Pent-up fury with nowhere to go

Last week, Saudi-German psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen drove his car into a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. The market was crowded; Christmas break had just begun, giving people an opportunity to spend time with their families and friends and enjoy the festive season.

- RAFIA ZAKARIA

According to the German authorities, Abdulmohsen, who had earlier described himself as a "Saudi atheist", supported extreme right-wing groups in Germany and had posted dark and ominous posts on social media. It is unclear what he believed he would achieve by killing innocent people at a Christmas market.

Whatever the reason for this horrific act, unexpected and alarming explosions of rage have become a rising trend over the past year.

A couple of weeks prior to the attack in Germany, a young man named Luigi Mangione shot and killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, which is part of the UnitedHealth Group, America's biggest health insurer. While the motives have yet to be ascertained, the killer's resentment against the corporate healthcare industry may have been linked to the chronic pain he suffered after a debilitating injury.

Instead of universal outrage, the killing was met with many instances of celebration in American internet spaces as people expressed their anger at how health insurance companies had treated them. Last year alone, the CEO in question had been paid $10 million. Moreover, it was alleged that his company used an algorithm to deny most patients their claims. In fact, one clothing company planned to introduce playing cards featuring the "most wanted CEOs".

The owner of the socialist brand stated: "I'm not suggesting anyone should cause any physical harm to anyone, but I do want people to know who is making their life harder."