Why is everyone so upset about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal to to livestream the December 3 firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of murdering 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. I mean, this is what authoritarian regimes do. Public executions are a time-honored tradition among dictators, despots and assorted homicidal strongmen. Why should America be left behind?
For centuries, public executions have served the important purpose of reminding citizens exactly who holds the power of life and death over them. Sure, we eventually decided that turning state-sanctioned killing into public entertainment was a little barbaric. But that was before we had high-definition cameras, livestreaming technology and a defense secretary who thinks every decision he makes is an opportunity to display his ~~rabid insecurity~~ manhood.
Think of the possibilities. Corporate sponsorships. Celebrity commentators. Instant replays. Maybe a halftime show featuring Kid Rock. Why administer justice with solemnity and dignity when you can turn it into a ratings bonanza?
Of course, Hasan’s crimes were monstrous. But justice and public spectacle are two very different things. One is supposed to demonstrate the rule of law. The other is supposed to demonstrate the power of the ruler, and really, isn’t that the point? After all, you can’t restore the greatness of Western civilization without bringing back some of its darkest traditions. Next up: public floggings, medieval stocks and a Department of War guillotine.
Make Barbarism Great Again.
