<
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_stop_dehumanization_before_it_goes_too_far>
"After making a gesture that many interpreted as a Nazi salute, Elon Musk
rejected the idea that he himself was a Nazi, or that any invocation of the
movement’s symbols could be harmful.
“What’s relevant about Nazis is like, are you invading Poland?” Musk told
podcaster Joe Rogan. “What is actually bad about Nazis—it wasn’t their fashion
or their mannerisms, it was the war and genocide.”
But what Musk failed to acknowledge was that genocide never arrives as a bolt
from the blue. A gradual, grinding process of dehumanization prepares the way
for it, ultimately presenting violence as the next logical step. One hallmark
of this process’s early phases is the emergence of hate symbols that highlight
the divide between self-anointed “superior” groups and those they deem less
worthy.
As hate-curious societies proceed further into dehumanizing certain groups,
they can transmute into ones that eradicate people, whether by erasing their
identities or by ending their lives.
Yet as hatred escalates, ordinary people can intervene in meaningful ways to
halt or reverse progressions toward genocide. To prepare for such intervention,
it helps to understand what forces hold people back from speaking up when
vulnerable groups are targeted—and how you can surmount these forces so that
your actions reflect your highest values."
Via Muse.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
