Analysis of the Documentary ”Genocide” Essay

According to the documentary, genocide is the outcome of mass hysteria (“Genocide”). However, initially, it emerges as a consequence of murderous passions in the course of which people lose control of themselves and are not responsible for their actions. Nonetheless, genocide is the result of hysterics that pushes people to resort to violence and kill other humans.

Such events have a fast developing dynamics. At first, they have a seminal character that later leads to mass massacres. Perpetrators believe that their victims should be annihilated including women and children since their lives are worthy of nothing. According to the video, they also think that victims should be dehumanized and brutalized, which is evidenced by measures to which they resort (that far exceed simple killing) (“Genocide”).

Political leaders and organizations, as well as governments, are responsible for genocide since they allow harassment to occur (“Genocide”). Their role in instigating genocidal acts is immense; however, it varies from state to state. Nonetheless, one person is always responsible for initiating discrimination while his or her closest circle of people support it and plan an agenda for commencing genocide.

One of the common strategic tools of genocide is the political regime. It allows shaping the setting in a way that will be convenient for the ruling party. Relying on the governmental strategy, genocide supporters instigate mass killing, sexually harass individuals, introduce concentration camps (an illustrative example is Holocaust), force deportations, and culturally repress certain population groups (“Genocide”).

By renaming genocide, it became possible to outline that any attempt to discriminate and assault any population group should be considered eliminationism. According to the author of the video, this phenomenon stands behind every mass murder, and it includes such veiled attempts as humanitarian interventions (“Genocide”). Mass exterminations are a structural feature of the world since anthropological racism has been observed almost in every country and different social and political constructs.

The main similarity in the various discriminating episodes lies in the fact that they are always initiated by a small circle of people. Besides, the displayed atrocities are targeted at killing a certain population group either in whole or in part. However, the differences are connected to the goals pursued by various leaders (for instance, in Rwanda, the leaders wanted to ensure a political dominance of Hutu while in Germany, Hitler wanted to ensure the political superiority of the master race) (Diop 57). Also, violent episodes can be different (extermination of males or annihilation of everyone including females and minors).

The UN did not play any decisive role in the genocide crisis. It has happened due to the absence of their political will (“Genocide”). However, their aim should be to prevent atrocities through cooperation with government leaders so that their incorrect (discriminating) decisions are inhibited.

The international community fails to intervene due to the lack of will. The role of national interest is quite ambiguous. On the one hand, it should protect the sovereignty of countries when other states try to impede it. On the other hand, the national interest cannot intervene when people are eliminating citizens of the same state (“Genocide”). Therefore, the role of international organizations has been reduced to zero since they have remained ignorant of the recurring genocidal acts.

To reshape the global political structure, it is necessary to change the way people perceive genocide. It is critical to understand that eliminationism takes different forms, and the international community should be able to recognize them. To change the setting, the “international orientation towards intervention and genocide” should be altered (“Genocide”). After that, the international community will be able to have an impact on the decisions of political leaders.

Each government is responsible for ensuring the sovereignty of its citizens. The state should provide people with protection and assistance so that citizens are safe (“Genocide”). Importantly, if the government cannot do it, they should ask the international community for help.

Works Cited

Diop, Boubacar Boris. Murambi, the Book of Bones. Translated by Fiona Mc Laughlin, Indiana University Press, 2006.

“Genocide: Worse than War | Full-length documentary | PBS.” YouTube, uploaded by PBS. 2010, Web.