Systemic violence in US political spectacle: Media’s complicity in normalising instability under elite spectacle

Indigenous epistemologies often frame political violence as a symptom of broken relationality between humans, land, and governance, where spectacle replaces reciprocity. The absence of Indigenous voices in this narrative reflects a broader erasure of communal frameworks that prioritise collective well-being over elite performance. In many traditions, such as those of the Haudenosaunee, leadership is tied to service rather than spectacle, making the WHCD shooting a stark contrast to values of stewardship and accountability.

The WHCD shooting echoes historical patterns of political violence in the US, from the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and Kennedy to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which was framed as an isolated act of 'madness' rather than a product of toxic political rhetoric. The media’s role in amplifying fear while obscuring structural causes (e.g., gun culture, racialised violence) is a recurring feature of US political history. This incident also parallels global trends where elite gatherings become targets for those excluded from power, such as the 2016 Istanbul nightclub attack or the 2015 Paris attacks.

In many cultures, political violence is ritualised or aestheticised as part of broader power struggles, from the Roman gladiatorial games to the Indian 'durbar' (royal court) where dissent was often met with performative punishment. The WHCD shooting can be read through the lens of Bakhtin’s carnivalesque, where the inversion of norms (e.g., violence at a 'civilised' event) exposes the fragility of elite power. However, unlike carnival, this violence lacks the subversive potential to challenge systemic oppression, instead reinforcing the spectacle it claims to critique.

Psychological studies on the 'mean world syndrome' (Gerbner) suggest that media exposure to violence fosters a sense of insecurity, which can normalise extreme reactions to perceived threats. The framing of the WHCD shooting as 'shocking' and 'unpredictable' aligns with the 'availability heuristic,' where rare but vivid events are overestimated in their likelihood. Research on elite political violence (e.g., Piazza, 2017) indicates that such incidents are often preceded by a breakdown in institutional trust and a rise in polarising rhetoric, both of which are present in the US context.

Artistic traditions often use violence as a metaphor for the collapse of moral order, such as Shakespeare’s 'Macbeth' or the Greek tragedies, where hubris leads to downfall. The WHCD shooting can be read as a grotesque performance art piece, where the absurdity of elite power is laid bare in a single violent act. Spiritual traditions, such as the Buddhist concept of 'dukkha' (suffering), frame such events as inevitable outcomes of attachment to power and illusion, offering a lens to understand the fragility of democratic norms.

Scenario modelling suggests that continued normalisation of political violence could lead to a 'spectacle state,' where governance is replaced by performative crisis management, as seen in authoritarian regimes. The erosion of trust in institutions may accelerate, leading to increased vigilantism or the rise of paramilitary groups as 'protectors' of elite interests. Alternatively, the incident could catalyse a shift toward decentralised, community-based governance models that prioritise resilience over spectacle.

Marginalised communities, particularly Black, Indigenous, and working-class populations, have long experienced political violence as a daily reality, from police brutality to voter suppression, yet their perspectives are excluded from this narrative. The framing of the WHCD shooting as an 'unpredictable' event erases the predictability of violence for those who have historically been its targets. Including these voices would reveal how the spectacle of elite fear distracts from the systemic violence that has long plagued these communities.

The trickster figure of Hermes, patron of thieves and messengers, embodies the absurdity of this incident—where violence erupts in a space designed for performative democracy, exposing the hollowness of elite norms. Like Erasmus’ 'Praise of Folly,' the WHCD shooting reveals how solemnity conceals complicity, with journalists and elites playing roles in a script that ultimately serves power. Coyote, the Native American trickster, would laugh at the irony of a 'civilised' gathering where violence is met with more violence, highlighting the cyclical nature of power.