First of all, here's what we have for you this week:
- Killer Grabs: Quotes from around the traps.
- The responses to Charlie Kirk's death and how the far-right are capitalising on it— By Osman Faruqi
- The Good Ones: The best journalism, opinion and entertainment for you to enjoy.
The right-wing American youth activist Charlie Kirk was killed yesterday. He was shot through the neck while on stage at Utah Valley University.
His assassination has sparked a global cultural moment of feverish discourse. Part of the reason for that is obviously his international fame; young conservative activists all over the world have followed his ascent as one of the right's first true stars of the social media age and have sought to emulate him, while Kirk has earned infamy with young people on the left.
In Australia, conservative right-wing political operators quickly tried to capitalise on his death, with One Nation and Advance Australia using his image in social media posts to drive significant engagement on their platforms.
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Social media commentators and influencers on the left of Australia's political spectrum have also piggybacked on Kirk's shooting, pumping out takes that seem more geared towards using his name to lift their posts in the algorithm than provide Australians with a meaningful explanation of what his killing means. At the same time, right-wing media outlets in Australia are also mimicking their US counterparts, patrolling social media for examples of jokes to conjure outrage and drive clicks.
However, Kirk's social media stardom is only part of the story, because by the time he was assassinated, his political project had helped elect Donald Trump to a second term — helping convert crucial young male voters to Trumpism and wielding genuine power within the Republican party. This closeness to the US president, whose capricious mood can dictate international politics, has meant leaders across the Western world have felt a need to pay tribute to Kirk.
The Defence Minister Richard Marles — who is currently our acting Prime Minister — spent Thursday morning discussing the shooting and sending condolences to Kirk's family, telling both Seven's Sunrise and the ABC's Radio National Breakfast, that it was an "absolute tragedy". This was followed by Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, issuing a statement on Kirk's killing.
"My thoughts, and those of all Australians, are with his family and loved ones," said Rudd.
It's undeniably an enormously significant moment. But how should we feel or respond? Why does one death generate more empathy from politicians than a genocide? What are the issues with celebrating the death of someone who helped usher in a new wave of fascism in the US? Does Kirk's assassination tell us everything about the political moment we're living in, or not?
Today, Os answers these questions in a piece that dives into the way Charlie Kirk's assassination is being used and explains what is really at stake.
Killer Grabs
"He’s a good man." — US President Donald Trump, when asked about a phone call he had with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week.
That's about $100 billion per word. I guess that makes the AUKUS deal worth it?
"It is RTÉ’s position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision song contest if the participation of Israel goes ahead." — Statement by RTÉ’s, Ireland's public broadcaster.
This was deeply confusing to read as an Australian, who did not believe that it was possible for media organisations (public broadcasters no less!) to have a spine.
The responses to Charlie Kirk's death and how the far-right are capitalising on it
By Osman Faruqi
It was social media that Charlie Kirk harnessed so effectively to build up an enormously influential and successful movement on the right of US politics, galvanising younger Americans to help elect Donald Trump and create a bulwark for his reactionary politics.
When Kirk launched his Turning Point USA movement in 2012, the online landscape was vastly different from the current ecosystem. Back then, it was progressive campaigners and politicians like Barack Obama who were being heralded for embracing platforms like Facebook and Instagram to build new, diverse coalitions. Platforms like Twitter had substantially more robust moderation policies, aimed at stamping out abuse, threats of violence, and far-right ideology.
