Remember the Alamo was a battle cry used to stir Texans in their fight for independence from Mexico. Now, the Maga-verse is using Remember Charlie Kirk as a similar call to arms. Unlike Texas, those currently being called to the front lines aren’t confronting a foreign nation. Instead, they are being encouraged to fight their fellow citizens in a battle they are erroneously claiming is a fight for the soul of America.
Throughout our history there have been several times such a battle cry has stimulated Americans to answer the call to arms. Remember the Maine was used as the justification for our war against Spain. Remember Pearl Harbor led to our entrance into World War II and was also used as a reason for the rationale for permitting the shameful internment of Japanese Americans.
There have also been false flag incidents that resulted in either an increased military presence or even going to war to topple an unfriendly regime. Lyndon Johnson used the Gulf of Tokin incident to validate his reasoning for increased US involvement in Vietnam. George W. Bush tapped into American outrage over 9/11 to go to war with Iraq with the imaginary assertion that they were stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, ostensibly to carry out another 9/11 style attack on America.
Both have been debunked, but not before the loss of thousands of American soldiers.
Now we have those on the right using the murder of Charlie Kirk as a reason for demonizing those that oppose them. They have been labeled radical left lunatics, the enemy from within and are being depicted as those who hate America. To that end, they are even trying to rename the October 18th “No Kings” rally as a “Hate America” protest as thousands around the nation gather to oppose the Trump administration’s willful destruction of the rule of law and the unlawful occupation of Democratic run cities by National Guard troops and ICE goons who carry out their Gestapo-style tactics wearing masks to shield their identities as a mean of avoiding the consequences of their actions.
Undoubtably, there will be right-wing agitators sprinkled among the peaceful protestors to incite violence which they justify committing in Charlie Kirk’s name. It’s pretty much a given that members of the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and others who participated in the January 6th insurrection, and were since pardoned once Trump took office again, will blend in with the protestors. A possible plan would be to provoke violent acts in order to allow Trump reason to invoke the Insurrection Act and bring the US military in to quell the orchestrated conflict.
Charlie Kirk was a college dropout who used his podcast to spout numerous conspiracy theories. Among them are misinformation campaigns about COVID, the 2020 election, the Civil Rights Movement and the Great Replacement Theory, to name a few. He was a white Christian Nationalist and believed that women had no place in any position of decision making.
Despite his lack of formal Education, much of his energy was devoted to attracting impressionable college students. He is often depicted sitting at a table with a sign advertising a controversial view and the challenge to “Change My Mind”. The image has spawned countless memes, some serious and some mocking this approach.
In addition to his podcast, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA with much older Bill Montgomery. They have used this right-wing non-profit organization to spread the conspiracy theories I mentioned throughout college campuses nationwide. It, and its offshoot Turning Point Faith, have served as a cyberspace megaphone for those on the right while keeping to non-violent messaging.
His death has caused an uproar in the MAGA-verse. They have blamed the transgender population, illegal immigrants and the non-existent Antifa for his murder and have vowed retribution. This has elevated him to cult-like status with statues, tributes and even a posthumous Medal of Freedom, much to the delight of his former followers.
It comes as no surprise that the Trump administration has seized the opportunity to use Kirk’s demise as further reason to clamp down on free speech. People are being fired, talk show hosts are being punished and visas are being cancelled or denied to anyone who posts anything even remotely negative about Kirk. Trump has declared Antifa to be a domestic terrorist organization even though no such organization exists.
Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller went on a rabid rant, declaring that Trump had plenary (absolute) authority to do whatever he wanted. While he quickly backtracked on this claim, the damage had already been done. America was given a full view of the internal thinking of this administration.
Now they are using the murder of Charlie Kirk as a rallying cry, similar to those used in time of war. Remember Charlie Kirk could be an epitaph for American democracy.
