Killing moderates backfires domestically

The essay contends that removing a moderate figure during polarized, volatile periods is likely to radicalize factions and elevate harsher successors, because underlying forces—not one leader—drive the conflict. It applies this logic from the 'kill Hitler' counterfactual to contemporary U.S. politics, warning that assassinating a consensus‑builder worsens, not calms, the situation. — It reframes reactions to political violence by emphasizing structural dynamics and succession effects, cautioning against celebratory rhetoric that can escalate cycles of retaliation.