Thread by @corporatemach

When Political Leaders are making Threats of Violence or Incitations of Violence

....take cover.

Most people (non-psychopaths) are very psychologically uncomfortable with carrying out violence; they find it to be terrifying, if not traumatizing.

To make people psychologically comfortable with carrying out violence, you have to *dehumanize* the humans you are telling them to carry out violence against.

Essentially, you have to make them perceive the targets of their violence are bad people, or that they are not people; they are worse than humans.

Example:

The Rwandan Genocide (1994), did not happen over night.

Yes, the violence erupted abruptly

However, for months and years before the violence occurred, political leaders dehumanized the Tutsis (the ethnic minority which was the target of the genocide).

Political Leaders call the Tutsis "Cockroaches" and "Snakes".

With enough of this dehumanisation, the Hutu majority eventually felt justified in murdering members of the Tutsi minority.

2020 America

When you see Leftwing Americans refer to Rightwingers as "Nazis"

and

you see Rightwing Americans refer to Leftwingers as "Communists"

a similar thing is happen.

Dehumanisation of the other side, by both sides, on a macro level.

To be clear...

Leftwing Americans view 'Nazis' as being far worse than 'Cockroaches'

and

Rightwing Americans view "Communists" as being far worse than 'Snakes'