Could Genocide happen again in the modern western/Eastern world?

[GtoRA2]

Could Genocide happen again in the modern western/Eastern world?

Nazi Germany was 60 plus years ago, but are we so removed from that time that what they did could never be repeated?

The German people were not uncivilized, not barbaric, they were probably average people. Not all that different from the people of the UK or the US. But those same people allowed the elimination of over 6 million jews for no other reason then they were jews. The people of Germany allowed the SS to round these people up and kill them. Or use them as slave labor.

Now I do not want to debate why the Germans let this happen. The fact is it did, and we are not in my opioned all that much different now from the men and women of 40 years ago.

I think humans, are capable of amazing levels of cruelty.

Now we have cases of this happening in places like Africa right now, but lets leave those out because they do not have the governmental structure that most of the Big western and Eastern Nations.

Now the main question. Could the population of the USA, UK, France, Germany, India, China Russia Austria Austrelia ETC be pushed so far they would look the other way while there government committed Genocide on a race or religion?

An example. Say Islamic extremist terrorsts set off Nukes in all the above countries in one day. (far fetched yes but the idea of Genocide is as well at this point) Killing millions of people, would the anger the people fo these nations felt result in genocide committed agaist people of islam? Would anger overcome reason, and then lead down the path of killing inocent and gilty muslim alike? Could the rest of humanity be pushed so far with anger an hatred over an attack that they would do what the germans did to the jews?


If you guys think no, how are we different now then people of the 40s who did this?

[Sandman]

I believe that it has.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slobodan_Milosevic

[AKS\/\/ulfe]

Look at how many people blindly support their party's nominee... There is your answer, yes - it could EASILY happen again.
-SW

[ra]

[OneWordAnswer]

Could Genocide happen again in the modern western/Eastern world?

Saddam.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

DRC, Yugoslavia, Ruanda (Outous Vs toutsies) just to name a few of the population cleansing of this last decade.

[Chortle]

Serbian concentration camp, 12 years ago. Not much different to the photos I've seen from 60 years ago.

As for the UK, I'd like to think there are enough people who can distinguish between Islamic fundamentalists doing what you describe in your nuke example, and 99% of the Muslims who live here.

If it did happen, I'm sure they'd get a lot of grief but nothing state sponsored.

[Chairboy]

It could even happen here in the US.  It's not like there's an announcement in the paper 'GENOCIDE PLANNED FOR TOMORROW'.

It starts out small, public opinion is shaped gradually, and eventually people start dying and everyone is involved and nobody can stop it and so they have to finish it.  Remember that movie 'Very Bad Things'?  Imagine that situation, but instead of a hotel room in Vegas, it's all of society.

[GtoRA2]

Good points, but Iraq does not count cause Sadam was a dictator, the African stuff I do not kno wuch about but the governments do not seem like very good ones to me.


Serbia is a close example, but I do not know enough about it to talk about.

I would like to think it couldn't happen in most of the big western nations, but I can not rule it out.


If millions in the US died, I could see people not being real picky about what wether the people were run of the mill Muslim just trying to make a life and a terrorist nutjob.

[OneWordAnswer]

Originally posted by GtoRA2
Good points, but Iraq does not count cause Sadam was a dictator, .

Hitler.

[Vad]

You have mixed up different things. Killing civilians was  always inherent part of any weaponed conflict.  And sometimes very difficult to put an edge between military necessity and war crime. War is ugly thing, and intimidation actions are  parts of any war, you know.  Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are well known examples.

The Holocaust is another story. There was no war between Germany and Jews, and Jews actually did nothing wrong. Jews were killed "just in case", without any military, economical or any other reasons. Only because they were Jews.

Regarding your example. To answer your question first of all  we have to decide: Are we in state of war with terrorism? Is the terrorism inherent part of  modern Islam? And, if answer 'yes', is the  threat of terrorism big enough now to use intimidations?

I don't think that terrorism is essential part of Islam, so on your example I would answer "No, I don't expect massacre of Muslims". But when/if the link between Islam and terrorism will be proven or majority of population will be convinced that such a link exists I think we will witness new genocide. It will be called "military necessity".  And next generation will judge us. Again. Or Muslims will judge us for war crimes if we will lose the war.

[Hajo]

Could happen.....would only take a few literate vociferous idiots to spew enough garbage long enough that many of the lesser intelligent would assume their garbage to be true.

Now you have a mob of idiots that can't be reasoned with.  They have a few guns....some explosives and now we have a Mob of dangerous idiots.

Sound like this has happened before?

[OneWordAnswer]

Originally posted by Hajo
Now you have a mob of idiots that can't be reasoned with.  They have a few guns....some explosives and now we have a Mob of dangerous idiots.

Sound like this has happened before?

Al Qaeda.

[Curval]

Originally posted by Chairboy
It could even happen here in the US.

Impossible according to lazs.

[Sandman]

We have guns... lots of itty bitty guns.