Let’s talk about how META, formerly known as Facebook because apparently just being a book wasn’t cool enough, is raking in cash like it’s Black Friday every day, thanks to political upheaval and violence. Who knew that something as grim as an attempted assassination of Trump and a war half a world away could turn into a lucrative merch drop on your favorite platform?

In July of 2024, when a would-be assailant took a shot at Trump, the first thing to sprout up on Facebook wasn’t a heartfelt prayer — it was a slew of merchandise featuring the orange titan himself, face bloodied but somehow still giving a fist pump. Coffee mugs, Hawaiian shirts, and even heart ornaments were just a few of the delightful items designed to cash in on America’s favorite political soap opera.

Apparently, desperate for a dash of drama to spice up their feed, advertisers pounced on this wave of chaos, throwing big bucks at META to push their latest products. In the ten weeks following the assassination attempt, advertisers coughed up between $593,000 and $813,000 just for ads that directly referred to this wild incident. And that’s not counting the second show on this gruesome stage: the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which saw Meta’s coffers swell like a balloon that just got too close to the barbecue.

Following the outbreak of violence on October 7, organizations and individuals splashed between $14.8 and $22.1 million on ads referencing Israel, making it a whopping 450% bump from the previous year. Who knew war was such a great investment opportunity? Major players like AIPAC went full throttle, increasing their ad budget by over 300% to remind Americans that they needed to support their “democratic ally” amid escalating tensions.

While META might shrug its shoulders and say, “What’s the big deal?” there’s the nagging question of whether it’s right to benefit from the maelstrom of human suffering. Sure, the company claims it doesn’t profit from political violence — yet their advertising revenue just says otherwise. When the algorithms kick in, it doesn’t differentiate between cute cat videos and tragic world events that leave people questioning their existence.

Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton, perhaps a little too optimistic, suggested that advertisers are a bit shy about their ads running adjacent to violent news. But let’s be real — when has fear of public backlash ever stopped anyone from making a buck? If anything, it seems like they’ve perfected the art of keeping their pockets lined while dancing on the graves of integrity.

In an age where chaos dominates, it’s both shocking and sadly predictable to see a tech giant like META turning tragedy into profit. So, as we scroll through our feeds, let’s remember: every click, every ad, and every shiny new product you see may be funded by something dark and grim, and in the end, this is just another day in the brave new world of capitalism run amok.