This thread on assassination as a just military option got me to thinking about political assassinations. In many of the cases I can think of–when it’s not just an act of insanity (e.g. James Garfield) but rather an attempt to achieve some political or social goal, the assassination was at best a pointless act (e.g. Julius Caesar), or galvanized support for the assassinated leader’s policies (e.g. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King).
Leaving the morality of the act aside, any thoughts from the board on the effectiveness of assassination as a political tool? I’m not an expert on assassination history, but would appreciate some perspective.