fire. Is there inactive a way out of this spiral of violence?" the commentator asks.
He adds: "America needs a real president present – individual who could calm the moods in a speech to an full nation. Who could connect, not share. It would be adequate for him to be president of all Americans (...)".
Donald Trump on Wednesday evening, just a fewer hours after the Utah bombing, he actually addressed the Americans in a tv appearance—but only to his Americans. He was not the leader of a country for which the welfare of a country at this hard minute would be of no importance. "It was just a typical Trump from the Oval Office that poured oil into the fire," the commentator states.
Need open discourse
In turn, the regional diary "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" wonders how much freedom of speech is at stake in the West?
"Charlie Kirk was shot on university campus. Did he gotta die just due to the fact that he openly supported Trump? In Germany, too, we see a polarisation of a society where many citizens hesitate to express their views openly. Hatred and force against politicians, journalists and activists take on frightening proportions. It is essential to drop the speech and end the verbal escalation so that a discourse can be made possible in which everyone can openly and without fear express their views. The communicative of Charlie Kirk and another politicians who have fallen victim to force should become a warning".
According to Stuttgarter Zeitung, U.S. citizens powerfully reject force as a way of conducting political disputes. "However, besides many depart from the perfect of peaceful exchange of views, and the fact that the United States is drowning in weapons only makes the situation worse. The strength of political disputes will surely not weaken. And part of the public debate – contaminated by X and TikTok – will not become more civilized again.
The same applies to Europe. It would be all the more crucial for political elites to set a good example by speaking in a more average and empathic way. And those who accept political force must be persuaded to halt demonizing their opponents. How do we do that? Through conversation."
