{
  "id": 15369204,
  "title": "Why are we ruled by barbarians?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/why-are-we-ruled-by-barbarians",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-18T06:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Noahpinion",
    "slug": "noahpinion",
    "url": "https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-are-we-ruled-by-barbarians"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The story behind the Trump administration's plan to stage a televised firing squad execution for Nidal Malik Hasan, the 2009 Fort Hood shooter, raises questions about the state of society. Watching the unedited video of ISIS burning a man alive in a cage, it was clear that the horrors of real-life atrocities surpassed anything even the most brutal fictional scenes could portray. The raw, atavistic nature of that execution could only be compared to a human sacrifice in an ancient world, providing a chilling comparison to the planned execution of Hasan.\n\nThe idea of televising the execution of Hasan struck many as barbaric and reminiscent of a bygone era. Britain abolished public executions on live TV in 1868, while the United States did not abolish the practice until over 60 years later, in 1936. The majority of Americans, with the exception of MAGA Republican men, strongly opposed the notion of executing Hasan in front of the nation's eyes. According to the Washington Post, this opinion was widespread across various segments of society, demonstrating a collective disapproval of the barbaric spectacle.",
  "summary": "America’s New Right believes that savagery is the key to victory.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}