#693
Personal update:- I have decided to take a career pause, until end of 2026. Lalitha and I are looking forward to our time in San Francisco with Shravan and Radha (Cupertino / Foster City).
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In a world connected by instant outrage and viral vitriol, it feels like the thin veil of civilized discourse is tearing at the seams. From the streets of London to the campuses of New York, from the social media feeds of India to the protest lines in Paris, a palpable rage is bubbling over—not just in isolated bursts, but as a relentless undercurrent threatening to drown out reason. What was once a spark of disagreement has ignited into bonfires of hate, where celebrations of death, mockery of tragedy, and calls for vengeance have become disturbingly commonplace. As someone who's watched this unfold across continents, I can't help but ask: What has fractured us so profoundly? Why do we cheer the fallen and demonize the symbols of our shared heritage? And in this era of escalating fury, is there any path back to sanity?
I've spent the past few weeks cataloging these eruptions, not as a detached observer, but as a concerned global citizen. The patterns are eerily consistent: triggers rooted in identity, amplified by ideology, and fanned by those who thrive on chaos. Let me share what I've seen—and why it terrifies me for our collective future.
A Torrent of Celebratory Cruelty: The Charlie Kirk Assassination and Beyond
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, the fiery conservative voice whose unapologetic stands on free speech and traditional values made him a lightning rod, should have been a moment for national mourning and reflection. Instead, it unleashed a wave of gleeful depravity from segments of the left-wing ecosystem. Social media lit up with posts mocking his death—fake blood-splattered outfits at protests, performative trigger-pulls during chants, and outright celebrations framing it as "poetic justice." One X thread captured the sentiment chillingly: "This, like the Charlie Kirk Assassination Celebrations, is just another example of the depravity of the Left... Leftist violence is mainstream." It's not hyperbole; these weren't fringe whispers but public spectacles, where empathy evaporated and vengeance was the applause line.
This isn't isolated. Recall the 2020 George Floyd riots, often romanticized as a cry for justice. Floyd, a convicted felon with drugs in his system, became a martyr, and cities burned—billions in damages, lives shattered, neighborhoods gutted. Contrast that with the restrained response from the right after Kirk's death: no widespread arson, no looting sprees. The right, for all its flaws, tends to simmer rather than explode, channeling anger into ballots or boycotts rather than Molotovs.
Symbols Under Siege: When National Pride Becomes "Hate Speech"
Across the pond, in the UK's Islamic / Migrant majority neighborhoods, the simple act of flying the Union Jack has sparked fury. What was once a beacon of unity now evokes cries of "hurt sentiments" and accusations of Islamophobia, with residents decrying it as a provocative taunt amid rising migration tensions. In London and beyond, flags fluttering from homes and lampposts—part of grassroots "Operation Raise the Colours" campaigns—have been met with vandalism, threats, and counter-protests labeling them as far-right aggression. Critics argue these symbols exclude minorities, fostering an "air of menace," yet this outrage reveals a deeper intolerance: the idea that one's heritage must be muted to avoid offending others.
This hypersensitivity isn't unique to the UK. In France, during 2024's pension reform clashes, protesters torched cars and clashed with police, decrying national policies as assaults on the vulnerable—yet the violence often targeted symbols of French identity, like public monuments. In Germany, left-wing extremists have escalated attacks on "fascist" icons, from statues to flags, under the guise of anti-racism. Why the zero-sum game? Why must pride in one's roots be equated with prejudice?
Cyber Mobs and Personal Vendettas: The Indian Cricket Scandal
Even in the ostensibly apolitical realm of sports, rage finds fertile ground. Take the obscene torrent unleashed on a Christian Indian woman cricketer—vicious tweets, death threats, and slut-shaming—not for her performance on the field, but for her father's ill-advised attempt at religious conversion in a sensitive area. What began as a family misstep ballooned into a national hate-fest, with extremists from Islamist fringes piling on, turning private faith into public fodder for fury. Though specifics remain underreported, the pattern echoes broader trends: in 2025, social media platforms in India saw a 40% spike in religiously motivated harassment, often triggered by perceived slights against minority sensitivities.
This mirrors global cyber-lynchings, like the doxxing of journalists in the US for "Zionist sympathies" during Gaza coverage, or the harassment of European academics questioning migration narratives. Rage here isn't reasoned debate; it's a digital guillotine, swift and unforgiving.
From Gaza to the Globe: Antisemitism's Venomous Spread
The Israel-Gaza conflict, a tragedy in its own right, has exported its poison far beyond the Middle East. In Europe and America, solidarity marches devolved into antisemitic flashpoints: synagogue vandalism in London, swastikas scrawled on campus walls in New York, and chants of "From the river to the sea" morphing into outright calls for violence against Jews. The ADL's (Anti Defamation League)2024 audit documented a record 10,000+ incidents in the US alone, many tied to these protests—a 140% surge from pre-war levels. In Paris, a 2025 "No Kings" rally—meant to decry authoritarianism—turned ugly with anti-Jewish slurs, while in Berlin, leftist groups clashed with police over "genocide" accusations that veered into Holocaust denial.
These aren't organic outbursts; they're orchestrated, with socialist and Islamist fringes converging in a toxic alliance. Protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids in 2023 escalated similarly, blending anti-capitalist fervor with ethnic scapegoating. The result? Communities divided, innocents terrorized, and a chilling normalization of hate.
The Left's Monopoly on Mayhem: Patterns and Precursors
I could list more: the ultra-extremist "Zizian" groups in the US outpacing Antifa in coordinated violence, Sri Lanka's Aragalaya movement souring from peaceful demands to Marxist-fueled riots, or Brazil's 2023 surge in antisemitic acts post-Hamas attacks. What unites them? A left-leaning or socialist ignition point—9 out of 10 times. Right-wing extremism simmers, but it rarely self-starts; it's reactive, contained. The left? It weaponizes victimhood, turning policy gripes into pyres.
Why the thin skins? Social media algorithms reward outrage, echo chambers breed entitlement, and a generation raised on "safe spaces" equates discomfort with danger. But the real accelerant is politics: Leftist leaders, bereft of bold ideas, lean on division. No vision for economic renewal? Stoke the flames of identity wars. In New York City—the very epicenter of 9/11's scars—voters may soon elect Zohran Mamdani, a Uganda-born democratic socialist with radical Islamist ties, as mayor. Jews, 9% of the electorate and historical allies in progressive causes, appear poised to back him despite the irony. Where's the civic sense? Emotions have hijacked judgment, prioritizing "solidarity" over security.
Globally, the shift is stark. France's Macron-era socialists have deepened welfare traps, fueling suburban rage; Germany's Greens enable unchecked migration, breeding backlash; the UK's Labour drifts further left, mirroring 10 years ago's centrism no more. Migration crises—millions pouring in without integration plans—add dry tinder, turning diverse dreams into divided nightmares. Politicians escape unscathed, their deep entrenchment shielding them from accountability. Violence? It "resonates," carving space for their ascent.
A Bleak Horizon: Hope in the Ashes?
Right-wing excesses exist—Charlottesville's ghosts linger—but they're outliers, not the norm. The right rebuilds; the left revels in rubble. Without course correction, we're barreling toward a global civil war: ballots as relics, streets as battlegrounds, civility a casualty.
I wish for leaders who unite on policies—jobs, security, shared values—not exploit fractures. For algorithms that amplify wisdom over wrath. For us, the people, to reclaim our spines and say: Enough. But am I hopeful? In this cauldron, as the rage boils higher, I fear the steam blinds us all. What say you, reader—from Delhi to Detroit? Let's discuss before the lid blows off.
Karthik
2/11/25.
9am.
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