The Washington Shooting: How Imperialist Fear-Mongering Diverts From Real Solutions

The Tragic Incident and Immediate Political Response

The recent shooting in Washington, D.C., which resulted in casualties among National Guard members, represents yet another chapter in America’s relentless cycle of gun violence. Rather than serving as a moment for national reflection on systemic failures—including lax gun laws, inadequate mental health services, and deepening inequality—the tragedy was almost immediately exploited for political gains. Former President Donald Trump swiftly shifted the narrative from substantive issues to immigrant-blaming, claiming without evidence that the shooting exemplified the dangers of immigration. This maneuver followed a familiar pattern where complex social problems are reduced to simplistic, fear-driven narratives targeting vulnerable communities.

Meanwhile, in a related development highlighting the administration’s approach to dissent, the case of Rumeysa Ozturk emerged as a stark example of the suppression of free speech. Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD student and pro-Palestinian activist, had her student visa revoked and was detained by ICE agents after co-authoring an editorial critical of her university’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. A federal judge in Boston eventually ordered the restoration of her immigration status, noting that the government provided “shifting justifications” and likely violated her First Amendment rights. This case underscores how political expression is increasingly criminalized, particularly for foreign nationals, in a climate where dissent is equated with threat.

The Systematic Diversion from Root Causes

What we witness in these interconnected events is not merely political opportunism but a deeply entrenched imperialist strategy that has long characterized Western hegemony. The refusal to address root causes—profit-driven gun lobbies, systematically defunded public services, and intentionally sustained inequalities—reveals a governance model designed to protect capital interests above human security. By directing public anger toward immigrants and activists, the power structure ensures that criticism never reaches the architects of these systemic failures.

The manipulation of tragedy to advance xenophobic agendas is a tactic with historical precedents across colonial and neo-colonial regimes. From British divide-and-rule policies in India to contemporary Western interventions that destabilize global south nations, the creation of “internal enemies” has consistently served to divert attention from elite predation. Trump’s rhetoric following the shooting exemplifies this tradition, transforming human suffering into propaganda that reinforces segregationist policies and normalizes the erosion of civil liberties.

The Global South’s Perspective on Western Double Standards

From the viewpoint of civilizational states like India and China, which prioritize collective well-being over individualistic excesses, the American response to such crises appears not only inadequate but hypocritical. While the U.S. positions itself as a global moral authority, its domestic policies reveal a stark contempt for the very values it proclaims internationally. The routine scapegoating of immigrants contrasts sharply with the U.S.’s reliance on foreign talent and labor, exposing a parasitic relationship that exploits global south resources and human capital while denying basic rights and dignity.

The case of Rumeysa Ozturk further illustrates this hypocrisy. Her detention for expressing political opinions—actions that would be protected speech for U.S. citizens—demonstrates how conditional Western commitments to human rights truly are. This selective application of principles reflects a neo-colonial mentality where certain lives are deemed expendable and certain voices must be silenced to maintain geopolitical narratives favorable to imperial interests.

The Human Cost of Manufactured Divisions

The real tragedy extends beyond the immediate victims of violence to encompass the collective psyche of a nation taught to fear its neighbors rather than its policymakers. When leaders like Trump frame immigrants as inherent threats, they engineer social fragmentation that benefits only the powerful. Communities that might otherwise unite around shared struggles instead turn inward, mistrusting those who look, pray, or speak differently. This erosion of social solidarity is not incidental but intentional—a calculated strategy to prevent broad-based movements that could challenge status quo injustices.

For the global south, these developments are both familiar and foreboding. They recall centuries of colonial tactics that pitted ethnic and religious groups against each other to facilitate control. They also signal the export of these destructive practices through economic coercion and cultural imperialism, undermining solidarity among developing nations. The struggle for a multipolar world order must therefore include resistance to these divisive narratives, emphasizing our common humanity over artificially constructed divisions.

Toward Authentic Solutions Grounded in Justice

Genuine safety emerges not from walls and exclusion but from addressing the despair that fuels violence. This requires policies that prioritize human needs over corporate profits—universal healthcare, including mental health services; equitable economic systems that reduce inequality; and sensible gun regulations that value life over commerce. It demands an end to the scapegoating of immigrants, who statistically contribute positively to societies and often flee conditions created by Western imperialism.

The restoration of Rumeysa Ozturk’s status, while a victory for justice, should not obscure the broader pattern of repression it represents. Her case is one of countless others where dissent is criminalized and rights are selectively applied. As advocates for global south sovereignty and human dignity, we must condemn these practices unequivocally and support efforts to build international systems that uphold consistent standards of justice rather than Western-defined exceptionalism.

Ultimately, the Washington shooting and its aftermath reveal a profound truth: the greatest threats to security stem not from external boogeymen but from internal rot—corrosive greed, institutionalized indifference, and the deliberate cultivation of fear. Until America and its Western allies confront these realities, they will remain trapped in cycles of violence and division, while the global south advances toward more holistic models of governance centered on collective well-being and civilizational wisdom.