Example of dehumanisation in war.

Example of dehumanisation in war. Black Mirror: Men against fire.

This video is an extract from Black Mirror (S3:E5).

It is a classroom example of how dehumanisation suppports the killing of other human beings. Where an outgroup is seen as "less than" it makes it easier to kill their members. In the episode, a new AI technology portrays the "enemy" as a monster. Those in the army just see this abomination, without really seeing the human. It all changes when the protagonist takes off this device and can actually relate to these people.

This same mechanism of dehumanisation can be seen in history, where people are classified as cockroackes, rats, and other disgusting animals, so that it is easier to see them as unworthy of respect and, rather, worthy of being mistreated. This can be seen in WWII as in various other wars, genocides through history, and, unfortunately, in current political narratives.

Recognising these narrative devices might help seeing the manipulation underlying these processes and, hopefully, resist them.

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