I‘m talking about dehumanization in general. Labeling perpetrators as „Monsters“ happens pretty often and is a very common way to dehumanise someone because it’s easier to turn someone into a monster than to accept that humans are capable of horrifying things.
But you are right, to dehumanise innocent bystanders you needs a few more steps and a few years of racist/fascist propaganda. „Us“ vs „Them“ is probably a good start. Followed by normalising violence in general and especially against „Them“.
On top of this comes a bundle of arbitrary rules that we are told „They“ always break because it’s in their „Nature“.
And there you go…
Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow with anything us vs them that I can’t relate to being persuaded by such propaganda, but as an adult people should know better. At least these days when we have a good way to actually see for ourselves what’s happening in other places in the world and hear their own stories.
I‘m talking about dehumanization in general. Labeling perpetrators as „Monsters“ happens pretty often and is a very common way to dehumanise someone because it’s easier to turn someone into a monster than to accept that humans are capable of horrifying things.
But you are right, to dehumanise innocent bystanders you needs a few more steps and a few years of racist/fascist propaganda. „Us“ vs „Them“ is probably a good start. Followed by normalising violence in general and especially against „Them“. On top of this comes a bundle of arbitrary rules that we are told „They“ always break because it’s in their „Nature“. And there you go…
Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow with anything us vs them that I can’t relate to being persuaded by such propaganda, but as an adult people should know better. At least these days when we have a good way to actually see for ourselves what’s happening in other places in the world and hear their own stories.